By Donny Halliwell
Spirited hot hatch with track-ready performance
Do you like zippy handling, back of the seat acceleration, bright orange paint schemes, racing stripes, speeding tickets? You will get all of this and more in the 2015 Ford Fiesta ST. “Believe it or not this is my favourite car in the fleet,” I was told by an obviously enthusiastic rep. Seconds after starting it up and pulling away spiritedly, of course, it’s clear to me why. Hit jump to read the full review.
A sports car at the heart of it
Some might be eager to write this car off. The Fiesta lacks the pedigree of a sports car, but make no mistake, the ST version of the vanilla-at-best people mover comes to play.
It is definitely built to be a driver’s car. The power-to-weight ratio alone is very telling. There’s only one reason to put this much horsepower into something that weighs so little and that is to go from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible.
For something that handles like a honeybee, which is to say it’s tight and can turn on a dime, it sure has the roar of a jungle cat. The exhaust note (which may or may not be pumped in via the sound system) urges you to press harder and shift later in a pound-your-chest fashion. There is a satisfying whine as the turbo spools and an even more satisfying jolt of acceleration after, admittedly, quite a noticeable bit of lag. This lag is the only thing I can fault when talking about performance or engine response and it really is a minor carp.
The 1.6L EcoBoost engine produces 197HP using premium fuel, which it sips by the way… even under the aforementioned lead footedness it demands. I used it for an entire week without the need for a fill up and when I got to the pump, I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable it was to fill. What I’m getting at is that the premium fuel aspect shouldn’t deter you.
The Fiesta I drove came fully equipped with premium wheels, sport suspension and performance brakes. With all the starting and stopping…and flooring it…and stopping again that you will encounter around town, it’s important that the other elements of this car all come together. As I write this, one thing is becoming more and more clear. This car isn’t meant to live “around town”, it’s meant to live on a track. Which poses a conundrum, to get the most out of this machine; you will need to take it to the track. Not a bad problem to have, I suppose.
It looks the part
Like I said, performance wise, I have virtually zero complaints. Moving to the appearance, I must say, few exist here as well. This is a nice looking car. Aggressive lines, Aston Martin-esque grill and matching blacked-out rear diffuser. As hot hatches go, the Fiesta ST is one of the best looking. The paint was quite possibly the most polarizing issue for my passengers and family.
In bright orange, there was no missing this car. Colour aside, the mica on this thing was of the highest quality and it really stuck out (like a sore thumb according to my better half) in my driveway… if that’s what you’re going for. I personally would have chosen a more understated look and done without the racing stripes. For demo purposes, though, this thing was clearly outfitted optioned with the “when in Rome,” mentality. Since this is a promotional vehicle, after all, I will concede that fact. It definitely gets itself noticed and photographed beautifully. As it should.
Interior fit and finish
The Ford Fiesta is fun, fast, and looks the part. If you are looking for things to deter you, though, perhaps the interior is a better place to explore. Other than the extremely firm Recaro buckets, a $1500 option, there wasn’t anything that blew me away. While sharp to look at, even those were not practical for daily use, in my opinion. Passengers often complained about not fitting properly, being squeezed by the bolsters, and were just uncomfortable in general. As nice as these race-inspired buckets are, in theory, I would forgo the option. The Ford Sync infotainment and navigation system was sluggish, frustratingly so, at times.
The touchscreen was ever so slightly out of reach and the sensitivity often took more than one touch to initiate the desired action. The redeeming quality here, of course, is that the entire thing is voice activated and has a number of charming and helpful tasks it can accomplish. The fit, finish and performance of the Fiesta ST from the outside to the engine bay, for me, didn’t carry into the interior. While, the designers did a wonderful job with visual design, making the cabin feel modern and fresh, the materials throughout could have felt a bit more premium for a car with a $28,458 invoice price.
Overall impressions
Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed my week with the Ford Fiesta ST. It offered a refreshing break from the daily grind of uninspired SUV driving. Savvy shoppers who are passionate about driving will definitely want the Ford Fiesta ST on their list. Those who decide to put one in their driveway are truly the lucky ones, because their daily driver is one I consider a genuinely thrilling sleeper car.