Attainable Performance Part III: 2019 Ford Fiesta ST Mk8 Review
Did Ford save the best til last with the Mk8 Fiesta ST? Ken Pearson finds out in the third part of our series showcasing performance cars that don’t cost the earth.
Given the strong following the Fiesta ST commands, it’s difficult to imagine Ford initially showed little enthusiasm for the model. First seen in Mk6 format, the ST matched its closest rival – the Renaultsport Clio – on paper with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine, but the difference was stark in the real world. When the Mk7 launched in 2009, an ST-model was notably absent from the range.
owever, at the 2013 facelift, it made a triumphant return and proved to be an instant hit. Ford regained their hot hatch mojo just as Renaultsport lost theirs; the Mk7 Fiesta ST’s mix of direct steering, turbocharged pace, fun factor, and excellent value for money cemented its place at the top of the small hot hatch pile.
This meant the Mk8 had some big shoes to fill in 2018, and it certainly had the footprint for them. But while the dimensions increased, the cylinder count decreased; the popular and highly tuneable turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder was superseded by an all-aluminium 1.5-litre three-cylinder. It launched with an ST200 matching 197bhp and 214lb-ft (290Nm) of torque – with up to 236lb-ft during transient overboost – all sent to the front wheels. There was a choice of three or five door bodies, while the transmission option was anything you liked as long as it was a manual. The exterior styling was more restrained, while the interior saw a huge uplift in quality.
It begged the question – had the ST gone upmarket to the detriment of pure hot hatch thrills? And in a wider context, with the Fiesta no longer on sale, is the new car market missing something by no longer offering as much choice for small drivers cars?
There’s only one way to find out. The test car is a pre-facelift 2019 model, which looks rather good with its Performance Blue hue, subtly extended bumpers, sills, diffuser, and ST badge in the grille. The 17” Y-spoke wheels painted grey and silver complete the semi-sleeper style, and are mounted to ST-specific wheel hubs. To petrolheads it is obvious that this Fiesta is the fast one, but to the untrained eye it may just be another small Ford. This car is equipped with the Performance Package that adds launch control, a shift indicator light, and a Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD) which compliments the unique chassis setup for the ST that I’ll explore throughout my drive.
To begin, I open the large door and slot into the excellent Recaro bucket seat. This features strong but relatively low bolstering on the base and backrest, but the headrest is adjustable – a nice change from a lot of cars in this class. Adjustability levels are great with the seat able to reach a sweet spot for drivers of all shapes and sizes, although as I lower the chair down to my default lowest position, the small view of the bonnet completely disappears beneath the longest windscreen wiper arms fitted to a hatchback. At least I get a good view of the enormous dashboard, which houses the clear and uncluttered instrument cluster, as well as the 8” infotainment display that can run Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The engine fires into life with a brief fast idle, before offering a low-pitched burble at tickover. Getting used to the controls in my first few moments of driving, I find the biting point of the clutch in the lower half of the pedal’s travel, and the car quickly tells me that it favours a gentle release of pressure when engaging another gear. Judging the extremities of the car remains a work in progress, but higher on my to-do list is getting a handle on the Fiesta’s handling.
Gently flicking the steering wheel from left to right a few times on a straight begins to uncover the chassis tuning implemented for the ST; there is precious little roll and it doesn’t take a lot of lock to get the car to change direction, but the entire car feels stable. At the front, the springs surround twin-tube dampers, but at the rear the directionally-wound springs envelop single-tube struts. Typical of cars in this class, the Fiesta uses a torsion beam on the rear axle as opposed to multi-link connections, and requires 1,400Nm of force to twist it by just one degree. The trade-off is a noticeably firm ride, but it offers a very stable and consistent rear end, with the freedom for the car to move on the front axle. It works brilliantly.
Having acclimated to the standard steering setup in the car’s Normal driving mode, engaging Sport mode increases the weighting. The front end bites and quickly digs into the tarmac, stabilised by the rear torsion beam which takes a moment to catch up. It’s a strange sensation to begin with, and perhaps exacerbated by the difference of tyre compound on each axle of this particular ST; Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres at the front, while the rear wheels are shod in Davanti DX640 rubber. The compound difference is something to work around rather than with, so I relax the turn-in so as not to leave the rear in the previous postcode as the front takes aim at the apex. No doubt the cornering stability would be greatly improved with identical Michelins on each wheel.
