RE: Ford Fiesta ST: Driven

[Dr Interceptor]

It's a winner for me...

I drive a 2011 Fiesta (albeit with a 1.6 Tdci engine) and the chassis on it is cracking. Even with lowly diesel power you can chuck it about, and even provoke some lift off oversteer in fast corners.

Unfortunately my sensible cars now are diesels, but if I ever fancy another hot hatch, this will be on the list.

[ali4390]

Escort Si-130 said:

I was wondering the same thing. Why does it say overboost. Surely the overboost figure should be the normal top bhp figure.

mids said:

How does the overboost actually work when driving it ?

The overboost means you get the full 200PS for 23 seconds when you put your foot flat to the floor.

The reason it cannot be quoted as 200PS is because of the way vehicles are homologated here compared to the US. Over there they can take the maximum figure the car produces (if you were looking at a power graph, imagine that as the highest peak on the graph), whereas in this country they have to wait for the power to drop away from the maximum to a constant i.e. 180PS.

[anonymous-user]

I like the way it looks externally, and I'm sure it'll be a great drive (as the 'cooking' Fiestas are), but as with other Fords, I just couldn't live with the interior - which IMO is horribly styled and looks like the love-child of a 90's Nokia mobile and an 80's Sanyo ghetto-blaster.

[Podie]

Like:
Sounds like a fun drive
Cheap and cheerful
Likely to be a Mountune option for added

Dislike:
The guppy-mouth front end
The dashboard
When did small cars suddenly cost £17k?

[gofasterrosssco]

Podie said:

When did small cars suddenly cost £17k?

About 10 years ago when the Mini Cooper S was released...

[Podie]

gofasterrosssco said:

Podie said:

When did small cars suddenly cost £17k?

About 10 years ago when the Mini Cooper S was released...

Blimey... The last new car I bought was a Puma in 2002 for £12k.

[gofasterrosssco]

ali4390 said:

Escort Si-130 said:

I was wondering the same thing. Why does it say overboost. Surely the overboost figure should be the normal top bhp figure.

mids said:

How does the overboost actually work when driving it ?

The overboost means you get the full 200PS for 23 seconds when you put your foot flat to the floor.

The reason it cannot be quoted as 200PS is because of the way vehicles are homologated here compared to the US. Over there they can take the maximum figure the car produces (if you were looking at a power graph, imagine that as the highest peak on the graph), whereas in this country they have to wait for the power to drop away from the maximum to a constant i.e. 180PS.

Thats going to seriously problematic when it comes to pub power chat - "yeah, its 180PS in the spec, but really its 200PS when I need it. Even though its 180.."

[Crusoe]

red line at 6k rpm doesn't make much of a hot hatch in my book

[GrumpyTwig]

To to buck the PH trend, I like how it looks. I realise this isn't the prescribed response but I think it looks aggressive without looking too ''.

[Podie]

currybum said:

Podie said:

Blimey... The last new car I bought was a Puma in 2002 for £12k.

Take in to account inflation and the tax rise and this is better value than your Puma.

In a decade of development, I'd bloody hope so!

That said, the Puma gearchange was brilliant.

At the time I worked for Ford, so it made financial sense to buy a new Ford.

[Podie]

Rumour mill is suggesting the Mountune offering will be 200PS for circa £1k.

For something that's covered by warranty, that's a pretty compelling reason to spend a few quid.

[KarlMac]

Looks a lot better than the original pics of a red car that were floating around.

I like how manufacturers have started using 'low inertia' instead of 'small'

[Podie]

currybum said:

Podie said:

Like:
Sounds like a fun drive
Cheap and cheerful
Likely to be a Mountune option for added

Dislike:
The guppy-mouth front end
The dashboard
When did small cars suddenly cost £17k?

You like that it's cheep but dislike that it's expensive?

I should have phrased that better!

[LARK F1 GTR]

I wonder if it'll have tiny drum brakes on the rear? The previous ones did, even the ones I've seen with Mountune on (I'm talking the cars with Yellow door mirrors etc) yeah cos that's sporty isn't it?

Also, how come people are saying 200 PS ? the article states HP, I think PS is lower than HP.

[framerateuk]

LARK F1 GTR said:

I wonder if it'll have tiny drum brakes on the rear? The previous ones did, even the ones I've seen with Mountune on (I'm talking the cars with Yellow door mirrors etc) yeah cos that's sporty isn't it?

Also, how come people are saying 200 PS ? the article states HP, I think PS is lower than HP.

It has discs on the back. I believe it's the first MK7 Fiesta to have rear disc brakes.

Same as the last generation, the ST was the only one to get discs then too.

[LasseV]

Hideously ugly car. But still, i will go and test drive it when summer arrives.

[ali4390]

LARK F1 GTR said:

I wonder if it'll have tiny drum brakes on the rear? The previous ones did, even the ones I've seen with Mountune on (I'm talking the cars with Yellow door mirrors etc) yeah cos that's sporty isn't it?

Also, how come people are saying 200 PS ? the article states HP, I think PS is lower than HP.

Ford quote their figures in PS so I think that's why people mention it (it's why I mention it anyway).

If memory serves, the car is actually 182PS which is about 180BHP.

ETA: Having reread the original article it looks as though the car is 182BHP so that would be 184-185PS.

[Matt Bird]

Loved the review, get a real sense of being in the south of France with the car! This Fiesta ST seems like a cracker out of the box which augurs well for the inevitable Mountuning when it arrives (pretty sure the 185 kit transformed the Mk 6 ST?)

Now Ford, can we have an RS Fiesta/Focus with the 2.3-litre 300hp EcoBoost you're making for the UK Mustangs? Would be lovely, cheers.

[kayzee]

Would definitely pick this over the horrible 5-door, flappy Clio 200T. Looks fantastic in that blue, just a shame it wasn't available on the pre-facelift, which I think, not looking like a fish, was far better looking.

[toppstuff]

The front is a bit peugeot / fish mouthed for my taste, but otherwise this seems a very appealing little car.

Bravo ford.