The Ford Fiesta ST200 Is Our Favourite Hot Hatch With Added Poke

It’s been rumoured for a few weeks now that Ford has been cooking up a faster Fiesta ST, and now it’s here: the ST200. So, what’s new? First up is a modest power boost of 18bhp, bringing the total output of the 1.6-litre turbo four-pot to 197bhp, while torque has received a 20 per cent bump to 214lb ft.

As before, there’s an overboost function which ups the power and torque for up to 15 seconds, in this case 15bhp and 22lb ft on top of the new ‘advertised’ outputs.

These are pretty much the same figures you’ll get from a Fiesta ST with the warranty-friendly, dealer-fit Mountune kit, but you do get a shortened final drive ratio here. This is intended to enhance “in-gear acceleration for improved drivability and an even more fun to drive experience.” It’ll do 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds - an improvement of 0.2sec - and top out at 143mph.

To let people know this is a little more special than the common or garden ST, the 200 comes with a unique Storm Grey finish, matt black 17-inch alloy wheels and red painted brake callipers (these may or may not add an extra 20bhp). On the inside, there’s a pair of unique part leather Recaro front seats, illuminated kick plates and seatbelts with pretty silver detailing.

Does the Fiesta ST need any of this stuff? Not really, because it’s an exceptionally good little driver’s tool on its own. But, a little extra power (plus some fancy extras) isn’t something we’ll complain about.

Tempted? Prices have yet to be revealed, but the increase over the current range-topping ST is likely to be fairly small. It’ll go into production this June, with first deliveries taking place in summer.

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