It’s clear that the Fiesta can rotate quicker than the blades of a blender. Ford says this is down to the unique knuckle design, and 12:1 ratio of the steering system which is 14% faster than the previous model’s rack. From one corner into the next, the car turns effortlessly, feeling as if it pivots around me rather than ahead of me.
Trail braking up a hill into a long left hander, I get a feel for the brakes, made up of ventilated 278mm and 253mm discs at the front and rear respectively. They scrub speed precisely, allowing me to maintain a good level of momentum around the sweeping bend, feeding in more power mid-corner to bring the differential into play. As part of the Performance Pack, the front axle benefits from a Quaife LSD which mechanically distributes the torque load to the wheel that can deploy it best.
This also works with Ford’s own electronic Torque Vectoring Control system that brakes the inside wheel to further reduce slip when power is being applied during cornering. It works best with gentle applications and reductions in power when turning, and when combined with the rapid steering and un-twistable rear suspension, the front end grasps the road surface and noticeably pulls the entire car around sharper corners.
With more binary throttle applications, it is possible to catch the two systems out with the electronics reacting much faster than the mechanical systems, before compensating for an overreaction. Mostly though, the pair of torque vectoring systems worked brilliantly in unison, allowing for early throttle application and the confidence to allow the traction control to take care of the rest, as the revs and speed begin to build once again.
The feedback from the systems is evidently clear from the steering wheel, with my hands able to pick up the shuffling of torque from one side to the other, and while it feels like torque steer to a point, it’s easy to manage with a slight correction to the steering or the throttle. The feedback feels genuine, if not quite unfiltered, but the car is happily and readily communicating how it is helping me to maintain pace.
With all the intricacies of the chassis, suspension, and steering coming to the fore, and being explored in detail, the way to summarise the Fiesta ST’s handling is remarkably simple: it is truly joyous, engaging, and entertaining in equal measure. It uses its mechanical and electronic toolkit to enhance rather than control the fun, and offers varied but precise forms of feedback to learn from. The car talks to the driver, encouraging the exploration of its capabilities with confidence. It takes some learning to get the most out of its agility, but the reward is one incredibly capable drivers’ car.
Between the corners are plenty of long straights which allow the 1.5 litre EcoBoost turbo triple to reach peak torque, and peak power over and over again as I row through the six-speed gearbox. A plateau of torque is available from 1,600 to 4,000rpm, but the engine makes me wait until 6,000rpm – just 100 revs from the red line – for me to sample all 197 horses at once. The engine is quick to respond and pick up the pace, with it really getting into its stride around 2,700rpm. The gearing is just right with short ratios for first and second, slightly longer settings for third and fourth, while fifth and sixth are stretched out enough to allow for low rev cruising.
The powertrain pulls strongly from low revs at low speeds, prompting some of the apparent torque steer that I discovered earlier, but there seems to be no letup in performance delivery as 3,000rpm becomes 4, 5, and finally 6,000rpm where the yellow ST light in the dashboard instructs me to change gear. The engine doesn’t crescendo, but when quickly shifting up a gear, the revs fall back into the peak torque range and the car continues to advance like a whippet chasing a rabbit.
The Fiesta builds speed quickly, with the engine changing its tune from the burble at tickover to a deep growl toward the redline. It doesn’t quite sound like half a V6, but the deeper notes make a nice change from the almost interchangeable sounds of rival four-cylinder engines.
In the Sport drive setting, a valve in the exhaust opens so a few subtle pops can be heard from the two chrome tips; their arrival seems to be random as opposed to being forced out by default whenever I lift off the accelerator. Overall, the engine sounds pleasant and it compliments the B-road running that I am enjoying.
With my brain learning to associate particular notes with certain points in the rev range – and in turn my speed – I start to ignore what the dials say and drive based on the sounds from the powerplant, the feedback from the three pedals and my knowledge of the route ahead. Mobile chicanes are tackled with ease, and immobile ones are tackled with joy, as I can press on knowing the car will be honest with its feedback rather than forced to comply by stringent electronic overlords.
A tempting long straight goads me into testing the Launch Control feature; I want to know if this is a gimmick or a genuine asset. A Launch Control message appears on the display, requiring confirmation by pressing the OK button on the steering wheel. With one foot on the clutch and the other on the throttle, the car builds boost and sits at 3,000rpm for a moment. All I have to do is dump the clutch, and the car will marshal the power.
