2017 Ford Fiesta ST debuts – 1.5 three-cylinder, 200 PS

2017 Ford Fiesta ST debuts – 1.5 three-cylinder, 200 PS

Following the latest-generation Ford Fiesta‘s debut, the hotter ST variant has been unveiled, this time with a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine. With 200 PS and and 290 Nm of torque, the new car may be one cylinder down on the outgoing model, but it’s no less potent – its output figures are identical to last year’s hardcore ST200 variant.

This makes the new car 20 PS and 50 Nm stronger than the standard B299 Fiesta ST. Headline figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 6.7 seconds, and with its new engine technologies, carbon dioxide emissions of just 114 grams per kilometre.

The all-aluminium engine in the new ST features an integrated exhaust manifold for improved efficiency thanks to reduced warm-up times, while also helping improve torque delivery by minimising the distance traveled by exhaust gases between the turbocharger and the cylinders. An exhaust gas particulate filter technology is also fitted to reduce soot emissions.

In terms of efficiency, the EcoBoost engine features cylinder deactivation, first announced for the new 1.0 litre version. In its operation, fuel delivery and valve operation is paused for one of the engine’s three cylinders when the engine is under partial load conditions, such as when coasting or cruising under part-throttle. The single cylinder can be deactivated and brought back online in just 14 milliseconds.

2017 Ford Fiesta ST debuts – 1.5 three-cylinder, 200 PS

The powerplant is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, sending drive to the front wheels. Torque steer is a key challenge with front-wheel drive layouts in charge of considerable torque outputs, and on that front Ford has outfitted the Fiesta ST with brake-applied torque vectoring, where an inside front wheel is slowed in order to reduce understeer when cornering.

As with the Focus RS, the Fiesta ST now features driver-selectable drive modes, Normal, Sport, and Track – although unlike its big brother, there’s no Drift mode. In the first mode, parameters such as traction control, stability control, electronic sound enhancement (ESE), active exhaust valve and electronic power assisted steering are set up to “deliver natural responsiveness and a connected feel,” says Ford.

Sport mode sharpens engine and throttle mapping, while the power steering is set up for more feedback and finer control. The ESE, which is said to amplify the “naturally sporty sound” of the 1.5 litre mill, also steps the aural aggression up a notch, while the exhaust valve is opened to pump up the volume.

Finally in Track mode, the Fiesta ST is “tuned for the fastest possible lap times,” with traction control disabled and ESC set to a ‘wide-slip’ mode for hard driving. The stability control can be set in three levels – fully switched on, wide-slip mode with partial intervention, and complete deactivation.

2017 Ford Fiesta ST debuts – 1.5 three-cylinder, 200 PS

Where the previous Fiesta ST was intially available in only the three-door body, with the five-door following much later in its lifecycle, the 2018 Fiesta ST will be available in both three- and five-door guises right out of the block. “Our ST models are designed to make a Ford Performance driving experience accessible to customers regardless of lifestyle,” said chief programme engineer Matthias Tonn.

Distinguishing the ST from the standard Fiesta is a more aggressive front end with a motorsport-style grille, side skirts and a body-coloured rear diffuser with twin tailpipes; the 18-inch alloy wheels are an inch larger than before. Inside, there are Recaro seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and Ford promises greater customisation options and styling packs.

On the infotainment front, the Fiesta ST will be offered with Ford’s SYNC 3 infotainment system, which includes an eight-inch touchscreen with pinch and swipe gesture support, as well as support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 675 W, 10-speaker B&O Play sound system will be offered as an option.

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • totota on Feb 27, 2017 at 12:12 pm

    the rear light look like GLA light..simple & nice

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • 4 cyl to 3 cyl. 3 cyl to 2 cyl. Veli soon no cyl and Aku Berjalan Sendri

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 34 Thumb down 2
  • panoramic roof!? dayyum…i want one

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
    • sdacchampion on Feb 27, 2017 at 1:23 pm

      wait till the Malaysia spec arrives, considering local demand and pricing strategy, SDAC will have to omit a lot of fancy bits by the time it reaches the local showrooms. Remember that the cheapest standard Fiesta starts at £18.5k (RM102K) in the UK.

      Imagine what the price will be when it arrives our shores after taxes, etc…all things considered, we may not even get the new ST

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
  • Finally, the dashboard no longer looks like a Airbus/Boeing cockpit with thousands of tiny switches! Looks good.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
  • Mikey on Feb 27, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    WOW, a 1.5 3-cylinders producing 200ps. Back in 2007, it takes a 2 liter turbo VW GTi to produce the equivalent 200ps. How time have changed in 10 years.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 29 Thumb down 0
    • kimi's fan on Feb 27, 2017 at 12:58 pm

      3 cylinders..will put more pressure on engine mounting.

      sooner or later, owners need to spend more to replace those mounting..i guess

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 4
      • Ollie on Feb 27, 2017 at 6:49 pm

        huh wut?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
        • Vibrations. 3cyl is inherently unbalanced, therefore engine vibrates a lot which ruins the mountings

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
          • Well the 1.0 3-Cyl has a lot less vibration than the 1.5 4-Cyl in a Vios from my own driving experience.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
        • truth on Feb 27, 2017 at 10:56 pm

          Siapa nak beli?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
      • Nenek Kau on Feb 27, 2017 at 8:29 pm

        Which mounting you referring at? The getah bushing thing? Really??

