For this week's Geneva Motor Show, Ford has promised to add new luxury models to its range and to expand its portfolio of affordable performance cars. And the new Fiesta ST200 announced on the eve of this year's show is a perfect definition of the latter.
The Fiesta ST has been a huge hit in Europe and beyond thanks to being one of the best handling front-wheel drive cars currently on the market. And for the new model -- the very last hot hatchback based on the current Fiesta platform -- the company is keeping all of the best elements of the existing car while turning everything else up several notches.
So the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine now puts out 197bhp or 200PS (hence the car's 200 moniker). It means a 0-100km/h time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 143mph (230km/h). However, that's just the start. The car also has an overboost feature that can deliver another 14bhp for up to 15 seconds when that extra acceleration is most needed, be it pulling away, overtaking on the highway or passing a competitor on the track.
Those figures make the car the most powerful production Fiesta in history.
To ensure that none of that power is wasted, Ford has altered the gearing in the six-speed manual transmission, tightened up the steering and suspension and reworked the front and rear springs and dampers to lower the car's center of gravity. The brakes have been beefed up, and the electronic stability control system and torque vectoring systems have also been fine-tuned.
Despite the standard ST's premium price, Ford has already sold over 30,000, and with the new model it is convinced it has a collectible on its hands.
"The Fiesta ST is truly beloved by owners and critics," said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. "I think it's a future classic in the making."
That's why as well as greater performance, the car gets greater physical presence -- external aerodynamic tweaks, a unique grey paint finish and 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, there is leather, contrast stitching and Recaro seats.
The car is also meant to serve as a reminder that Ford is a blue collar supercar company and that the engineering innovations that can be found on its flagship GT supercar are also present across its model range.
"Ford's EcoBoost engine technology has enabled a Ford Performance model to suit every budget and lifestyle," said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president and chief technical officer, Global Product Development.
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