There’s an initial scramble for grip the car launches quickly, pleasantly chirping the tyres as I change into second gear, reaching the all important 60mph mark just over 6-seconds later. The quoted 0-62 mph time is 6.5 seconds – making it half a second quicker than what I still regard as the benchmark small hot hatch: the Renaultsport Clio 200.
I’m impressed by the simplicity, accessibility and effectiveness of the system, but to see how much of an improvement it brings to standing starts, I bring the car to a stop once again and ignore the offer of help from Skynet. I opt for a 4,000rpm launch, convinced I can beat the bot. The result is spinning tyres all the way up to the redline, squealing again as second is selected. Having tried both options, the difference is clear: getaways are more controlled with Launch Control engaged.
With the tarmac snaking its way through a forest, the road starts to point towards home and my opinions of the Fiesta ST begin to form into a clear shape. A brief and unavoidable A-road slog reminds me that cars in this class have to be able to complete the less exciting daily drives with as much composure as the aimless weekend blasts. Getting up to speed requires little effort in fifth gear, and with sixth selected, cruise control activated and Sport mode switched off, the engine fades into the background to uncover a rather quiet environment to eat up motorway miles in; this is partly helped by the cylinder deactivation tech which which is a world first on a three-cylinder engine.
The wind noise is ever present, but the tyres are quiet and the suspension that was facilitating sharp turns just a few minutes ago has shown its German-engineered trait of becoming smoothest at higher speeds. As a slip road beckons and the pace reduces further, one of the county’s many imperfect routes shows a busier side to the ride, picking up plenty of ruts and bumps and transmitting them into the cabin firmly. The car isn’t crashy at all – far from it – but it certainly is busy.
Although I think I know everything I need to know about the car, a few more maximum attack trips along my local lanes won’t hurt will they? Just as they did three hours prior, the balance and keen turn in work well with the punchy powertrain and torque vectoring to provide an entertaining end to my time behind the wheel.
The Fiesta has been engaging and exciting across a variety of roads, and is a surprisingly swift platform that makes up for its lack of outright power by its ability to maintain high speeds around sweeping and double-apex corners. It is communicative, lively and honest with its reactions to my inputs. The drive has been physical, and the car has presented me with the challenge of learning and understanding its quirks and how to drive with or around them to get the most out of the platform.
The car is involving, approachable, exploitable but also flexible with everyday usability baked into the Fiesta dough that the ST rises from. Unlike some hot hatches that I’ve driven, it’s impossible to forget that I am in “the fast one” owing to the chassis and drivetrain always asking me to make the most of what they have to offer.
At the beginning of the review, I asked whether the new car market is missing out by no longer having this car available. That answer is a simple yes, but I refuse to claim that a certain model is “gone forever” as soon as the last one has been built. After all, I’ve just driven one, and it will be available on the used car market for years to come. Cars do not cease to exist the moment that they end production; the Audi TT hasn’t really “gone extinct” has it? The Hyundai i30 N isn’t “dead” either – I saw two of them during my drive, but that is a story for another opinion column.
Lastly, I wondered if the development team had read the recipe for a small hot hatch, and aimed squarely at each key attribute when developing the Mk8 Fiesta ST. Did they? A 150-mile test yields another one-word answer: absolutely.
Attaining the Performance; Mk8 Fiesta ST model history
In its five years on sale, the Mk8 Fiesta ST was offered in multiple trim levels and a handful of special editions. The car launched with three versions: ST-1, ST-2, and ST-3, with the higher numbers meaning greater standard equipment. Attractive lease deals meant most buyers looked past the three-door only entry-level variant, and as such less than 60 were registered in the UK, making the Mk8 Fiesta ST-1 twice as rare as the Renault Clio V6. As such, the ST-2 and ST-3 make up the majority of the classifieds.
Standard specification included 17” grey alloy wheels, Recaro fabric bucket seats, automatic headlights, keyless start, cruise control, and a 6.5” infotainment screen. ST-2 gained the option of five doors, along with bicolour 17” wheels, heated front seats with blue detailing, privacy glass, an 8” infotainment display, and a central armrest with illuminated cupholders. The ST-3 has 18” wheels of the same Y-spoke design but a machined finish, lumbar support for the leather Recaro seats, a heated steering wheel, electric rear windows for the 5-door variant, red brake callipers, keyless entry, and more. The Performance Package was a common option on all variants, adding the LSD, launch control, and a shift light. A quirk of the specification saw the mid-level ST-2 gain the excellent Bang & Olufsen sound system as standard, while this was optional on the top-tier ST-3.
