It’s been shared with MotorMartin recently that there was a double triumph for Ford at the Scottish Car of the Year 2017 awards, as new Ford Fiesta was crowned Best Supermini four months after going on sale, and the potent Ford Focus RS Mountune was declared Best Hot Hatch.
Unsurprisingly, more than 4.5 million Brits have bought a new Fiesta since the original model premiered in 1976 – 500,000 of those in Scotland. All-new Fiesta in Zetec and Titanium series launched in early summer, followed by ST-Line and Vignale this month – with hot ST and rugged Active crossover due in 2018.
Stephen Park, Association of Scottish Motoring Writers president, Explained to MotorMartin that: “Superminis are increasingly offering the type of features and refinement once reserved for more expensive models. This year has seen new arrivals from numerous key players but it was the new Ford Fiesta, a new generation of a previous Scottish Car of the Year favourite, which wowed judges with its comfort, quality and driving dynamics.”
The Ford Focus RS Mountune has won Best Hot Hatch for 2017, with this year’s victory following Focus RS winning the same category in 2016.
Ford has taken almost 6,000 orders for the latest Focus RS, with the hatchback receiving numerous accolades. The model pioneers All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, which enables higher levels of handling, grip and cornering speed. And let’s be honest here, looks absolutely amazing.
The Ford Performance by Mountune upgrade boosts power by 25PS to 375PS (eeek!) and peak torque by 40Nm to 510Nm. This helps the Focus RS sprint from 0-62mph in just 4.5sec – faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera costing more than double.
Commenting on the victory, Stephen Park confirmed to MotorMartin: “The three top hot hatches to appear on Scottish roads within the last 12 months are all impressive but one kept our judges grinning longer than the rest. With four-wheel-drive and enthralling driver appeal, the addition of even more power put the Ford Focus RS with Mountune upgrade ahead of the pack.”
Ford sales manager in Scotland, Damien Phelan, said: “Our Scottish customers appreciate the style, value and technology offered by new Fiesta. Scotland also has sweeping roads and amazing scenery, made all the more enjoyable by the Focus RS – which Scots have certainly taken to heart.”
The Ford Fiesta is available from £13,165, while the Ford Performance by Mountune engine upgrade adds £899 to the £32,765 starting price of the Focus RS.
Congratulations Ford from all here at MotorMartin Towers for a job well done.
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