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Written by Stephen Dobie
It"s the brand new Ford Fiesta ST. And similar though it may look to the car it replaces, it really is brand new beneath. And it"s exhibiting quite a philosophy change.The current ST is a superb little hot hatchback that keeps things simple, the turbocharger on its engine the only notable nod to technology".Its replacement, however, is different. Out goes a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, replaced by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol with 197bhp and 214lb ft.That makes it exactly as powerful as the Fiesta ST200, and its 6.7sec 0-62mph time is identical, too. But the way the performance feels could be quite different.The engine is an all-new unit in Ford"s Ecoboost range, and it"s the first three-cylinder we"ve seen in a bona fide hot hatch. As if that"s not enough, it can run on two cylinders too, deactivating one under light throttle loads. The idea, as ever with these systems, is that it de- and reactivates quick enough to never affect performance.Lots of clever stuff like direct fuel injection and twin-independent variable cam timing help make the engine very efficient, says Ford, with claimed CO2 emissions of 114g/km. Although by the time the new Fiesta ST launches, that will no longer secure a bargain car tax rate, and you"ll be paying 140 a year in the UK. Ford does claim (as yet unspecified) improvements in fuel economy, though.
Date written: 24 Feb 2017
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 6839
It"s the brand new Ford Fiesta ST. And similar though it may look to the car it replaces, it really is brand new beneath. And it"s exhibiting quite a philosophy change.The current ST is a superb little hot hatchback that keeps things simple, the turbocharger on its engine the only notable nod to technology".Its replacement, however, is different. Out goes a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, replaced by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol with 197bhp and 214lb ft.That makes it exactly as powerful as the Fiesta ST200, and its 6.7sec 0-62mph time is identical, too. But the way the performance feels could be quite different.The engine is an all-new unit in Ford"s Ecoboost range, and it"s the first three-cylinder we"ve seen in a bona fide hot hatch. As if that"s not enough, it can run on two cylinders too, deactivating one under light throttle loads. The idea, as ever with these systems, is that it de- and reactivates quick enough to never affect performance.Lots of clever stuff like direct fuel injection and twin-independent variable cam timing help make the engine very efficient, says Ford, with claimed CO2 emissions of 114g/km. Although by the time the new Fiesta ST launches, that will no longer secure a bargain car tax rate, and you"ll be paying 140 a year in the UK. Ford does claim (as yet unspecified) improvements in fuel economy, though.
Date written: 24 Feb 2017
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 6839
