Ford will turn up the wick of its Fiesta Zetec S next year, turning it into a Suzuki Swift Sport-rivalling warm hatch. The power bump will bridge the gap in the Fiesta range between the regular models and the top-of-the-line ST flagship.
How much power will the 2014 Ford Fiesta Zetec S have?
Thanks to an uprated 1.0-litre three-cylinder Ecoboost engine, the new Zetec S will put out 138bhp. That’s up from 123bhp in the current car, and will boost the Fiesta to an equal footing with other sporty superminis, like the 134bhp Suzuki Swift Sport and 133bhp Renaultsport Twingo 133. The new Fiesta Zetec S will keep the subtle bodkykit of the current car, offering quasi-hot hatch looks for less cash.
How much will the new Zetec S cost?
Prices are expected to remain close to the current car’s £15k mark. The Fiesta ST is more expensive (though still a relative hot hatch bargain) at £16,995, but offers 179bhp from its four-cylinder turbocharged 1.6-litre engine. Both hotted-up Fiestas will feature a six-speed manual transmission only.
Insurance will also be cheaper. The Fiesta ST is expected to sit in group 23-24E: the new Zetetc S would be closer to the current model’s group 15E.
Is the hotter Fiesta Zetec S certain for production?
Not quite: the car is going through the final stages of evaluation while development work continues on UK roads, based around Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre. The top brass need to be convinced that Ford can shift at least 4000 Zetec S Fiestas in Europe annually before the car gets the final green light.