With its new Fiesta ST, Ford continues its drive to make driving available to all. That’s 200 hp for the pleasure of driving sportingly, or not, at only € 23,200.
A few months after the release of the new Fiesta, Ford launches the ST version which represents the performance declination of the small city car . Externally, it is distinguished by slightly different skirts, highlighted by matte black, headlamps with LED daytime running lights and taillights, standard 18-inch aluminium wheels with red brake calipers and a double chrome exhaust.
In the cabin, the ST sports Recaro leather bucket seats and a leather steering wheel with a flat surface.
On a mechanical level, the new Fiesta ST is equipped with a new 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine that has been boosted to 200 hp, allowing 0-100 km / h in 6”5 and a top speed of 232 km / h. h. It has cylinder deactivation technology to reduce fuel consumption by stopping the feeding of one of the cylinders, for example downhill or at constant speed. The system works in thousandths of a second and does not affect performance.
The Fiesta ST also has, for the first time, selectable driving modes “Normal”, “Sport” and “Track”, a “Launch Control” to start faster on the circuit and a limited slip differential, accompanied by a new set of rear suspensions, lighter, providing optimal responsiveness of the chassis.
Very easy driving
On the road, this translates into more precise steering and a better feeling at the wheel , without degrading comfort quite surprising for a small sportswoman, noisy in Normal mode.
Its important torque eliminates the need to use the gear lever too frequently, and thus more often than not, it is possible to use the deactivation of a cylinder to read on the on-board computer a consumption just over 5 liters.
Of course, the Fiesta ST has been designed for the pleasure of driving and even driving which may involve some incursions on circuits to appreciate all the advantages of Track mode optimally setting its dynamic characteristics. And nothing better than the Paul Ricard for tests on the 5.8 km and understand very quickly that the ST handles with a disconcerting simplicity , returns to the curves without too much understeer and obediently corrects driving.
A child’s play, a toy to put in all hands … reasonable people obviously.
Waiting for an 8-speed auto box …
Too bad, however, that the box ratios are calculated a little long , victims of the pollution standards to respect to avoid a discouraging penalty (only 690 € for the ST).This gives 50, 90, 140 and 190 km / h on the 4th. What to negotiate the Signes curve at 6,000 rpm without lifting the foot. But there are still two speeds that are not useful on a circuit. We can hope for an upcoming option offering the 8-speed automatic transmission, in use on the new Focus, to further simplify driving the Fiesta ST while giving it a boost of tone … and a reduction of penalty.
Note that the Fiesta ST is available in 3 and 5 doors but also in two versions: “Pack” for fans of pure performance, with standard limited slip differential and Launch Control and “Plus” focus on the style and a high standard of high-tech equipment as standard, including the 8 “touch screen with navigation, for an additional € 1,300. Differential and Launch Control are then available as an option at 950 euros.