The first special variant was the Performance Edition, limited to 600 examples. Based on the ST-3, the Performance Edition added the Performance Package, lightened 18” alloys, and adjustable coil-over suspension. This dropped the ride height by 15mm at the front, and 10mm at the rear, and could be adjusted through 12 stages for compression, and 16 stages for rebound. LED headlights and the B&O sound system came as standard, along with bright orange paint.
The next ST special edition was the imaginatively named ST Edition. This variant was another limited-run model, with 500 made for Europe, of which 300 were allocated to the UK. Like the Performance Edition, the Edition edition gained the adjustable coil-overs, lightweight wheels, and all were finished in Azura Blue. High-gloss black coloured the bumper inserts, wing mirror caps, diffuser, wheels, spoiler, and the roof panel. Inside, the Ford Fiesta ST Edition edition gained carbon-look trim, and a steering wheel button to engage the Sport driving mode.
Mountune offered an upgrade package called the m235 – not to be confused with the BMW of the same name – but unlike previous versions, this was not officially blessed by Ford so would’ve voided the manufacturer’s warranty. The m235 kit included a new airbox, air filter, and recalibrated engine software, raising the output to 232bhp and 258lb-ft (350Nm), putting it on par with a Mini JCW of a similar vintage. If you’re interested in increasing the performance of your Fiesta ST, it’s hard to argue against the offerings from Mountune.
Unveiled in late 2021, the Mk8 Fiesta facelift brought an enlarged grille that contained the blue oval badge. Dark grey detailing remained, but all STs gained LED lights as standard, new wheel designs, and a lightly updated interior. Gone were the Recaro bucket seats, replaced by Ford’s own two-piece design with less restrictive side bolstering, and greater adjustability. The debate as to which seat is better continues to divide owners. A customisable 12.3” digital drivers’ display replaced the physical dials of the pre-facelift version, and the Sport mode shortcut became a permanent fixture on the steering wheel.
Power remained consistent at 197bhp, but torque rose up to 236lb-ft (320Nm). Despite the torque increase, the 0-62mph time of 6.5-seconds, and top speed of 144mph remained unchanged. While it’s commonly reported that the facelifted Fiesta ST was available exclusively as a five-door ST-3, this isn’t the case; the three-door body style was available for both the ST-2 and ST-3 variants in 2022. This changed by late 2022 when the ST became a top-trim five-door model only.
Mk8 Fiesta ST Buying Guide
Among your pre-purchase checks, make sure to ask for details of service history, and recalls being completed. Some early STs suffered from oil leaks from the cam cover, so don’t be afraid to remove the engine cover to take a closer look; a few cars had their engines replaced under warranty. Unlike the 1.0-litre variants elsewhere in the Fiesta range, the ST’s 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine uses a timing chain rather than a belt, so this is unlikely to need replacing regularly.
While the exposed intercooler looks fantastic, it’s reported to be more fragile than a frozen flower, and can be deformed by jetwashing, or coming into contact with a large insect. Ensure that the exposed components haven’t turned into solid sheets before purchasing, or factor a replacement item into your maintenance budget.
Some STs suffered from porous door and window seals, so remove the mats to check for moisture in the footwells, and look closely for any evidence of water ingress on the door trims. Don’t be surprised to see signs of wear on the Recaro bucket seats – even on lower mileage examples. You may also hear some rattling trim around the pillars and the dashboard, but this is a well known characteristic of the Mk8 Fiesta.
Don’t be scared of high mileage cars as long as they’ve been serviced on time, every time. A one-owner example with full main dealer history is the ideal option, but with plenty of cars being sold on 36-48 month PCPs, don’t be surprised if you’re becoming the third or fourth owner of a car that’s less than a decade old. Services are due every 12 months or 12,500 miles, whichever comes first. The oldest STs on the market should have at least six service stamps in the book by now, with more if the odometer reads a higher number.
The Performance Package was such a popular option that it became standard on the ST-3 following the facelift, and it’s mentioned in the attention grabber of most online adverts if equipped. A rarer option to look out for is the glass sunroof which adds some extra natural light into the rather dark cabin.
