THE Ford Fiesta ST surely provides some of the best value-for-money motoring fun available right now.
An enthusiastic driver is likely to start smiling as they clap eyes on the sporty grille, ST badging and racy 17in alloys on the blue oval badge marque’s sizzling supermini for the first time.
Their anticipation will grow as they climb aboard and are enveloped by the heated Recaro sports seats with blue stitching and grip the chunky perforated leather steering wheel. Then the soundtrack as they press the start button will confirm that they are about to enjoy a genuinely engaging drive.
I’ve recently had the ST-2 five-door model, priced from £21,150, on test and really didn’t want to hand the keys back at the end of the week. The Fiesta ST is powered by a three-pot 1.5-litre petrol engine that, as well as producing a sporty rumble, develops a potent 200PS with 290Nm of torque.
It’s mated to a short-shifting, precise, six-speed manual gearbox and the front-wheel-drive car has a choice of three drive modes – normal, sport or track. These modify the engine mapping, throttle position, brake pedal and steering response.
Unsurprisingly, there’s a performance-tuned chassis, firm sports suspension and enhanced torque vectoring – all of which ensure the handling characteristics are superb.
Officially, the Fiesta ST sprints to 62mph in just 6.5 seconds and redlines at 144mph. Yet a cylinder deactivation feature while cruising helps it achieve a claimed average 40.4mpg – a figure that I got fairly close to despite my heavy right foot – with a CO2 reading of just 136g/km.
What all this means in real terms is that the acceleration is brisk in any situation – thankfully, the brakes are also reassuringly sharp. The steering feedback is excellent, while the firm ride and sporty driving position make you feel really connected with the road below you in a good way.
That’s because the ride is not overly jittery and the ST always feels well-planted, even when cornering weather-ravaged country lanes. The levels of grip and lack of wheel spin under hard acceleration were undoubtedly helped by the optional Quaife limited slip differential.
This was part of a £925 ST Performance Pack that includes a Launch Control function to deliver the best acceleration off the line and a Performance Shift Light indicator to let you know the best time to change gear.
Safety features are also a key part of the car’s build, so it comes equipped with electronic stability control, advanced braking systems, lane-keeping aid, auto lights and cruise control with a speed limiter.
The test car also included a £300 Driver Assistance Pack with a 4.2in TFT instrument cluster, auto high beam lights, traffic sign recognition and driver alert. A further £475 added a blind spot alert system with cross traffic warning.
Other standard goodies include Ford’s excellent SYNC3 infotainment system with an eight-inch touchscreen, DAB Radio, full smartphone compatibility, voice control, Bluetooth and two USB sockets.
It also has an emergency assistance function that can help alert the authorities in the event of a crash. A £550 upgrade added a 10-speaker surround-sound B&O audio system, sat nav, live traffic information and a wi-fi hotspot.
The cabin also has some pleasing sporty finishes, with carbon-fibre effect trim, seat belts with blue detailing and a dark headlining, although the £650 optional panoramic sunroof is well worth considering.
The five-door model is not impractical, either – two teenagers in the rear said they were happy with the space available to them and the 292-litre boot easily held my golf trolley. Meanwhile, sharp creases, twin tailpipes, rear privacy glass and a large rear spoiler all add to the attractions.
But one of my favourite features was the way that, on start up, the touchscreen featured a honeycomb grille graphic with the words “ST Ford Performance”, because it immediately hinted at the driving enjoyment I was about to experience.
Factfile:
- Model: Ford Fiesta ST-2 (5-door)
- Engine: 1.5-litre petrol
- Power: 200PS
- Top speed: 144mph
- 0-62-mph: 6.5 seconds
- Average mpg: 40.4
- CO2 emissions: 136g/km
- Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles
- Price: £21,150
