If you were in the market recently for a go-faster, high performance Ford Fiesta, it just wasn't around. Such Fiestas used to be badged XR2 and between 1981 and 1993 they brought a bit of excitement to Ford's bread-and-butter supermini range.
After an 11-year absence, the gap has been plugged, this time with the Fiesta ST (It suggests Special Tuning but Ford says it stands for Sports Technologies).
The ST that we drove last week has performance credentials like a 2-litre 150bhp engine delivering 0-60mph in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 129mph (208km/h). Fast if hardly exceptional, but then the small print in Ford's press material reminds us that ST is in the junior hot hatch class. A bigger hot hatch like the forthcoming VW Golf GTi has 200bhp, sprints to 60mph in seven seconds and tops 145mph (233km/h).
Still, this ST is a far cry from the early 1980s XR2 which we recall as having an outdated overhead-valve 1.6 litre engine delivering 84bhp. Unbelievably, it had a four-speed gearbox when most of its rivals were five-speed. It wasn't a rocket but it was fun to drive. This original XR2 stood out from the rest of the Fiesta pack with sporty wheel arch extensions, double round headlamps and a black radiator grille.
What then of the new baby? You know it's different from the cosmetic treatment which, however, is applied with discretion rather than flamboyance. Distinctive bits include two widely spaced chrome exhaust pipes, bigger bumpers and sills, deeper front grille, tailgate top spoiler and body-hugging sports seats. Inside and out, ST badging is very visible but if you want more "show", full-length bonnet/roof stripes are options.
The Duratec engine provides an alluring burble especially when hustled through the bends. On winding Tuscan roads it was stable and controllable with plenty of steering feel. In spite of the lowered suspension, the ride felt compliant and biased towards comfort. All in all, the ST is endearing for lightness and agility packaged in a muscular profile.
Ford executives stress the ST's affordability and appeal to drivers with the enthusiasts' instinct, but Eddie Murphy, Ford's Irish boss, isn't anticipating a huge surge of custom here. "It enhances the Fiesta image but frankly the GTi sector is very small." Identifiable competitors include two Peugeot 206 GTis with 2.0 litre 138 and 180bhp engines and the Mini Cooper S: prices range from €26,000 to €30,140 suggesting an Irish tag in this area.