Here it is, the most eagerly anticipated Fiesta for a long time. While Ford may be calling their new Fiesta ST a ‘concept’ I think it’s safe to say that this is going to be very close to the final production version of the hot Fiesta.
The popular supermini has been on the market for three years now and in all that time the fastest model has been the S1600 with just 132 bhp. That’s all set to change with the Fiesta ST as a new 1.6-litre Ecoboost engine provides a big step up in performance. With the combination of a turbocharger and Twin-independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) the ST will be good for 178 bhp and 177 lb ft.
That puts the Fiesta ST squarely in the middle of the junior hot hatch battle, going head to head with Volkswagen’s Polo GTI, Skoda’s Fabia vRS, SEAT’s Ibiza Cupra and the current king of the hill, Renault’s Clio 200. While the Fiesta might be less powerful than the Clio it is close to 100kg lighter, a significant amount of weight that could give it a dynamic edge.
Expect the 0-60mph time to be less than seven seconds and the top speed close to 140mph. CO2 emissions should dip below 140 g/km and that should equate to a combined fuel economy figure of around 40mpg. Ford will be keen to price the Fiesta competitively, somewhere in the region of £16-17,000.
The standard 3-door Fiesta is already a good-looking car but the ST concept really does improve the road presence of this supermini. The gaping front grille carries over from the larger Focus ST, featuring a red ‘ST’ logo, while at the back is a large spoiler and twin exhausts nestling under a large diffuser. The 17-inch alloy wheels also mimic the design seen on the Focus ST and with the lower ride height and wider wheelarches the Fiesta ST could never be accused of being a shrinking violet.
Sadly production won’t start this year, instead we’ll have to wait until 2012 for the Fiesta ST. Until then we can see the Fiesta in action thanks to this preview video of the concept from Ford.
