The 2013 Ford Fiesta ST is “Ford’s fastest ever small production car”, says the manufacturer and promises to be plenty of fun thanks to a new EcoBoost engine and a chassis tuned by Ford Team RS. Its taken a while for it to arrive, the last time the Fiesta ST was on sale was 2008, but the wait is over and our editor, Scott Hayes, travelled to the Place of Gold for an introduction.
I have a confession to make. I owned a fifth generation Ford Fiesta ST (pre-facelift) and enjoyed 55 000 entertaining kilometres with it. Its 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine only produced 112 kW and 190 Nm of torque, so it was out-gunned by its nemesis of the time, the turbocharged 1.8-litre Volkswagen Polo, however, what it lacked in outright performance, it made up for with an involving drive and go-fast looks.
With the announcement of the latest Fiesta ST I expect more of the same. An open and shut case. It’s never that simple though. Engine downsizing, environmental and safety regulations, rising costs and plenty more factors threaten to dilute a car’s character these days, but before we both end up with a headache, let’s get on with talk about the new pocket rocket ST.
Firstly, unlike Volkswagen with their 5-door Polo GTI, the Fiesta ST continues with a sportier looking 3-door body style, which Ford says strengthen ties with the Fiesta race and rally cars we see competing on the world stage. The Fiesta ST has been given a similar make-over to that of the larger Focus ST, with the result being a familiar trapezoidal grille with gloss black honeycomb insert and strong jaw line that leads into a lower air dam flanked by fog lights.
Deeper side sills stretch between the axles and precede a rear bumper with a dramatic diffuser element that features a combination colour-coded insert and honeycomb mesh; a little fussy looking depending on what colour you choose. Twin-exhaust pipes, a boot-mounted spoiler, along with unique 17-inch wheels complete the visual package.
The Ford Fiesta ST looks like it’s made for the racetrack and that’s exactly where Ford South Africa chose to launch the car, specifically, Red Star Raceway. The track was built exclusively for motorcycles, so the fact that we got to drive around the 4 kilometre circuit was special in itself. As it happened, the 13 turns and 5 straights were also a good match for the compact ST, whereas the circuit may have felt a little claustrophobic in anything larger.
Like the Focus ST, the smaller Fiesta variant is the product of a collaboration between Team RS in Europe and SVT in the United States. The Europeans drew on the experience of the Ford Focus WRC rally team and subsequent development of the mighty Focus RS, while the Americans bring horsepower, torque and in-car entertainment to the party.
The 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine produces 132 kW and 240 Nm of torque, with an overboost function of 50 Nm when the pedal is to the metal. These figures mean the Fiesta is now on par with its Polo GTI rival, but still not quite as powerful as the upcoming Peugeot 208 GTI or Renault Clio RS. It’s, however, more fuel efficient than the previous generation ST (5.9 l/100km versus the old car’s 7.8 l/100km) and emits just 138 g/km of CO2.
Torque begins in earnest at 1 600 r/min, while peak power comes on song at 5 700 r/min. Coupled with lightweight, Ford’s claimed 0 – 100 km/h sprint time feels completely plausible at 6.9 seconds, while top speed is a claimed 220 km/h.
The ST’s stiff, 3-door, body shell is supported by a revised suspension system that includes 15 mm lower springs than standard, which are also stiffer, and moderated by quicker damper rates. The rear of the car is also kept more flat during cornering thanks to a stiffer anti-roll bar. Like all but the most hardcore performance hatchbacks (think Ford RS or Renault RS Cup), the ride quality can be described as firm, but not jarring, even with low profile (205/40) 17-inch tyres.
The new ST benefits from a few electronic tricks too. The electronic stability program (ESP) allows three stages of assistance: on; sport; off, while a new Torque Vectoring Control system limits torque steer and wheel spin, by proportionately applying the brake to which ever front wheel is spinning faster; usually the inside wheel that has less weight on it during cornering.
The braking system is another area of improvement for the new Fiesta ST, with disc brakes being used at all four corners where the standard Fiesta makes do with a front discs/rear drums combination. Even after heavy use on the track, the middle pedal remained consistent, which is also down to the aid of a larger tandem brake master cylinder.
Gone are the days of hydraulically assisted power steering, so we won’t waste time moaning about how we don’t get steering feel like we used to. The electric power-assisted steering on the Ford Fiesta ST is more direct and responsive than the standard Fiesta and has a quicker overall steering ratio. Thankfully though, Ford haven’t fitted a variable ratio system, which means steering action is linear, predictable and provides a more authentic connection with the car.
Ford have always done a good job of fostering a connection between man and his machine, with the latest ST being no different. Apart from the steering as described above, pedal feel is also good, with the car responding proportionately to driver inputs. The same goes for the 6-speed manual transmission and the way the lever slots through the gates: short throws, with a little notch through each gate that adds character.
The ‘Active Sound Symposer’ that we praised Ford’s engineers for with the Focus ST, has been replicated in the Fiesta. It amplifies the induction noise inside the cabin and plays to the adolescent within. At cruising speeds the engine note avoids being boomy, but as the revs rise the ST orchestrates a raspy tune that encourages more throttle.
There’s not much to lift the interior of the ST over the standard Fiesta, but I happen to think the standard Fiesta is rather well spec’d to begin with. Ford’s Sync infotainment system connects your phone and portable music player, offers voice commands and enough other information to keep you entertained. Glossy black plastics surround the various switch gear, a couple of ST badges and dashes of aluminium-look trim dotted around the cabin, do enough to differentiate the ST, but it’s the heavily bolstered Recaro front seats that are the most necessary, noticeable and brag-worthy interior addition.
On the racetrack, the ST shows its tenacious spirit. It revs cleanly to its 6 500 r/min redline and never feels out of breath. The steering is accurate and the front-end planted, while the stiff and balanced chassis responds to the driver’s every input. It strikes me as being a scaled down Focus ST in the way that one is able to adjust the car’s line and attitude through a corner with fine throttle movement, inducing under- or oversteer just as easily and making it far more engaging than your typical front-wheel drive car.
The electronics make it safe for the inexperienced, but the ability to turn them off allows more seasoned drivers to have a blast. In this regard, Ford’s ‘MyKey’ system allows a number of ‘Parental Guidance’ features to be set such as: maximum speed; audio volume limit; and the ability to prevent safety features from being turned off.
The ST comes fully spec’d and the only available extras are metallic paint, an upgraded alarm system and rear parking sensors. Safety highlights include 7 airbags (dual front, side, curtain airbags and driver knee airbag), which have earnt the Fiesta a five-star Euro-NCAP safety rating.
The new Fiesta ST continues where it left of in 2008. It’s not as powerful as some of its rivals and is arguably not as classy looking inside or out. It remains hugely entertaining, however, and as with the previous generation, continues to offer some of the best bang for your buck. I voted with my wallet for these reasons back in 2006 and if I was 25 again today, I’d happily make the same buying decision.
| Prices (incl. VAT & CO2 tax) | |
| Fiesta ST 1.6 GDTi 3-door | R254 500 |
Pricing includes a 4-year/120 000km warranty, 4-year/60 000km service plan and 3-year/unlimited km roadside assistance.
