Test Ford Fiesta ST 1.6 Ecoboost, engine, driving and consumption (with video)

If you read us yesterday, you'll be eager for us to continue our review of the Ford Fiesta ST , as today we reach the most interesting part of this car: the driving experience . Aesthetically, it's muscular, which we like, and it has a sporty design without being at all gaudy or resembling a regular Fiesta "tuned up" with a few plastic bits. The aerodynamic kit is perfectly integrated into the car and looks really good.

But enough of the chitchat and let's get it going...

It is not the most powerful but it is devilishly fast

The true reason for this car's existence becomes clear the moment you start its engine. It doesn't sound like an Abarth 500 with a Record Monza exhaust , but it's very stimulating, especially from mid-throttle onwards. Overall, I think the sound is very well done, as it can go completely unnoticed at low speeds, while if you accelerate briskly or rev it up, it delights you with a pleasant mechanical symphony . This is very useful, for example, when driving around your neighborhood, in the shopping center parking lot, in your home garage—wherever necessary—without drawing attention, allowing you to enjoy its deep, powerful tones when you're on the open road. Incidentally, the Fiesta ST uses a sound symposier located in the dashboard to amplify the engine's natural sound, to the driver's delight without attracting too much attention from passersby.

The 1.6-liter EcoBoost turbo engine isn't the most powerful in its class (Peugeot and Renault's 1.6-liter turbos produce around 200 hp), but the car is incredibly fast, capable of easily taking on more powerful models . It delivers maximum power below 6.000 rpm, and its torque curve remains constant between 1.6000 and 5.000 rpm. According to official figures, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6,9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 220 km/h. In reality, however, straight-line speeds aren't as important; a well-tuned chassis and a balanced package are far more valuable… and in this respect, the Fiesta ST is a fantastic car.

As I mentioned in the Mini-GTI comparison , the ST's handling is textbook: if you enter a corner lifting off the accelerator, you'll get oversteer; if you enter accelerating gently, you'll understeer on the exit; and if you enter holding the throttle, it will slide on all four wheels almost equally. You can drive this car very fast with a feeling of absolute control while still maintaining a good reserve of safety and responsiveness.

The car invites you to become one with it in the art of driving, thanks to some of the best seats I've tried lately in terms of support and comfort. The feel of all the controls is pleasant and sufficiently "mechanical" to allow you to feel what's happening and react accordingly, making it addictive and accessible to any driver. I haven't even mentioned the gearbox yet, with its short throws and precise engagements, capable of withstanding aggressive driving. Nor have I mentioned the powerful brakes , with their easily modulated pedal feel and excellent resistance to overheating. Visually, they appear somewhat small (278 mm front - 253 mm rear) and weak, but in reality, they perform admirably, bringing the 1.163 kg curb weight to a halt time and time again.

When driving fast, the Fiesta ST uses an ESP system with three operating modes : normal, sport, and completely off. I find its performance superb, as even in normal mode the system rarely intervenes, and when it does, it's not abrupt or unrestrained. In sport mode, you can spin the front wheels exiting corners and even drift the car slightly without the system activating, making its operation even smoother. The completely off mode is truly "off" (unlike some other cars where it eventually activates), so in my opinion, it's pointless to use on the road and should be reserved exclusively for the track.

The car can be driven with pinpoint accuracy and perfect precision, but it also tolerates aggressive driving, even when weight transfer is used excessively to induce drifts. This is aided by a lowered suspension with specific Ford Team RS tuning compared to the standard models. It's undeniably firm but not excessively harsh, and it firmly controls body roll, allowing for agile cornering while maintaining acceptable comfort for this type of car. I haven't even mentioned the steering yet: very direct (2,5 turns lock-to-lock), with good feel and just the right amount of assistance to facilitate precise control.

Consumption

Downsizing is still in vogue, and the 1.6 turbo engine has done its homework to keep up with the market. It's not the most modern or technologically advanced, but it already incorporates features like direct injection and a variable oil pump. It achieves a fuel consumption of 5,9 liters/100 km, just below the psychological barrier of six liters . In the city, the official figure is 7,9 liters, although in reality, you'll hardly get below nine liters in urban areas. On the open road at a brisk pace, consumption hovers around 8,5 liters, while pushing the engine hard on mountain roads will increase it to about 15 liters/100 km.

Overall, the average consumption is quite low for the type of engine and power , very close to the best in the category (Ibiza Cupra, Polo GTI and Fabia RS, all of them with the 7-speed DSG automatic transmission)

We already know that fuel consumption isn't the most important thing in a car like this, but it's a quality that should never be overlooked... the less it hurts our wallets when we fill it up, the more happily we'll go out and use up its tank , and in this sense the Fiesta ST is quite forgiving since it doesn't even require refueling with 98 octane gasoline.

 Continued ...