Prices start around £9,000 for ST-2 and ST-3 models with close to 100,000 miles on the clock. At the time of writing, only three ST-1s are available, with low mileage and prices of £11,500-£13,500. The higher spec ST-3s hold their value a little better than the mid-tier model, and facelifts start from £16,000. The last STs to be registered are currently commanding prices north of £20,000. The coil-over-equipped Performance Edition and ST Edition edition range from £16,000 to £19,500, and look to be holding their value irrespective of mileage.
The Owner’s Perspective
Owner Sam is the custodian of this particular Performance Blue example, and is no stranger to the small hot hatch class, having previously owned an Abarth 595. Craving greater usability with a similar level of performance, he tried the Suzuki Swift Sport, and Mini Cooper S before choosing the fast Ford.
What made you choose this particular Fiesta ST?
“I wanted a car that I could enjoy but was still comfortable, and practical enough to use every day, and the third generation of Fiesta ST grabbed my attention. It brings together performance and affordability in a stylish, yet understated package.”
What do you like about it?
“I could write a list as long as my arm but I’ll single out what I feel is the crowning achievement of Ford’s engineers: the exquisite suspension and damping. Since I’m able to press on with confidence without having my spine broken from the most minor road cavity, I feel as though they have found the ‘goldilocks zone’ here.”
What do you dislike about it?
“This is like asking you to find fault in your favourite child! However, two things stand out. It would’ve been nice to have the digital dash of the facelift, and the Performance Blue paint can look a bit flat when dirty. Other than that, I dislike the fact that Ford has now given the space used to manufacture these in its Cologne plant to the new electric Explorer, so it’s bye bye Fiesta in all guises – a sign of the times.”
If you were to make any tweaks or modifications, what would they be?
“I thought about remapping, but with the car being easily fast enough I didn’t bother. If I absolutely had to, Mountune’s M235 upgrade springs to mind as one of the best options out there. I have changed the mismatched rubber to a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 tyres, and the result has been transformative.”
Do you miss anything about the Abarth 595 that your Fiesta ST replaced?
“The Abarth had undeniable character and I met a great little community of people through the brand. Unfortunately though, its quirks – particularly the seating position, and its hilariously hard suspension – proved a little much for daily use!”
Attainable Performance: Verdict
Some time has passed since my time in the Fiesta ST, but it’s stuck with me, and the mark of a great car is that it keeps one thinking about it. To call the driving experience a pleasant surprise would be an understatement, but I’m glad to know that the hype surrounding the car is warranted. It’s fast, sure-footed, capable, communicative, and a joy to thread along the finest B-roads that the British Isles have to offer.
It can be a Fiesta ST, and it can be a Fiesta, able to complete the dull daily drives with as much competence as the weekend blasts. I try to go into each review with no expectations, but the Fiesta ST impressed me a lot more than I thought it would. In my opinion, if you’re in the market for a small hot hatch, there are three that you should consider: the Hyundai i20 N, the Mk8 Ford Fiesta ST, and the subject for the next part of the Attainable Performance series…
Author
Ken Pearson
Deputy Editor
Photography by:
Matt Haworth
Published on:
28 March 2025
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Attainable Performance Part One: Driving the 2000 Ford Fiesta Zetec-S
Small, petrol-powered, lightweight, manual, what’s not to like? Ken Pearson detoxes from months of automatic diesels and electric SUVs for the first part of our new series showcasing performance cars that don’t cost a fortune.
Until the beginning of February 2024, there were two things that I knew about the fourth-generation Ford Fiesta. Namely, they used to be a common sight on British roads, and now they are a rare sight. This Fiesta was absolutely everywhere from the late 90s into the early 2000s when I first started to pay attention to what I was seeing from the rear window of a Renault Clio and for every three that went past without attracting any attention to it, one would appear with a noticeably louder exhaust. Of course, lots of these were standard models with aftermarket exhausts but some of these were a little more special from the factory. Some of them were called the Zetec-S.
