What happens when you take a small economical city car and inject it with steroids? You end up with a car that is lively, exciting, and still economical.
The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST, is the pumped up version of the Fiesta five door compact.
You will have no problem differentiating the two as they are by no means identical twins, merely fraternal.
The ST has aggressive styling, a new hood and grille, a rear spoiler and a chrome tipped dual exhaust. But do not for one moment think that this model is merely a body kit upgrade.
It uses a 1.6L turbo 4 cylinder Ecoboost engine which produces 197 hp and 215 lb-ft of torque. To further understand how truly exciting those numbers are, consider the fact that the Mini Cooper S, a car known to be quick, only makes 181 hp and 177 lb-ft.
What’s even better is you will not need to feel guilty about driving a sporty fun car as the ST is estimated to make 29 mpg, combined city and highway driving. For the Canadians, that equates to 8L/100 km.
Overall ride height is 15mm lower than the standard Fiesta and the ST receives a sport suspension upgrade also. The suspension and 17 inch tire combo results in exhilarating handling characteristics.
You can watch TopGear turn the ST into a tripod through a sharp bend, as it lifts the rear wheel off the ground. Try that in most cars and you will just slide sideways into either a ditch or curb or worse.
This level of grip comes via the upgraded suspension, but also through electronic Torque Vectoring Control, which stifles the tendency to understeer during hard cornering. A three mode stability control system gives the driver control over just how much electronic assistance they want, or even if they want any at all.
The base Fiesta’s brakes have been replaced with a much better system in the ST, one that will be more than capable of keeping up with your abilities.
An interesting new feature is what Ford calls the “Sound Symposer”. Basically this pipes in more engine noise so the occupants can gain a higher heart rate, as they are rewarded audibly by allowing the tachometer to reach a higher than necessary level.
If you cannot drive a manual gearbox, I suggest you learn, as the ST comes equipped exclusively with a 6 speed manual. The effort to learn a new skill will be rewarded, I promise.
The interior has been massaged as well. The driver and front passenger get comfortable and supportive sport seats, with an embroidered ST logo. The leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter feel great and offer needed feed back.
A 6.5 inch My Ford Touch screen is perched aloft the center of the dash, and is easy to learn and use. This touch screen controls the 8 speaker audio system with Sirius Satellite Radio prepaid for six months. The HVAC controls are neatly laid out simple to operate.
The net result is a small car, with a feisty engine and a ride that is comfortable without being boring.
Have A Question? Ask Jessica!
-
Jessica: Hi, I'm Jessica, the Consumer Press AI, can I help you with a consumer question?
