Ford Fiesta St Feeling Feisty

The definitive hot hatch is back for 2018, but can the Ford Fiesta ST remain king? We head to Nice to find out.

- Jack Evans

Here it is, the all-new Ford Fiesta ST. Following on from a model which set the hot-hatch segment alight, this latest version is designed to be more grown up but just as exciting to drive as that iconic original. Based on the updated Fiesta, the ST needs to do a lot to live up to the reputation set by its forebear, while fending off competition from some serious rivals. We hit Nice’s country roads to find out if it this latest ST can regain its place at the top of the hot-hatch pecking order.

There’s a lot going to make this latest Fiesta ST as competitive as possible, yet easy to live with day-to-day. From the outside, you’d do well to distinguish this performance model from the more mundane yet sportily styled X-Line version. The main things to spot are the redesigned bumpers and larger alloy wheels. In short, it manages just what the old car did — to appear special enough, but not go overboard into big wings and flared arches territory. Some may think that’s a shame; we think it’s well-judged and makes the ST more appealing to a wider audience.

The new Fiesta ST has dropped a cylinder compared to the older car, with a 1.5-litre three-banger now under the bonnet rather than a 1.6-litre four-cylinder. Economy is the name of the game, after all, and a smaller-capacity engine is designed to deliver better efficiency. However, performance seekers need not despair, for the new ST still packs a pretty decent punch. The compact engine produces 197bhp and a healthy 290Nm of torque, allowing for a 0-100kph sprint time of 6.5 seconds. Power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox — there’s no automatic, paddle-controlled version here.