The Fiesta ST became the bastion of the small hot hatch when it came out over four years ago. It was small, cheap to buy and fun to drive without relying too much on advanced technology. But now there's a brand new generation, and they've messed with the formula.
We're in Geneva to check out the first sighting of the car that will go on sale next year. While we have to congratulate Ford for being much quicker with its development work than last time, they have left the ST undergunned.
You see, installing a smaller motor with even more power is sometimes not a good idea. For one thing, we know that the 1.5-liter doesn't sound as good as its predecessor, even though the power has gone up to 200 PS.
There's no way of telling how much turbo lag comes with 133 PS/liter, but everybody will know the displacement and number of cylinders are the same as a regular MINI Cooper. Another downside is that it limits the tuning potential of a car many people buy for track use.
Unlike with the previous generation, several drive modes will be available. While that's good news for the people who want a frugal commuter, it also implies that this blade will feel dull unless you're in Sport Mode. What's more, one of those modes turns the engine into a 2-cylinder. What is this, a scooter?
Ford assures us that it won't sound like crap, although that's achieved through BMW i8-style fakery: an Electronic Sound Enhancement and an active exhaust valve, which is opened up in Sport Mode.
The outward appearance of the 2018 Fiesta ST is that of a mild-mannered little brother to the Focus RS. It's got vaguely the same front end styling and an inspired choice of alloy wheels. All its trim is done in either black or gunmetal gray, which is a nice touch.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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