New Ford Fiesta ST: Australian details

The all-new Ford Fiesta ST has been launched in Europe and the good news is it’s coming to Australia as a single, well-specified hot hatch model, albeit not until March 2019.

The bad news is it will be more expensive than the hallowed $27,490 model it replaces, it will be manual-only and it will be the only version of Ford’s latest German-built Fiesta, which went on sale in Europe in mid-2017, to be sold here.

Nevertheless, expect a sub-$29,000 pricetag (at least $2000 less than Volkswagen’s new $30,990 Polo GTI auto) including all the big-ticket European options.

These include a Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential borrowed from the Focus RS, an 8.0-inch colour touch-screen (6.5-inch is standard) and 18-inch alloy wheels (17s are standard).

Ford is working on a dual-clutch PowerShift automatic version and it’s likely to join the Australian range some time next year.

The only real question is whether Ford Australia will launch the new Fiesta ST as another manual-only three-door and add a five-door auto later, or open with a five-door manual.

Either way, standard equipment should also include Ford’s latest SYNC 3 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a B&O Play sound system and front Recaro bucket seats with height adjustment for the first time.

Standard safety features will comprise autonomous emergency braking (AEB), Lane Keeping Aid and Alert, six airbags, auto high-beam, blind-spot monitoring, adjustable speed-limiter, traffic sign recognition, reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

As we’ve reported, the new Fiesta ST is based on an all-new chassis including the most rigid twist-beam rear suspension of any Ford (1400Nm/degree) and a quick 12:1 steering ratio that’s the quickest of any Ford.

Other advances include patented force-vectoring ‘banana’ springs, frequency-dependent monotube Tenneco dampers, a three-mode drive system comprising Normal, Sport and Track settings, and sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber (measuring 205/45 R17 or 205/40 R18).

Turning circle is a tight 11m and braking is a highlight thanks to biggish 278/253mm front/rear discs (vented up front) and four-channel anti-clock brakes with EBD and EBA.

But the centrepiece of Ford’s new pint-size pocket-rocket is a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol EcoBoost engine that develops 290Nm of torque over 1600-4000rpm, along with 147kW of power – as much as the old model on overboost.

Ford’s new all-alloy 1497cc DOHC turbo-triple displaces 499cc per cylinder in a long-stroke (90mm, versus an 84mm bore) design and features twin independent variable cam timing.

The car-maker claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6.5 seconds – down from 6.9 and as quick as the current Focus ST – whether it’s the 1262kg three-door or the 1283kg five-door.

At the same time, average 95 RON premium unleaded fuel consumption is listed at just 6.0L/100km, in part due to cylinder deactivation tech that which shuts down the middle cylinder under light throttle loads and then fires it back up in 14 milliseconds, reducing consumption by six per cent, says Ford.

Click here to read our first drive review of the new Fiesta ST.