The overall shape of the new Fiesta isn't significantly different to its predecessor, but Ford has spruced up some of the details and STs do get a set of distinctive alloy wheels to demarcate them from lesser Fiestas. Some distinctive colours help enliven the shape too, but otherwise this is your standard three- or five-door hatchback fare.
One advantage the new ST has over its predecessor is its proportions, looking a little wider and lower where the old car looked tall and narrow, at times. If we've got a reservation, it's that the back end of the latest Fiesta (not just the ST) looks a bit MPV-like – the old car had more character. There's that improved interior though, which looks better than before as well as being better constructed, while Ford continues to throw some of its better toys at cars this far down the range, including a heated windscreen.
Subscribe to evo magazine
Ford has recently introduced a Performance Edition of the Fiesta ST, and for us it’s a visual improvement if not for its Deep Orange paintwork, then for the flow-formed 18-inch, ten-spoke alloy wheels, which have more of a motorsport vibe than the over-designed standard items – and they save 7kg in total weight, too.