This model came out following the 1999 facelift which updated the styling; adding new lights, bumpers, grilles and engines to the mix. My young mind always thought of the facelift as looking happier than the earlier model…anyway, in recent years, the Zetec and Zetec S names became trim levels but they used to refer to the type of engine installed under the bonnet. The Ford Sigma engine was available in 1.25, 1.4, 1.6 and 1.7-litre displacements. The Zetec-S model was the top-of-the-range Fiesta which had its own bespoke body kit complete with a tailgate-mounted spoiler, 15″ multi-spoke wheels and uprated brakes. The suspension received stiffer anti-roll bars and the 1.6-litre engine sent 101 bhp to the road through the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.
Unsurprisingly, the model quickly gained a cult following and the aftermarket tuning potential of the car was realised. The car could take extensive modifications with some opting for big power and bolder looks whilst others chose the more understated route to improving their Fiestas. One such person who went for the second option is my friend Mark who bought his 2000 Fiesta Zetec-S as his lockdown-prompted first foray into modifiable cars. This wasn’t a non-running project car but a working toy that could be tweaked to suit his tastes. Visually, the only obvious change is the lack of fog lights in the lower bumper, but having had my retinas burnt by too many fog lights reflecting off the canals which used to be called Hertfordshire’s road network, I fully support that choice.
Look a little closer and you will spot a wider-bore exhaust tip which is connected to a custom cat-back exhaust which fills the locality with the sounds coming from the 1.7 litre engine under the bonnet. The biggest change, one done by the car’s previous owner, was to swap out the 1.6-litre engine for the larger unit from the Fiesta’s two-door cousin, the Puma. In the coupé, it was available in two states of tune with either 123 or 153 horsepower and 116 or 119 lb-ft (157/162 nm) on tap respectively. The higher-powered option is the star of the show in the Racing Puma, but the lower-powered one is what has been swapped into Mark’s model.
It has also had a cone air intake added to it and combined with the exhaust, is thought to be putting out around 130 horsepower. In the context of modern cars – not even the juiced-up models – that’s not a great deal of power, but at this point I must point out that the car weighs a smidge over 1,000 kg with me inside. Small cars with big engines are always a recipe for fun in my book and with a power-to-weight ratio of around 130 bhp per tonne, the Fiesta looks set to entertain.
But the first part of getting to drive a car is getting into it and opening the driver’s door opens a time portal to the previous century. Those of us who have driven or grown up in the late 90s and early 2000s cars with non-leather interiors will still be able to smell the grey-beige plastics and the hardest-wearing fabric known to mankind just by thinking of them. The seats are like padded thrones compared to the slimline two-piece seats which are found in nearly every mainstream model today.
The benefit is that the seat is supremely comfortable and not once during my time driving the car did I get the faintest hint of numb bum. The downside is that the seating position is quite high – much higher than I prefer, but the seat was already in its lowest position so I’d have to make do. Visibility is good thanks to big windows and slim pillars but the bonnet is totally obscured by the windscreen wipers. Three dials make up the heating panel and a handful of buttons occupy the space below the digital clock. The cabin absolutely looks like it is of a certain era and that era is a far cry from the full-width digital displays that are grabbing more attention than the styling of some new cars. It has aged, yes, but it still looks interesting – I love the asymmetric layout of the dashboard with the instrument cluster and steering wheel extending out towards the driver, yet for the passenger side the dashboard recedes towards the front bulkhead to allow for more space.
Ahead of me is a thin-rimmed OMP steering wheel with only one button to activate the kazoo-sounding horn and nothing else. It has been a long time since I drove something where the steering wheel was simply put there to steer the car and even longer since encountering manually adjustable door mirrors. This car has none of the equipment that I would deem essential for an everyday car – be that creature comforts like cruise control, ventilated seats and parking sensors, or safety and assistance features like electronic stability control and side airbags, but I refuse to write a review that focuses on something that a car isn’t or doesn’t have, so it is only right to appreciate the car for what and how it is.
So what is it like? Well, firstly it is loud. The engine announces its activation with the suddenness and volume of a brass gong being struck by a basketball. After a few seconds of fast idling, the revs settle down, I find the biting point on the clutch, double-check that I am starting in first rather than in third and we are away.
The roads are mildly moist following the previous day’s monsoon and the Toyo Proxes T1R tyres need time to warm up so I am more than fine with taking things easy for a few minutes in a car which is totally alien to me; personally, I prefer to have a first drive with damp roads as it gives me a better idea of where the limits of grip are and how the car will respond when reaching them. A few minutes and miles pass and the thing at the forefront of my mind is not how boom-y the exhaust is when it isn’t popping on overrun, but how smooth and sorted the ride is. The car is in touch with the road surface, yes, but the damping gives it absolutely fabulous body control with minimal roll and a planted feel as we make progress.
