Ford Fiesta RS and Endura ST coming

Ford is working on its first Fiesta RS hyper-hatch and an ST version of the Edge diesel SUV, which will be sold in Australia as the Endura from December.

Speaking to motoring.com.au at the global launch of the new Fiesta ST, Ford Performance Europe chief Leo Roeks stopped short of confirming either future model.

“I can’t tell you, but I’m very busy,” was all Roeks would say – with a broad grin – when we questioned him about the possibility of an even hotter Fiesta and an automatic version of the Fiesta ST.

However, we understand both versions of the Fiesta are under development, with a dual-clutch transmission for the Fiesta ST and Ford’s first Fiesta RS both due for release by 2020.

Ford’s latest-generation Fiesta light-car was released in Europe in July 2017, so given the new Fiesta ST is just being launched there now, we don’t expect the hard-core Fiesta RS to arrive until at least mid-2019.

The Fiesta ST auto, meantime, is much closer to introduction but our sources suggest it is being held back because of the stigma attached to the PowerShift name in the wake of a global quality debacle.

Ford Australia was last month fined $10 million by the Federal Court after the ACCC took action following a class action over the car-maker’s handling of complaints about the DPS6 six-speed dry-clutch transmission fitted to Fiesta, Focus and EcoSport models.

Ford Australia will release the 2019 Fiesta ST next March, when it will become the only new-generation Fiesta model available here. It will be offered in a single, fully-loaded specification with either three or five doors and a six-speed manual.

We expect it to arrive as a three-door manual, like the outgoing Fiesta ST, with a five-door auto to follow.

Meantime, Roeks was more talkative about the prospect of an Edge ST diesel, which could arrive here as the Endura ST given Ford Australia’s new five-seat diesel crossover will be based on Europe’s all-diesel Edge.

In February, Ford of Europe revealed a facelifted Edge range including a new ST-Line version powered by a new 175kW 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, which is more powerful than the 157kW 2.0-litre biturbo in the upcoming Ranger Raptor (and now an option in the 2019 Ranger and 2019 Everest), and would be a prime candidate for our Endura ST.

Australia's standard Endura will be powered by a 140kW/400Nm version of the same EcoBlue engine.

Ford has already revealed a more powerful twin-turbo 2.7-litre petrol V6-engined Edge ST for North America, where a teaser image released in March also indicated it will also introduce an ST version of its next-generation Explorer seven-seat SUV (pictured), which is also likely for Australia as a belated replacement for the homegrown Territory.

“You can have an Edge ST … We’re very busy. We’re looking at every segment.

“How do you do a diesel ST? Whatever you do it’s for CO2, but I’m not a big fan of diluting the [ST] brand.”

Before it announced the axing of all passenger models except the Mustang in North America last month, Ford promised to offer four new SUVs and 12 new Ford Performance models – wearing either ST, RS, Shelby or Raptor badges – by 2020.

Roeks was quick to caution the Ford Performance strategy is different in Europe, where for example the Mustang GT is sold as a Ford Performance model because it comes standard with the Performance Pack.

That’s not the case here, where the Mustang GT Performance Pack is optional, but it didn’t stop Ford Australia launching the Ford Performance brand as part of its Mustang-for-Supercars announcement last month.

In fact, apart from the outgoing Focus ST and limited-edition Focus RS, no Ford Performance model is currently available in Australia until the Ranger Raptor arrives in September, followed by the Fiesta ST next March.

US-market Ford Performance models like the F-150 Raptor pick-up and the Mustang Shelby GT350, GT350R and upcoming GT500 will not be sold here.

However, other future Ford Performance Australia models could include the Fiesta RS, the next Focus ST and Focus RS (both based on the new Focus due in November), the Endura ST, Explorer ST and – perhaps – a Raptor version of the all-new 2020 Bronco SUV and even an ST version of the upcoming ‘baby Bronco’ compact SUV.