In 2018, Ford dropped the five-door Fiesta ST and kept only the three-door version, which was a better competitor for other pocket-rockets on the market such as Mini Cooper S or, in Europe, Renault Clio Sport.
Ford tried to make a sportier version for the Fiesta ever since the first generation, but it wasn’t until the fifth generation when it succeeded in introducing a true, performant version for it, named ST.

The 2018 model was part of the seventh generation which Ford introduced on the market in late 2016. In 2017, the blue-oval brand launched the ST version with three and five doors but starting with 2018, it kept only the fewer doors version. It sported an aggressive styling with a hexagonal pattern on the mesh-grille at the front, adorned by the red ST badge on the left lower corner. In the bumper, Ford’s designers placed an additional grille to cool the intercooler and a set of side-scoops that hosted the fog lights. A set of 17” light-alloy-wheels was fitted as standard, while a set of 18” was on the options list.

Inside, the carmaker garnished the cockpit with sport-inspired trims and a standard SYNC 3 infotainment system. The Recaro sport bucket-seats featured high-bolstered areas to prevent their occupants from sliding during high-speed cornering. A thick steering wheel with 12-o’clock stitching amplified the sport sensation of the car.

From a technical point of view, the 2018 Fiesta ST was the first that featured a Quaife limited-slip differential (LSD). That helped the car in corners and made it faster around tracks. In addition, its 200 hp engine paired to a standard, close-ratio, six-speed manual made it an excellent track-day car in its class.

With more cars in the small, hot-hatch segment, Ford had to work harder to get a bigger piece of the pie and introduced a facelifted version for its Fiesta ST in 2016.
While the compact-sized hot-hatches started to be more like family cars, the small-segment pocket-rocket was still highly competitive with five doors. In the U.S., these small-sized turbocharged cars didn’t mean too much, but in Europe, they were highly fashionable. Renault, Opel, Volkswagen, SEAT, Peugeot, and Ford competed for the same customers with special versions prepared by dedicated teams.

Ford offered the Fiesta ST200 only in gray color, which contrasted better with the red braking calipers. At the front, the hexagonal mesh-grille sported a honeycomb design. Its enhanced spoiler featured a bolder look, while in the back, the diffuser was body-colored.

Inside, Ford offered Recaro sport bucket seats with high bolstering and contrast stitching. Its steering wheel sported an RS badge on the lower spoke. The carmaker mounted an aluminum plate on the center console, which reminded the driver the car’s serial number. A few trims incorporated the ST200 logo, while the carbon-fiber inserts and the alloy pedals adorned the interior.

Under the hood, Ford installed a new version of its 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. It provided ten percent more power and almost 50 Newton meters more. The carmaker paired it with a six-speed manual gearbox. With this powertrain, the Fiesta 200ST was quicker in the 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) than its predecessor, but a short margin.

The fifth-generation introduced the ST badge on the Fiesta range.
It was a successful small-segment hot-hatch. The sixth-generation took it to a different level.

We all know a car from the past that was named “rocket” due to its performance of a 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in 7 seconds. Well, the 2012 Fiesta ST did it in 6.9 seconds and it wasn’t a stripped-out car.

The ST was based on the 3-door sixth generation Fiesta. But the motorsport department decided to add some specific sporty look to the car. It wasn’t quite a boy-racer design, but more subtle and still aggressive. The front bumper received a new apron and a honeycomb-look grille. In the back, the ST featured a bigger roof-spoiler than the standard Fiesta and a twin exhaust was installed under the diffuser.

Inside, the front bucket-seats were high bolstered for high-speed cornering. That was the only big difference when compared to the rest of the Fiesta range. It was well equipped, featuring the Ford SYNC infotainment system with parental control so the driver could not turn the volume too high. In the back, there was even less leg-room for the occupants, since the front seats were bigger.

Under the hood, there was a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-pot engine. It was mated as standard to a 6-speed manual. The ESP program took care of the wheelspin at the starting line and acted like a limited-slip differential. The lowered and stiffened suspension was better for cornering. Last, but not least, it featured disc-brakes in all four corners.