OREANDA-NEWS. August 20, 2015. “Hot hatches don’t get any better than the Ford Fiesta ST,” says one of Britain’s leading motoring magazines, What Car? “It's brilliant to drive, it has a superb engine, and it's cheaper to own.”

That’s just one of many impressive media reviews that the Fiesta ST is currently receiving. Another UK-based title, Auto Express, recently pitted the fast Ford against two French rivals, the Renault Clio RS220 and Peugeot 208GT.

Here’s what the top-selling publication’s road testers had to say: “Yet again the Fiesta ST is our compact hot hatch winner, thanks to an unrivalled blend of spectacular performance, affordability, style and – importantly with cars in this sector – a huge grin factor.”

They added: “Every time you drive the Ford you’ll enjoy it – and that’s important, because this isn’t just a great car for a blast on the right road, but a brilliant all-rounder, too.”

And it is not only the Fiesta ST that is making headlines, it’s high performance big brother, the Focus ST, is also winning applause.  Spanish publication Autopista recently subjected the Focus ST and a competitive rival, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, to a gruelling on-road examination.

“To experience a storm’s full intensity, there’s nothing like going to the top of the mountain,” said Autopista. “The Broken asphalt, narrow roads between trees, fast curves - here, there will be no excuses. We floor the accelerator and feel the first tremours. The ST has a more direct feel and is more sensitive to pressure on the accelerator.  Its 2.0 turbo engine is more explosive.”


The verdict: “The Focus ST is the winner of this comparison. These two cars cost the same, and both have a spectacular image. They reach similar speeds and consume an identical amount of fuel. The differences lie in their sensations and agility. We find two different flavours. The Giulietta is sweeter, but somewhat decaffeinated. The Focus is more aggressive and emotional. Like a pure espresso, it is all caffeine.”