Ford Fiesta ST: Test Drive Review

Ford’s spiced up, RS- or ST-badged specials of its run-of-the-mill cars are now much cleaner and more economical than ever before, so can make an appealing perk to the right employee. 

Take the Fiesta ST, which features a  lower ride height, subtle but sharp styling and a pair of sports bucket seats that differentiate it from the standard car. A consumption figure of 47.9mpg and CO2 of 138g/km is very good given that in terms of performance, it’s a riot.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged engine emits a wonderful bellow, the handling is even more direct than the standard Fiesta’s (which is exceptional in itself) and there’s no shortage of grip. The 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds proves how rapid it is, too.

The Fiesta’s downsides are few, but they are there. The most obvious one is the ride, which, courtesy of lower and firmer sports suspension, is really quite rough. It doesn’t have cruise control either, so motorway journeys can become tiresome along with that booming exhaust note and bumpy ride.

Arguably the highlight is that the ST retains the blue-collar element that typified Ford’s performance specials in the past in that it doesn’t cost much and it’s actually quite cheap to run.

Yes, it doesn’t make as much economical sense as the same car with an Econetic badge or a clean, cost-effective rival, many of which can be acquired for less than what are now pricey standard Fiestas, but the ST’s P11D and running costs stack up extremely well against its direct competitors.

The recently launched Peugeot 208 GTi almost matches the Ford in terms of performance, economy and just about every other crucial figure you can think of, but it costs slightly more, with a P11D of £18,715 and 50.6ppm – not that that’s over the top given its equally impressive capabilities. You’re looking at even more for the Renaultsport Clio too: £18,800 and 53.5ppm.