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • kadajawi (Member) on Feb 28, 2017 at 12:27 am

        Not if they designed the engine nicely… AFAIK it is possible to balance it out, so that it runs smooth.

        Still, getting a 1.5 liter 3 cylinder to produce 200 hp is quite… a lot. Not sure if that’s such a great idea…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • ecobooth on Feb 27, 2017 at 1:07 pm

    all looks fine and well on paper, but sometimes it makes me wonder how far downsizing can go until it has negative impacts (e.g. lifespan and stress tolerance). Losing a cylinder, dropping the displacement…just seems like the parts need to work harder to deliver the same kind of performance.

    and then there’s the real-world emissions question everyone was talking about on excessive downsizing.

    don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of the downsizing route, but when taken to excessive levels..may be a bit worrying.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 0
  • lolpanda on Feb 27, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    i gotta say the interior is a nice big leap forward from my current ST (and the Fiesta in general). kudos to that.. I’ve always found flat bottom steering wheels a little clumsy to manouvre especially when transitioning between sharp corners at speed; although I must say it looks nice.

    I’m not so sure about the exterior though. It’s become less aggressive now especially in the rear; looks sedated like a family hatch rather than a hot one.

    the 4pot 1.6 was capable of delivering a meaty 199PS/290Nm…losing a cylinder to do the same thing raises some concerns around longevity and reliability. I’m no engineer obviously, but it just sounds like the remaining cylinders and the slightly smaller displaced engine needs to work harder to push the same figures as before

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
    • 4G63T DSM on Feb 28, 2017 at 9:45 am

      Of course they would. Not only that, The bigger pistons probably wont rev as freely as before. That, and they probably need larger and more power sapping balancing shafts for the 3 pot.

      Unless Ford really has worked some big magic, preference would always be for more cylinders.

      I’m curious how they are going to make a 3 pot sound nice.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • sdacchampion on Feb 27, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    the DRL makes the front look bug-eyed.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Front: The current ST looks angry, the new one looks grumpy. Back: The current ST looks like a hatchback, the new one looks like a stationwagon (or family hatchback).

    Overall front still looks okay but the rear doesn’t seem to fit the styling. especially the lower part of the tail lamps which have that sharp corner protruding..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
  • turtle tail on Feb 27, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    Why the exhaust is at side? Somebody here told about symmetrical thingy like nose and thing between legs

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Gaviny on Feb 27, 2017 at 1:52 pm

    The particulate filter will catch many people off guard

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Battu on Feb 27, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    transmission? no info?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • kzm (Member) on Feb 27, 2017 at 3:52 pm

      if u read carefully..the article do mention bout the transmission.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • ripratama on Feb 27, 2017 at 2:23 pm

    Interior has improved by leaps & bounds; shame the exterior has not. It wasn’t supposed to be just a facelift, was it?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • price it right to compete with 208gti

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Kunta Kinte on Feb 27, 2017 at 5:05 pm

    Stay tuned, I’m going to roll out my very own car from my new factory. Just a preview, it is a hot hatch pocket rocket which will take on the likes of polo GTi, 208 GTi and this fiesta. It has 210bhp from a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine. I decided to manufacture my own car because none of the cars I have seen satisfies me. Stay tuned folks.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Rocketman on Feb 27, 2017 at 5:46 pm

    Nowadays we are spoilt for choice in hot hatches. Now we get the likes of Golf GTI, Volve V40, Merc A250, Renault Megane, Veloster T, Mini S, BMW 120i, etc. Those old enough would remember drooling over magazines about hot hatches available in Europe only, and the “hot hatch” widely available here at one time was only the Ford TX3. If only the prices are more affordable here.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Better Warned, Ford on Feb 27, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    My turbo proton Neo can smoke this Ford easily!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 14
    • Henry on Feb 27, 2017 at 9:43 pm

      Besides Ford what else are you smoking?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • No Rempit on Feb 28, 2017 at 8:48 am

      ofkos la..
      who wants to race with proton rempit? duhhh…
      same with rempit vios try to race with a250/gti..come on la..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Semi-Value (Member) on Feb 27, 2017 at 10:50 pm

    it looks boring

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Fiesta ST’s big brother is Focus ST. Both of them are FWD and has no drift mode

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • aiks, launching ST version first?
    base version yet to launch?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Johnny on Feb 28, 2017 at 5:59 pm

    I only hope they improve the interior. The current Fiesta ST sold here is a great car to drive, but a horrible car to be in!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Ray Farraie on Mar 19, 2018 at 5:41 pm

    2017 ford fiesta st when going to lunched in malaysia??i intrestad 5doors

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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