The Ford Fiesta ST will become Australia’s cheapest hot-hatch when it launches next month from a sharp $25,990.
The most powerful production Fiesta in history undercuts its key rivals, including the $27,990 Skoda Fabia RS, $27,790 Volkswagen Polo GTI, and the $28,990 Opel Corsa OPC. The upcoming Peugeot 208 GTi is also expected to wear a high-$20,000s price tag, while the new-generation Renault Clio RS is all but confirmed to be priced above $30K.
The Ford Fiesta ST will be sold in Australia exclusively as a three-door hatchback with a six-speed manual transmission.
Its turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder ‘EcoBoost’ petrol engine produces 134kW of power and 240Nm of torque, which, while Ford Australia has not made any performance claims, should mean the Fiesta ST accelerates from 0-100km/h in approximately 6.8 seconds. Combined cycle fuel consumption is rated at 6.2 litres per 100km.
The Ford Fiesta ST is distinguished from regular Fiesta grades by its large trapezoidal grille with honeycomb mesh, 17-inch alloy wheels, side skirts, and rear diffuser with twin exhaust outlets. New paint options include Race Red, Performance Blue and the Fiesta ST-exclusive Molten Orange.
The cabin is finished with carbonfibre-look dashboard inserts, alloy pedals and gearshift knob, ST badged steering wheel and scuff plates, and manually adjustable cloth Recaro sports seats.
Other equipment highlights include LED daytime running lights, rear parking sensors, auto headlights and wipers, keyless entry with push-button start, cruise control, climate control, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a 4.2-inch colour display and an eight-speaker Sony audio system with ‘Sync’ connectivity.
Sync allows drivers to pair their smartphone and access a phone and audio functions using voice commands.
As the Fiesta ST is built in Germany alongside the Focus ST, it also benefits from the Emergency Assistance function that is not available in Thailand-sourced Fiesta and Focus models. Emergency Assistance uses the driver’s mobile phone to automatically call emergency services if the car has been involved in a crash and provide the respondent with the vehicle’s GPS coordinates.
CarAdvice is attending the local launch of the Ford Fiesta ST on August 27-28.
