2013 Ford Fiesta ST First Drive Review
2013 FORD FIESTA REVIEW
What’s Hot: That engine, that chassis, that pricetag.
What’s Not: Big gap between 2nd and 3rd gear.
X-FACTOR: Fun factor is off the scale, and it’s wallet-friendly too.
Vehicle Style: Light hot hatch
Engine/trans: 1.6 turbo petrol | 6sp manual
Power/torque: 134kW/240Nm (147kW/290Nm overboost)
Price: $25,990 (plus on-roads)
Fuel Economy claimed: 6.2l/100km
OVERVIEW
After launching to critical acclaim in Europe, Ford’s highly-anticipated Fiesta ST has at last rolled into Australian showrooms.
And boy is it a firecracker. Small, but packing one hell of a bang.
It’s been a busy period for hot hatches. One of the Fiesta ST’s chief rivals the Peugeot 208 GTi launched recently, and at the opposite end of the spectrum is the Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG which launched just this week.
But in this writer’s opinion, for what it packages against the dollars asked, the Fiesta ST eclipses them all.
It may not be as fast as cars like the Megane RS or its big brother the Focus ST, but it delivers just as many thrills (if not more), and for a fraction of the price.
It absolutely destroys its direct competitors in the sub-$30k bracket too. For sheer fun-factor the Fiesta ST is a remarkable machine, and one that the Renault Clio RS will find very hard to top when it arrives early next year.
THE INTERIOR
All Australian Fiesta STs are built in Cologne, Germany, and only offered in three-door configuration.
Having fewer doors than its cooking-model counterpart means there’s a slight sacrifice in outright practicality, but the upshot is that the German-built Fiesta feels markedly more premium than the rest of the Fiesta range, which is built in Thailand.
The dash pad is soft, rather than rock-hard, and the black headliner gives the cabin a sportier ambience. Reach adjustment for the steering column is also exclusive to Euro-build Fiestas.