Ford has announced its most powerful production Fiesta yet, the ST200.
Costing from £22,745, the newcomer offers 200hp and 214lbft of torque – 10% and 20% more respectively than the existing Fiesta ST. A further 15bhp and 22lbft is available for up to 20 seconds courtesy of an overboost feature.
The ST200 is pitched as a celebration model as the Fiesta marks 40 years in production, and its power is around double that the XR2, a direct ancestor, was putting out two decades ago.
The power upgrade is achieved through recalibration of the 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine used by the Fiesta ST. The gearbox final drive is shortened from 3.82 to 4.06, and as a result the 0-62mph sprint time is shaved by two tenths of a second to 6.7 seconds, and in-gear acceleration (31-82mph) improved to 5.2 seconds in fourth gear – on the way to a top speed of 143mph.
Chassis upgrades are also applied – the rear torsion beam gains an extra 27% of roll stiffness, the front anti-roll bar is increased 2mm in diameter to 19mm and damper settings are revised.
Power-steering settings are also sharpened, utilising a shortened steering arm and modified knuckle to improve feel, Enhanced Torque Vectoring Control (eTVC) and three-mode Electronic Stability Control (ESC) included while braking performance is improved by 278mm front and 253mm rear discs and a larger master cylinder.
To differentiate it from stock ST models the ST200 gains a bespoke Storm Grey exterior colour and matt black 17-inch alloy wheels with polished rims. Red calipers sit behind the rims while the full ST bodykit is included.
Inside the car is differentiated by Charcoal Recaro front seats with contrasting silver stitching repeated on the seatbelts. Illuminated scuff plates incorporate the ST200 logo.
According to Ford of Europe’s product development head Joe Bakaj, the Fiesta ST200 takes a special drivers’ car to a new level of power and performance. “We think it’s a future classic in the making,” he says.
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