Ford Fiesta ST vs. its rivals

The long-awaited Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch finally arrives in the UK this month, aggressively priced from £16,995.

Offered only as a three-door in Europe, that amount buys the base ST which comes with Recaro seats, 17” alloy wheels, a DAB radio, Ford’s Sync connectivity system, a large rear spoiler and a black honeycomb front grille.

Additionally available will be a more lavishly equipped ST-2 version that costs £17,995. Its extra spec includes keyless start, heating and part-leather upholstery for the seats, LED daytime running lights, a Sony audio system and privacy glass.

Ford Fiesta ST 3-Door (2013) Front SideFord Fiesta ST 3-Door (2013) Interior

Ford Fiesta ST 3-Door (2013) DashboardFord Fiesta ST 3-Door (2013) Rear Side

To help ensure that the handling lives up to the sporty image, both models feature lowered, stiffer suspension and retuned steering. Also fitted is enhanced Torque Vectoring Control (eTVC), which balances power delivery between the two front wheels when accelerating through a corner.

Not that the output from the ST’s 1.6 litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine is excessive. It produces 180 bhp (134 kW / 182 PS) with 290 Nm (214 lb/ft) of peak torque, enough for a decent 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 6.9 seconds and a 136 mph (218 km/h) top speed.

Complementing the performance is a very respectable average fuel consumption figure of 47.9 mpg (5.9 l/100km), while carbon dioxide emissions are 138 g/km.

Those figures mean that the Fiesta ST compares favourably with four of its current rivals: the Mini Cooper S Hatch, Škoda Fabia vRS, Vauxhall Corsa VXR and Volkswagen Polo GTI. And the Ford is less expensive than any of them:

Model Price
Fiesta ST £16,995 (ST-2: £17,995)
Cooper S Hatch £18,180
Fabia vRS £17,145
Corsa VXR £18,985
Polo GTI £19,430 (3-door) / £20,050 (5-door)
Powertrain Engine Transmission
Fiesta ST 1.6 litre petrol turbo 6-speed manual
Cooper S Hatch 1.6 litre petrol turbo 6-speed manual
Fabia vRS 1.4 litre petrol turbo with supercharger 7-speed DSG auto
Corsa VXR 1.6 litre petrol turbo 6-speed manual
Polo GTI 1.4 litre petrol turbo with supercharger 7-speed DSG auto
Output Power Torque
Fiesta ST 180 bhp (134 kW / 182 PS) 290 Nm (214 lb/ft)
Cooper S Hatch 181 bhp (135 kW / 184 PS) 240 Nm (177 lb/ft)
Fabia vRS 176 bhp (132 kW / 180 PS) 250 Nm (185 lb/ft)
Corsa VXR 189 bhp (141 kW / 192 PS) 230 Nm (170 lb/ft)
Polo GTI 176 bhp (132 kW / 180 PS) 250 Nm (185 lb/ft)
Performance 0-62 mph (100 km/h) Top speed
Fiesta ST 6.9 secs 136 mph (218 km/h)
Cooper S Hatch 7.0 secs 142 mph (228 km/h)
Fabia vRS 7.3 secs 139 mph (223 km/h)
Corsa VXR 6.8 secs 140 mph (225 km/h)
Polo GTI 6.9 secs 142 mph (228 km/h)
Efficiency Combined fuel consumption CO2
Fiesta ST 47.9 mpg (5.9 l/100km) 138 g/km
Cooper S Hatch 48.7 mpg (5.8 l/100km) 136 g/km
Fabia vRS 45.6 mpg (6.2 l/100km) 148 g/km
Corsa VXR 38.7 mpg (7.3 l/100km) 172 g/km
Polo GTI 47.9 mpg (5.9 l/100km) 139 g/km

However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the performance supermini segment is due to be further shaken up later this year with the arrival of two new French contenders. The Peugeot 208 GTi and Renault Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo will, coincidentally, both have 1.6 litre turbocharged engines developing 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS), but performance stats and prices have yet to be confirmed for either.

Related posts:
2013 Shelby Focus ST
Top 10: UK car sales 2012
European Fiesta updated

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