Ford Fiesta ST

Ford's reputation for making great hot hatches is well founded; this current iteration of the Fiesta ST will have you grinning from ear to ear

- Oliver Young

In production 2018-present Price from £13,000
Our favourite version 1.5 Ecoboost 200 ST-3 Performance Pack

'FIESTA' MEANS 'PARTY', so if the regular Ford Fiesta is an enjoyably casual get-together, this ST hot hatch version is a whirlwind night out in Las Vegas.

It may have only a 1.5-litre petrol engine under the bonnet, but it puts out a punchy 197bhp. All of that power goes to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox - an endearingly old-school approach.

In other areas, the Fiesta ST sports some modern toys. The Performance Pack - an optional extra from new that became standard and is common on used models - comes with a limited-slip differential )LSD(for enhanced front-end traction, as well as launch control and shift lights to tell you when you're about to hit the rev limiter.

You can dismiss the entrylevel ST-1 trim, because very few buyers opted for it. With midrange ST-2, you get an upgraded sound system, plus climate control and rear privacy glass. Top-spec ST-3 adds 18in alloy wheels (which were optional on ST-2s from new), automatic headlights and. wipers, powerfolding door mirrors, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and keyless entry.

There were a couple of limited editions that built on ST-3 trim and had uprated suspension: the 2019 ST Performance Edition )with Deep Orange paint and a production run of 600 examples( and the 2020 ST Edition )Azure Blue paint and a run of 300 cars(.

The Fiesta ST was facelifted for 2022, getting a beefier front grille, a digital instrument panel and Ford Performance front seats in place of the earlier Recaros.

The engine s received a small torque boost (which didn't affect acceleration), too. Shortly after, the three-door body and lesser trims were dropped, leaving just the five-door ST-3.

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?