I notice that whilst the rev counter goes up to 7,000 rpm, there is no red line to indicate how far I can make that needle go. So there is only one way to find out; pressing the firm-feeling metal clutch pedal to the floor, finding second gear and planting the accelerator in the carpet which brings a healthy pull of torque. The revs climb past 4,000, 5,000, 5,500, 6,300 where it feels like the power has peaked, up to 6,700 revs where the engine has switched its loud shout for a wild banshee scream and a gentle bump as the fuel cut-off is reached.
The gearing is short enough to allow for brisk acceleration yet long enough to enjoy a range of tones and notes from that wide-bore trombone exhaust from tick over to the rev limiter. Following months of hushed mild hybrid petrols, low-revving diesels and near-silent electric motors, it is a sound to behold and one to repeat again and again.
The noise isn’t the only refreshing aspect of this car as the great body control I mentioned earlier feeds into the direct response from the steering. The now warm tyres instantly act on what I ask from the heavy-feeling power steering and owing to the car’s short wheelbase and relatively wide track, the car feels like it can change direction like a startled newt through a series of cambered S-bends.
Maintaining speed is easy as the car confidently grips the road surface and doesn’t feel like sending its nose wide in tighter corners. Attempting to exit some of the finest roundabouts that The Fens have to offer quickly in first or second gear does spin the front wheels and make me think that the car could have benefited from some sort of traction control, or that I should try to control the traction a little bit more with a gentler throttle application by using third gear and leaning on the impressive low-down torque of the naturally aspirated engine.
The brakes – discs on the front and drums at the rear – never feel like they could stop a Boeing 747 on a £5 note, or even a runway for that matter, so I treat the car like an EV in the sense that I lift and coast towards bends, downshift and let the engine braking start to slow me down, before gently trail braking as I turn in and quickly get back on the power to head along to the next twisty section. If I was set to put my own twist on this particular Fiesta, I would start by putting discs all around.
That said, it became very easy to confidently flow along my indirect route across East Anglia with the car only sometimes reminding me to brake a bit more, turn in slightly smoother and change down a gear a little later; when I slightly overstep the mark, the car is very forgiving and doesn’t lose its composure, in spite of having no driver aids. It is very communicative through the chassis, springs, steering and all three pedals. Trust in a car is an important thing to have when finding out how it can perform, and I truly trust this Fiesta.
The one thing that holds me back from setting a new cross-country record from county edges is other traffic. A strong power-to-weight ratio is one thing but outright power levels are another; the Fiesta is certainly louder than it is fast so unless there’s about half a mile of straight road ahead and nothing oncoming, I didn’t feel confident that I could make a pass quickly enough. So when I did catch Saturday lunchtime traffic which slows to a crawl for anything other than the gentlest of curves yet speeds through villages, I would slow down, stop and wait for 30 seconds, give myself a buffer of clear road and enjoy some space to myself.
A few full stops allowed me to get a better feel for the metal-topped gearstick and the H-pattern shifting that I’ve not done for a few months. The throw from first to second and third to fourth is relatively long but moving from side to side, the gears sit quite close together. Mark’s parting words of “reverse is below fifth so don’t put it in sixth!” are still front and centre of my mind every time I go to change gears; the shifter requires a firm pull or push into each slot but it never leaves any doubt that a cog has been selected, and not once do I hear the unmistakable sound of grinding a gear until finding it. With my car and every new car at the office being an automatic, operating a third pedal and manual gearbox is a refreshing change and a nice additional level of driver engagement for me to savour. My preference is still for an automatic with paddles for everyday use but in a car like this, it just feels right.
The car which is the antithesis of everything else I’ve driven this year has proven to be one of the most rewarding and fun things I’ve had the keys to since the smart roadster BRABUS that I drove and became obsessed with in 2022. You may find it quite bizarre that this Fiesta feels to me like a mixture of classic Rover Minis and early BMW Minis but remember, this is only the fourth Fiesta that I have ever driven, with two being 1.6 litre diesels and one 7th generation ST that came in as part-exchanges at the office. For the loud engine and exhaust, heavy steering and assured body control to remind me of my favourite hatches is only a good thing in my book.
