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.
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.
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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.
