Skip advert
Advertisement

Ford Fiesta ST Mk7 review (2013-2017) – a superb, if short lived supermini hot hatch - Performance and 0-60 time

The ST was evo’s favourite junior hot hatch, hopefully the new one will be just as fun.

Evo rating
  • Great value, deeply involving chassis
  • Interior feels older than its model year suggests

Performance and 0-60 time

The Fiesta ST isn’t the most powerful car in its class – the Renault Sport Clio 220 Trophy is 20bhp up on even the ST200 and Peugeot's 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport is 8bhp ahead – but on the road it has enough straight line performance to keep pace with its rivals. The Fiesta ST clocks a 6.9 second 0-62mph time and only stops accelerating at 139mph.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The strong peak torque figure of 214lb ft gives the ST an impressive turn of pace throughout the rev range, which means it overtakes slower traffic with ease. It produces a hearty roar as it does so, too – not through synthetic sound as you might find in some higher-end vehicles, but a relatively simple acoustic tube connecting the induction system and the cabin.

The ST200’s shorter gear ratios give it punchier acceleration than the standard car, dropping the 0-62mph time to 6.7 seconds, down from 6.9. The top speed creeps up to 143mph from 139mph despite the shorter gearing.

Tuning company Mountune offers a Ford-approved engine upgrade, which lifts peak power output to 212bhp, without affecting the manufacturer warranty. The upgrade costs £599 (plus fitting) and can be retrofit.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Puma review – the best-seller that’s still no patch on the Fiesta
Ford Puma
In-depth reviews

Ford Puma review – the best-seller that’s still no patch on the Fiesta

The Ford Puma melds some of the Fiesta’s charm with big-selling crossover form factor, but we still miss a proper small Ford hatch
21 Aug 2026
Lotus Exige V6 (S3, 2011-2021) review – a mini supercar for Golf GTI money
Lotus Exige S V6
In-depth reviews

Lotus Exige V6 (S3, 2011-2021) review – a mini supercar for Golf GTI money

For the S3 generation the Lotus Exige got a lot brawnier, trading the four-cylinder engines it had hitherto utilised for a supercharged Toyota V6
21 Aug 2026
Lotus wants to save its Norfolk factory by developing and building other company's sports cars
Lotus factory
Features

Lotus wants to save its Norfolk factory by developing and building other company's sports cars

The Emira will live on and there's an Esprit supercar on the way, but Lotus has another plan to keep Hethel active
18 Aug 2026