As the saying goes, all roads lead back to Mark’s house and I start to think about the time I’ve just had burning fuel and tromboning around the county and it strikes me that I’ve had an absolute whale of a time without getting near licence-losing speeds. The noise, smells, steering and punchy performance could all be enjoyed at speeds that could be maintained without aggravating oncoming traffic or getting the 45 mph everywhere brigade to switch on the strobe function of their headlights and post their dashcam footage of a safe and legal overtake to the internet – complete with an F, C and W-word filled commentary.
Speed is great but accelerating towards corners and maintaining as much of it as possible through bends is what switches me on to a car. The Fiesta did that with ease, providing brilliant handling and body control with a torquey yet revvy engine that rewarded me for using every single rev it had at its disposal with a truly addictive range of notes from its exhaust. As I write this, I am still smiling and my ears are still ringing and that will be the case for a while. The Ford Fiesta Zetec-S is an old-school mix of power delivery and driving dynamics, but that doesn’t make the driving experience outdated. Not one bit.
Good: lightweight, surprisingly torquey engine, sharp handling, brilliant body control, communicative and forgiving nature, exceptional noise.
Bad: semi-effective brakes, higher than desired driving position, hearing loss, overtaking performance (or lack thereof), don’t watch the crash test footage.
Epilogue: Attainable Performance
The idea of this series is to showcase the cars that can deliver stand-out drives without breaking the bank. Whether you, dear reader, are a younger enthusiast or someone with a fleet of high-performance machinery at your disposal, there is a lot of fun to be had with go-faster versions of everyday hatches, or some models that have slipped under the radar in recent years. We’ll cover them all and let you decide which one to add to your driveway next.
The MK4 Ford Fiesta Zetec-S was only on sale from 1999 to 2001 and it is impossible to determine how many are left on the road by any other yardstick than seeing one. They seem to be just as rare on listing pages too, with the only live ad being for a two-owner, 39,000-mile silver example from 2001. As the car is reserved at the time of writing, the asking price has disappeared. A 2022 PistonHeads article showcased a red model from 2000 with 90,000 miles being sold for £2,490. First-year insurance for our featured blue model with modifications declared cost a then 21-year-old owner £1,700 for the year.
As with any passion car purchase, do your checks – whether that’s MOT history and checking for any outstanding recalls or looking under the body itself to see if there is any excessive rusting or corrosion. The inner sills can decay so ensure that they aren’t falling apart. Whilst the suspension on my test car felt solid, the rear dampers and bushes are said to wear relatively quickly. Make sure that the car comes with a detailed service history including records for cambelt and water pump changes taking place. If the car has been modified, ensure that these have been completed and fitted well, declared to the insurers and registered with the DVLA; the 1.7 litre Puma engine swap is not unique to our test car so check when you search for a particular model that it comes up with 1,679 cc as opposed to 1,596.
Ford Fiesta Zetec S – The owner’s perspective
I asked Mark a few questions to get his thoughts about his Fiesta.
Why did you choose this Fiesta?
“I’d done a fair amount of driving in the MK4 fiesta whilst learning to drive so the familiarity was there, but this time I wanted the performance version.”
What do you like about it?
“I love the simplicity; the naturally aspirated engine, the manual gearbox and little electronic assistance make for a whole heap of fun on B-roads. The added power from the 1.7 litre engine and sound from the exhaust just exacerbates the experience whilst climbing through the rev range and makes each gear change all the more satisfying – especially if you can rev-match perfectly. For me, it’s a go-kart for the road which is what every hot hatch should be – plus it looks awesome!”
What do you dislike about it?
“With it being a 24-year-old Ford I do feel as if it might break down every time I take it out! The standard brakes are not brilliant, and the noise on a dual carriageway is hard to ignore as 70mph means 3,500 rpm.”
If you had an unlimited budget for modifications, what would you do?
“I’d make it a track car and put the 1.6 litre EcoBoost from the mark 7 ST180 in it and tune that up to 300bhp. Racing discs would go all round and I’d strip the interior out to bring the weight down further.”
Decide for yourself whether you want a working project or a usable toy but with this model and the driving experience it delivers becoming an ever rarer in our modern world, the MK 4 Fiesta Zetec-S is surely a modern classic to consider for entertaining, usable, attainable performance.
Author
Ken Pearson
Deputy Editor
Photography by:
Matt Haworth
Published on:
1 March 2024
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