The Ford Fiesta ST is simply one of our favourite cars ever here at OVERSTEER. Its happy puppy-like enthusiasm is infectious and its ability to simply rip corners to shreds is utterly addictive.
Very little has changed since we last tested the ST, in fact, nothing has changed. But that includes the price and even the colour – this one is the same colour as the last one we drove! But that doesn’t matter, because nothing really needed changing. So why are we testing it again? Because Ford offered it to us and we weren’t about to turn down a chance to spend more time with a car we unashamedly love!
Anyway, the fact still remains that, at $34,990, there is very little that can get close to the littlest performance Ford in terms of sheer bang for your buck. At this price point, there is nothing that could keep up with it on a winding back road either.
While the Fiesta ST hasn’t changed since we last drove it, it certainly hasn’t got any less special.
With 134kW available from the revvy little EcoBoost engine, the ST is certainly not short of grunt. And neither is it short of enthusiasm – the wonderfully eager handling is still as cheerfully puppy-like and wonderfully accurate as ever, with razor sharp turn in and a fantastically adjustable tail end that can stay resolutely planted or wag like the aforementioned puppy, depending on your approach and mood at the time.
So it’s still massive fun, but what about the downsides?
Last time we drove it we found the Recaro seats to be brilliantly supportive, but made for midgets, and this hasn’t changed. While they look great, the seats are almost uncomfortably small, particularly for someone of a more generous build. And while I admit to liking the occasional pie, I am not exactly massive, but I still found the seats too small…
The other downside was the firm, uncompromising ride around town. This does make the Fiesta ST less than ideal as a daily driver, but the trade off in fantastic handling and massive fun is more than acceptable.
While it would be hard to recommend the Fiesta ST to anyone wanting a daily commuter car in the city, the utterly addictive performance and handling make it the perfect Hot Hatch for someone who wants to enjoy driving. I mean REAL driving, not just commuting. And even then, if you were to subject yourself to the Fiesta ST’s uncompromising demands on a daily commute-basis, those weekend back road blasts would just be even sweeter, really…
We absolutely fell in love with the Fiesta ST when we first drove it, and we can honestly say that that hasn’t changed in the slightest in the years since then. We still utterly love it!
- PRICE (incl. GST/excl. on road costs): $34,990
- PRICE AS TESTED: $34,990
- ENGINE: 1.6-litre inline 4-cylinder petrol turbo
- TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
- PERFORMANCE: 134kW/240Nm
- FUEL ECONOMY: 5.9L/100km
Click here for full specifications and more information on the Ford Fiesta ST.
