Looking at the ST200 from any angle confirms the intent with which Ford’s engineers and designers have bestowed upon their extremely rapid small family car. The Fiesta ST200 fulfils Ford’s desire to create a range of distinctively individual series design options, meaning that there is a Ford Fiesta to suit everyone. And with the ST200, Ford have made sure that both historic and new Fast Ford fans have been extremely well catered for.
The ST200 is a looker, with it’s unique Fiesta ST features include 18″ 5×2-spoke ST alloy wheels with red brake calipers, unique ultra aggressive black ST upper grille, different bumpers, muscular front and rear wheel arches and spoilers. Ford have pulled out all the stops to create a car that still has that essential Fiesta DNA that purchasers want yet improved and enhanced with seriously sporting additions such as the raucous twin exhaust.
Stepping over the Ford Performance ST Front door threshold plates to settle into the sumptuously sculptured Recaro leather sports seats gives you the feeling of being properly plugged into the Fiesta, that the Ford is part of you, ready to respond to any and all input in as direct a fashion as possible. It feels like a proper ST from the very first moment, as well it should. Reach forward to the unique, (and heated) ST flat bottomed steering wheel and revel in it’s quality and feel. You just know that there’s fun to be had with such a direct fusion between driver and front wheels.
Ford have a long tradition of producing hot hatches based around their more family orientated architecture and have perfected tailoring the Fiesta to both the needs of the family and the needs of the one. A decent boot, plenty of interior space front and back, family friendly tech and an abundance of driving aids all contribute to the everyday usability of the Ford, a car that is just as happy battling through town centre traffic as it is sitting at 70 for mile after mile on the motorway. What more could you want?
Squeezing 197.3bhp in to a car with a kerbweight of 1283kg is always going to make people sit up and take notice and a 0-62 mph time of 6.5 seconds with a top speed of 144 mph, even more so.
Keeping the ST in third and using the upper reaches of the rev range allow for, shall we say swift, progress to be made through the bends. This is a car that can happily slay the A and B roads of this green and pleasant land of ours with an addictive growl from the exhaust reverberating seductively throughout the cabin and beyond. Man it sounds absolutely superb when you give it some! The Steering is beautifully weighted and creates a connection with the car that increases in intensity every time you go for a drive. The Fiesta’s suspension allows for precise control in sport and yet in normal mode, the Ford’s stress free and comfortable just as a hot hatch should be.
On the road the ST200 delivers up to and beyond your wildest expectations in a manner reminiscent of Fast Fords from days gone by, giving you a connection to the car, model and brand that other manufacturer’s can only dream of. Price? The ST200 starts at £20,700 and performance per pound, that’s the bargain of the century.
Ford know how good their Fiesta ST200 is and they want you to experience it.
After all, a fast Ford fan is a fan for life.
Where will you go?