We review the Ford Fiesta ST from price to economy and all its features
BASILDON, Essex was the birthplace of Depeche Mode, Denise van Outen, Alison Moyet and... EcoBoost.
It’s not renowned for its beauty, I know this because I used to live there.
But this Fiesta ST, powered by an outstanding EcoBoost engine developed in Dunton within a mile of Basildon, is simply stunning.
This is the Fiesta that puts the ST in stonker.
Fast, fun yet affordable Fords have been a massive hit on British roads since the 1960s.
It started with the Escort Twin Cam and Mexico and has continued almost non-stop ever since right up to the current Focus ST.
This week we tested latest arrival for the first time in Scotland — the Fiesta ST, a pocket rocket version of Britain’s best-selling car.
The Fiesta has sold nearly 18million since 1976 and the UK has found a home for nearly four million of them.
It’s not only the UK’s bestselling new car, but also the country’s top-selling used car. The Fiesta is the car that makes Ford tick.
But Ford realise that some buyers also want a special version that makes them stand out from the crowd.
Enter the ST, a Fiesta that oozes attitude.
You are instantly greeted by a grille of George Foreman proportions — which just underlines the sizzling performance from the ST.
On top of that, there are the cool charcoal 17in alloys and the outsized rear spoiler — this really is a Fiesta with added ferocity.
It’s a little car that promises serious fun at a very affordable price. Starting at £16,995, that is a price that will undercut new rivals the Peugeot 208 GTi and the Renaultsport Clio 200 by £2,000.
A tuned 1.6litre turbo-injected EcoBoost petrol engine that pumps out 180bhp, and which sounds suitably throaty, is the foundation of the ST’s fun factor.
And, as the standard Fiesta is already the best-handling supermini in a class of very good cars, the ST certainly has all the ingredients to turn up the heat.
Maybe 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds is not Ferrari-rivalling fast — but it is highly entertaining when you combine it with brilliant handling, courtesy of a superb chassis and a slick six-speed gearbox.
There’s an assurance about the ST that makes you believe that the harder you push it the better it handles. It gives you a confidence to crack on without going crazy.
Ford claim 47.9mpg, but drive it as it should be driven and I got around 40mpg.
But that’s still impressive for a hot hatch.
[youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=8db0juwaFLo]
The ST does have all the creature comforts we’ve come to expect, including heated seats and a top-grade music and infotainment system.
However, apart from ST-logo sill plates and sports seats, the interior lacks the drama and desire of the rest of the package.
But the ST is all about the driving experience — it’s for owners who believe driving should be something to be enjoyed.
Some people are lucky enough to spend art gallery prices on buying sports cars that deliver driving exotica, the brilliance of the Fiesta ST is that it does it for £16,995.
For that you get a hot hatch that beats its Clio Sport and 208 GTi rivals.
As for me driving the ST, as Depeche Mode once said, I just Can’t Get Enough.