Ford Fiesta ST review (29/05/2013)
I don’t recall him repeating the offer. I’d say that poor car got a tanning going to Ballyvourney. It was great fun to drive, though.
I drove the second-generation XR2i in 1989, when Ford launched the car in Northern Ireland. It was an over-night in Belfast followed by a return trip to Bushmills (which was the start of my love affair with that town’s most famous product) through the fantastic Glens of Antrim. The only downside for Ford was that an otherwise successful launch was tarnished by breakdowns — including the car I was driving.
That’s all by way of introducing you to the new Fiesta ST, which is the second generation of Fiesta with that nomenclature. This thing truly is the business.
Having been recently impressed by the excellent Fiesta with the EcoBoost, one-litre, three-cylinder engine, I came to the ST with few misgivings. I expected it to be punchy, sharp, grippy and quick — and it did not disappoint.
Officially launched here in March, the nuts and bolts of the Fiesta ST (which is available in two trims — ST1 and ST2) are thus: it is powered by a 1.6-litre, turbocharged EcoBoost engine that has a claimed 180bhp, and 240Nm of torque. It will propel the car from a standing start to 100kph in 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 220kph.
The ST’s over-boost facility has an engine output of 196bhp, which is seriously impressive. However, it will only achieve this when you are maxing the throttle, and it will only allow you a 15-second burst of the extra horses.
If you need the over-boost for more than 15 seconds — on any normal Irish road — then you’re going to be in trouble.
The system works fantastically well and when you tie it in with the brilliant, six-speed manual gearbox (slick and silky) and the optimised tuning for suspension, brakes and steering, you have a package that could engender a cult following.
In terms of the engine and suspension, Ford has made this car driver-friendly.
The turbo-charging has been tweaked to make any lag unobtrusive, while the enhanced torque-vectoring control (eTVC), and the three-mode electric-stability-control system, prevent the driver looking foolish.
The eTVC system substitutes for a limited slip diff and applies brake force to the inside front wheel during cornering, and improves road-holding, and reduces understeer, without affecting speed.
Elsewhere, new software controls the ST’s balance in response to steering inputs, under-acceleration and braking. The ESC offers full-system intervention, as well as wide-slip mode, with limited intervention and full ESC deactivation.
Both the eTVC and ESC systems support a modified front-steering knuckle, which produces an electrifyingly quick answer to steering inputs, an adapted, rear twist-beam with increased roll-stiffness, as well as unique front and rear spring and damper settings, and a 15mm lower centre of gravity.
All of that adds up to a car that is really well-sorted and I pity people who will quibble about the harshness of the ride. For a car this sporting, the ride is very compliant and I found nothing quirky to concern me in terms of the handling.
This is a car with considerable brio and it truly is a joy to drive. Ford has added to the experience, thanks to its adoption of the sound symposer system (first seen in the Focus ST), which channels the rorty engine noise into the passenger cabin, to give you a serious aural accompaniment to the rest of experience.
Visually, Ford has got this one right, too. From the trapezoidal grille (which gives off a distinctly Aston vibe) to the aggressive rear diffuser and twin-pipe exhausts, this thing truly looks the part.
In fact, there were no areas I could find in which the Fiesta ST falls down on the job, and I would also have to congratulate Ford for producing such a stunning performer at this price. That is another reason why I see this thing engendering a serious cult following. A car this good deserves nothing less.
