► New Ford Fiesta ST revealed
► Hot hatch appears early in lifecycle
► 197bhp turbo punch from new 1.5
The new Ford Fiesta range will be given a bit of extra fizz with the new ST hot hatch, which will appear alongside the cooking models at the 2017 Geneva motor show.
The pocket rocket is appearing remarkably early in the new Fiesta range’s lifecycle, reflecting the popularity of the current ST.
Read what happened in CAR’s long-term test review of the previous model.
How powerful is the new Ford Fiesta ST?
It gets the Blue Oval’s latest 1.5-litre Ecoboost engine, tuned to produce a fulsome 197bhp. Which puts it neatly in line with the run-out special, 2016’s Fiesta ST200.
Ford quotes some impressive performance figures:
- Engine 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo
- Peak power/torque 197bhp/214lb ft
- 0-62mph sprint 6.7sec
- Target CO2 emissions 114g/km
The 1.5 includes variable cam timing and Ford’s new cylinder deactivation tech, which shuts down one cylinder under light load, restarting the snoozing chamber in 14 milliseconds (’20 times faster than the blink of an eye,’ says Ford).
And to counter any thrummy doubts over how a two-cylinder fast Ford will sound, there’s an Electronic Sound Enhancement system to tweak the exhaust note artificially and ‘amplify the naturally sporty sound of the new 1.5-litre Ecoboost engine.’
See the new Ford Fiesta ST on video here
New driving modes to tailor the handling
This wouldn’t be a 2017-compliant performance model if you couldn’t tweak the settings to match your mood, and so Ford has equipped the new Fiesta ST with Drive Modes.
These let you tailor power steering assistance, engine settings, exhaust loudness and stability control to Normal, Sport and Track settings. No sign of a Drift Mode like on Focus RS big brother though…
Torque vectoring features, braking the inside front wheels during hard cornering to tug the Fiesta ST into the apex.
So it’ll handle as well as before?
We do hope so. If Ford cocks up the Fiesta’s innate fun levels, many hot hatch fans will be disappointed.
The Recaro bucket seats, flat-bottomed steering wheel and new Liquid Blue signature colour are all new for the Fiesta ST.
Ford Fiesta ST for sale
In line with the new Ford Fiesta brief, the cabin is pepped up with posher materials than will be familiar to anyone who’s sampled the great-to-drive-but-poor-to-sit-in outgoing supermini.
There’s an eight-inch touchscreen, the option of B&O top-end audio and the latest Ford Sync 3 connectivity systems.
When will the new Ford Fiesta ST be available?
Sales start in early 2018, with a choice of three- or five-door hatchback bodystyles.
Expect more personalisation options than ever before, plus unique 18-inch alloy wheels.
More news from the Geneva motor show