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New Ford Fiesta ST Coming in 2012

A hotter version of the Ford Fiesta ST will go on sale late next year and will compete against Renault’s brilliant Clio 200, the SEAT Ibiza Cupra and Volkswagen’s Polo GTI, according to AutoCar. Most of you have probably already heard the rumors, but we will remind you that the car will send 182 horsepower to the front wheels.

The power will come from a 1.6-liter Ecoboost turbo engine, the same basic unit that is found in the four-wheel-drive Fiesta WRC car. It’s about time that Ford launched a car that can translate the S2000’s WRC car’s extreme image into sales. Fans of the ST badge have been waiting to have this car ever since the new Fiesta was launched in 2008, so 2012 can’t come soon enough.

A lot of factors will come into play when it comes to the Fiesta ST’s market success, chief among them being a competitive price tag and performance that is comparable to its rival. One thing is for sure, a turbocharged engine will make it much more tunable than the old car, which had a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated unit.

Autocar compares the ST with the Clio 200, but this is unfair in our opinion, as the previous generation was pitted against the likes of the Colt CZT, not the more powerful Renault. Still, the Clio’s 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) spring time of 6.9 seconds is within the Fiesta’s reach.

Pricing details are still sketchy at the moment, but the hothatch could cost about £16,500, sufficient to undercut the stripped-out Clio Cup by £300 and the better equipped Clio 200 by £1300. The car was originally expected late this year, but a 2012 launch is far more likely, as this would coincide with the mid-life refresh, which will bring a slightly modified fascia and other tweaks to the mix.

The previous generation Fiesta ST was launched in 2005 and received a slight facelift the next year, making the first cars sold look a bit dated. We don’t think Ford wants to repeat this.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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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.
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