Ford Fiesta ST (2012-2017) Review and Prices

Costing £3,000 more than the ST-3 on which it is based, your money buys you a unique shade of paint (or is it primer?) called Storm Grey, ST200 badges and red highlights for the brake callipers.

Maximum power with the Fiesta’s 15-second over-boost function in full flow rises from the standard 197hp to 218hp – or exactly the same hike you can get by specifying the factory-approved £600 Montune tuning kit. Mechanically, all that separates the ST200 from it is a revised suspension setup that is 30 per cent stiffer and a lower ratios for the gearbox.

Whether the performance upgrades are worth the money is a mute point then. We’ve yet to sample the car for ourselves, but reviewers that have tell us that there’s little to separate the ST200 from the standard (admittedly utterly brilliant) model – it still corners like an X-Fighter and shoots through space like the Millennium Falcon.

Some say the extra power slightly diminishes the driving experience – leaving it vulnerable to understeer. That’s something even the standard Fiesta can suffer from lacking, as it does, a grip-inducing limited-slip differential.

Whether you think the ST200 is worth the extra outlay comes down to personal priorities – but the fact that just 3,000 (or thereabouts) will be built globally could well swing it for people looking for a collectable fast Ford.

If you’re not one of those folks, though, you’ll be perfectly happy saving your money and going for the already-excellent standard car – particularly when you learn that, owing to the limitations of the factory, all final run STs will get the ST200’s suspensions upgrades absolutely free.

We tested the Fiesta ST in 2015 and found that around town you’re dealt some very firm blows as you go over bumps and speedhumps, but as you leave urban speed limits and pick up the pace the ride quality does get better. The sense of connection the Fiesta ST gives you with the road lends you the confidence to drive incredible quickly down twisty roads.

Speaking of which, the Fiesta ST is an absolute masterpiece when driven down challenging British country roads. The suspension – so firm around town – controls the car’s movements impeccably, and the steering gives you a fantastic sense of how much grip you have. The brakes are strong, and you can easily judge how much speed you’ll shed with a prod of the pedal.

The joy of the ST is that it comes alive at legal speeds (although it’ll encourage you to go much faster than you think sensible), meaning that you can feel like you’re getting the most out of your hot hatch without risking a slap on the wrists. The fact that countless motoring journalists rank it among sports cars costing more than £50,000 in terms of driving fun suggests Ford has really nailed it with the Fiesta ST.