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Find out if the Ford Fiesta ST can match Europe's latest hot hatches

The V8 grunt of the Mustang has defined Ford performance cars in the US for the last 50 years, but in Europe, the Blue Oval has nearly as a long history of building some of the best hot hatches on the market with the Fiesta, Escort and later the Focus. The latest Fiesta ST has just hit the roads on both sides of the pond and has been enthusiastically received thanks to its combination of a peppy, turbocharged engine and hatchback utility.

However, Europe is getting a bumper crop of hot hatches at the moment, including the forthcoming, third-generation Mini Cooper S. Should Ford have waited to launch the ST until it knew how the competition performed? That's the answer that Xcar is after in its latest video, and it took the Fiesta to the track and some very misty, Welsh roads to find out. Scroll down to find out whether the ST stacks up.
Related Gallery2014 Ford Fiesta ST: Quick Spin
  • News Source: XCar via YouTube
  • Image Credit: Gallery images Copyright 2014 Seyth Miersma / AOL
Videos Ford UK Hatchback Performance 2014 ford fiesta st ford ford fiesta ford fiesta st hot hatch video
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    • 1 Second Ago

    0
    • 23 Comments
      Vwfanatic

      Vwfanatic

      • 1 Year Ago
      Wait a minute, this test uses a three-door Fiesta hatchback ST, NOT the five-door USA Fiesta ST. Hey Ford, give us the three-door like you sell in Europe!
      2
      SquareFour

      SquareFour

      • 1 Year Ago
      Between that bloke's annoying voice and the shatty music/generic visuals, I couldn't finish watching the vid.
      1
        SpacemanSpiff

        SpacemanSpiff

        • 1 Year Ago
        @SquareFour
        The only thing that really bothered me was his constant pronunciation of "Fiester". Not sure if that's a British thing or if he's just a dork. I'm going with dork.
        3
        View 1 reply
          Alex Goy

          Alex Goy

          • 1 Year Ago
          @SpacemanSpiff
          I can't help my pronunciation. It's how we say it over here. Though I am a dork.
          0
      j.ziraldo

      j.ziraldo

      • 1 Year Ago
      Multimatic Motorsport campaigned a couple of Focus cars in IMSA ST racing in 2012 with support from Ford Racing. I wonder how much of what was learned from that year has influenced the Focus and Fiesta STs.
      1
      Semislicks

      Semislicks

      • 1 Year Ago
      This car doesnt have LSD, hence it fails miserably. Opel, VW, even Renault offer smart LSDs in their hot hatches. Ford fails miserably! Mini JCW will annihilate it on a track.
      -6
        Semislicks

        Semislicks

        • 1 Year Ago
        @Semislicks
        @carguy1701 YES IT DOES. The GTI performance comes with MECHANICAL LSD! JCW ALSO!
        -2
        View 1 reply
          Rick

          Rick

          • 1 Year Ago
          @Semislicks
          VW has their XDS, which is better than nothing.
          1
      951

      951

      • 1 Year Ago
      I just leased a loaded one for almost nothing down & $260 a month on a 2 year. I've driven a lot of other cars to compare it to, and nothing was really close for smile per mile. Price wise, nothing is in the same ballpark.
      0
        Soyntgo4it

        Soyntgo4it

        • 1 Year Ago
        @951
        They saw you coming.
        -4
        Soyntgo4it

        Soyntgo4it

        • 1 Year Ago
        @951
        Can lease a Focus St for a lot less. For the same length of time. lmao!!
        -3
        View 1 reply
          951

          951

          • 1 Year Ago
          @Soyntgo4it
          Focus ST with same options is a $30k car. The baseline 24 month lease rate on that is $4k down and $392 a month + tax & license. Someone here is wrong here.....and it is you.
          2
      1STH

      1STH

      • 1 Year Ago
      this is such a great car, the Fiesta ST. Lots of performance...hot hatch looks, and its own character. I don't see too many around as i don't think the US buying public really understand hot hatches yet. Hopefully this results in many more coming to our shores from all types of carmakers.
      1
        akitadog

        akitadog

        • 1 Year Ago
        @1STH
        What did I say about your cognitive dissonance, again?
        -2
      Lachmund

      Lachmund

      • 1 Year Ago
      Those european designed Fords are really great driver's cars. I'm curious about the new Mustang. Does anyone know if the Mustang got some european development time as well or is it a purely american design? (Except for the european head of design)
      1
        carguy1701

        carguy1701

        • 1 Year Ago
        @Lachmund
        I wouldn't be surprised if they took it to the 'ring at some point, but I think we'd have heard about it if they had.
        0
      hn376rar

      hn376rar

      • 1 Year Ago
      I am completely befuddled why Ford and GM do not offer a 2 door economy car in the US? I know “volume” is an issue, but once again, they GIVE this segment to Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, etc…
      0
      timber

      timber

      • 1 Year Ago
      I haven't seen tests betweens this Fiesta and the new Clio RS (the usual number one) but as usual this should be a two horse race between these two. They are the best handling, most fun small hot hatches Europe has to offer. Their larger brothers, the Megane RS and the Focus ST are also the closest competitors one segment above (despite the Golf GTI being perhaps the most known)
      0
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