2014 Ford Fiesta ST

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Power comes from a 1.6L turbocharged four cylinder developing 197 hp and 202 lb-ft of torque. 2. The only transmission available is a six-speed manual. 3. The Fiesta ST begins at $22,195 including destination charges. 4. Fuel economy is officially rated at 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway.

PREVIEW

The term hot hatch is painfully over used. Any time a small five-door gets larger wheels, a mild bump in horsepower, or a slapped on body kit, people begin referring to it as a hot hatch. So what exactly is a hot hatch? Wikipedia claims a hot hatch ‘is a high-performance derivative of a car body style consisting of a three- or five-door hatchback automobile.’ That definition is broader than describing Ayrton Senna as a ‘driver’.

That said,  I’ll take a stab at my own definition. To me, a hot hatch is an otherwise pedestrian three or five door vehicle with enough performance to match that of a sports car within the same price range. Some hot hatches that come to mind are the Ford Focus ST, Subaru WRX STi and Mazda speed3. And now, there is one more, the Ford Fiesta ST.

INTERIOR

Inside, the ST has a few premium upgrades like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather wrapped shift knob, aluminum pedals and the ambient lighting system found in the titanium Fiesta. It is worth the $1,995 to upgrade to the Recaro seat package as the partial leather, two-tone, super supportive, sculpted seats ensure the driver will not move, at all, during hard cornering; assuming of course the driver in question fits in the seats to begin with. Like the Focus ST’s Recaro seats, these Fiesta Recaros do not fit every body type.

Dominating the ST’s center stack is a 6.5-inch touchscreen featuring the latest version of MyFord Touch and available navigation. Aside from the push button start, the rest of the interior is pretty similar to a Fiesta titanium, which means a stylish upscale interior usually not found in the class if vehicle. The ST also retains the five-passenger seat configuration of regular Fiestas and is still rated at over 10 cu-ft of rear cargo space, although it is split up by a shelf thanks to a full size spare tire.

Hot hatches also need to look the part and Fiesta ST is no exception. Ford has given it a unique front grille, hood, lower front spoiler, rear diffuser, larger spoiler, dual tip exhaust and what Ford calls a fascia extension. All STs will ride on a choice of two different 17-inch wheel packages wearing low profile summer tires, that combined with a 15 mm lower ride height gives the ST a mean stance.

But the best feature of the Fiesta ST may well be the price. Beginning at just over $22,000 after destination charges, the ST may well be the performance bargain of the decade. That price undercuts the Hyundai Veloster Turbo and Scion FR-S. Be careful though, get a little crazy checking off option boxes and the Fiesta can easily approach $27,000.

UNDER THE HOOD

After years roaming European streets with a swarm of other high performance subcompact competitors, Ford is finally bringing the Fiesta ST to North America. As if the compact Focus ST wasn’t enough, the blue oval wants everyone to know that the manufacturer is serious about hot hatches; and we are all better for it.

The ST Fiesta features Ford’s 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, jacked up with overboost to achieve an impressive 197 hp and 202 lb-ft of torque. That is a serious amount of power for a vehicle only weighing 2,742 lbs.

In fact, that’s more power than a MINI Cooper S and more torque than a Scion FR-S. The only vehicle in the Fiesta’s price and weight range that can beat it on power is the Hyundai Veloster Turbo. However, the supposed power deficit exists on paper only as the ST feels far more powerful throughout the rpm range than the little Hyundai. There is no lag in the Fiesta as the power builds up; an issue that plagues the Veloster Turbo. And it is not just compared to the Veloster that this motor feels punchy; it pulls just as hard as the far more powerful, albeit heavier Focus ST.