June 2013 - Ford Online

A great
start for
Fiesta
ST
Car buyers and motoring
journalists are impressed
with Ford’s latest hot
hatchback model
The new Ford Fiesta ST is just now reaching
dealer showrooms, but more than 1,000 customers
had already placed an order in the three
months from prices being announced in January.
Priced from just £16,995 – up to £2,000 less
than segment competitors – and receiving praise
for its engaging and entertaining drive, the Fiesta
ST is already in strong demand at the head of the
new Fiesta range.
Ford of Britain chairman and managing director,
Mark Ovenden, said: “Our Fiesta ST offers
the winning combination of accessible pricing,
exhilarating performance and outstanding
economy.
“Expert commentators have described the car
as sensational, praising its agility, responsiveness
and addictive fun - yet with every-day practicality.
The rush of early orders proves our customers
agree with this assessment too.”
More than 90 per cent of customers have
opted for the Fiesta ST-2 which adds partial
leather Recaro seats, Sony DAB radio, Ford
keyless start, privacy glass and LED daytime
running lamps to the standard specification of
17-inch alloy wheels, ST front fog lights, SYNC
connectivity, Thatcham CAT 1 alarm and My Key.
The same is true for Focus ST which has seen
the majority of customers opting for the highly
specified, technology-rich models.
More than three in five new medium hot
hatches in the UK is a Focus ST, with sales to
date exceeding 3,000, outselling the Volkswagen
Golf GTi by more than two to one.
What the press says...
• Andrew English described the Fiesta ST to Daily Telegraph readers as: “the best fun you can
have for the money….this is the best of this year’s B-segment hot hatches and it’s £2,000 cheaper
than its rivals. Why would you pay more for less?”
He said: “It just monsters roads and is the kind of car that drives supercar owners crazy
wondering why they spend all that money. The grin hasn’t left my face all week.”
• Autocar tested a Fiesta ST-2 head-to-head against a Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo LX and Peugeot
208 GTi and declared: “We’ve become accustomed to Ford delivering class leaders right out of the
gate, and the ST is no exception.”
Although costing £900 less than the Peugeot and £2,000 less than the Renault, the Fiesta ST-2
won the test comfortably, with Autocar commenting: “The ST proves an object lesson in familiar
Ford development – namely, giving us exactly what we want.”
• Jack Rix told Auto Express readers: “Ford has called up every ounce of its hot hatch knowhow
to deliver a car that does exactly what a hot hatch needs to do – excite. Instant performance, a
fantastic exhaust note and great agility make the Fiesta fun in town and on track, while it costs
much less than rivals.
“We had big expectations and the ST more than meets them.”
12 Ford News June 2013