With Ford's recent announcement that it will release a special Fiesta ST - the ST200 - I decided to look back on what has been one of the country's best selling hatchback. Ford really do put the super in supermini and it turns 40 this so Ford must be doing something right, eh?
The Mk1 Fiesta was first developed in 1972 after the launch of its rivals, the Fiat 127 and the Renault 5. It was approved for production in late 1973 with Ford predicting 500,000 a year being produced. The car went on sale in 1976 but did not hit the UK until 1977, much to the annoyance of UK dealerships. Originally it came with either a 1.0 litre or 1.1 litre engine before the 1.3 Kent Crossflow engine was introduced in 1980 which sat in the Supersport. This sportier model allowed Ford to test the water before launching the XR2 which had the 1.6 variant of the same engine.
The XR2 came out in 1981, the decade where hot hatches were all the rage and soon became popular with boy racers. Its 1.6 engine gave a top speed of 105 mph and a 0-60 time of 9.3 seconds. Not fast by today's standards but remember, this was 1981.
The Mk2 appeared in 1983 with an updated front end and interior. This was also the first generation of Fiesta to feature a diesel engine which was 1.6 litres and taken from its bigger brother, the Ford Escort. A new XR2 came along too, with 96 bhp and a larger bodykit. Although the standard car had 96 bhp it was not uncommon to find modified versions that threw out more power in a bid to win the hot hatch bragging rights. In 1987 Ford were able to shift over 150,000 which made it the second best-selling car in UK, beaten to the top by the Escort.
1989 saw the introduction of the Mk3 which hit the market after being unveiled at the end of 1988. For the first time buyers were able to get the popular hatchback in a 5 door form and the diesel engine was uprated to 1.8 litres. As always, a hotter version was available in the form of the XR2i which was also launched in 1989. It produced 102 bhp but was replaced by the Si model in 1994 as insurance premiums started to kill off the hot hatchback.
The Fiesta went from strength to strength as its Mk4 became Britain's best-selling car from 1996 to 1998 after its release in 1995. This model was made in partnership with Mazda - sold the model as the 121 - but did not arrive in the UK until 1999. Despite the 121 selling in much lower numbers it was deemed more reliable in the JD Power survey. There was no sporty model although Ford's sporty coupe, the Puma was related to the Fiesta and featured a 1.7 VCT engine.
The Fiesta got a facelift in 1999 making it the Mk5 and for the first time we saw the Zetec S which was fitted with a 1.6 litre Sigma engine which was also available in the Ghia and Freestyle trims. The Zetec S was the highest model offering 101 bhp, stiffer anti-roll bars and uprated brakes taken from the Puma. From a sales perspective it continued to be a hit with British public, becoming the best selling supermini in 2001.
The introduction of the Mk6 came in 2002 and was the first model to include ABS and passenger airbags as standard. This was also the first Fiesta to be sold in Asia and Australasia as it's popularity continued to grow. The Zetec S remained but if that wasn't enough Ford had the ST which had a 2.0 litre engine offering 150 bhp. This translated to a top speed of 129 mph and 0-60 of 7.9 seconds. On top of this you got bodykit with more bulges than the standard Fiesta and racing stripes that added 10 bhp (probably) that made it stand out from the regular car.
But if that wasn't enough then you could have opted for the Mountune Performance upgrades that Ford made available in 2008 who offered two packages. Stage 1 cost £1435 and upgraded the car to 163 or you could go for the hairy chested Stage 2 which gave a whopping 183 bhp. Ford also released 500 limited edition models called the ST500 which featured 17 in black alloy wheel, red brake calipers and carbon fibre interior trim. Customers also got a Sony audio system and leather heated seats in the cabin, lovely!
The Mk7 got a great reception when it came out in 2008, winning WhatCar? Car of the Year and featured in the entertaining - albeit absurd - road test on Top Gear. Ford also brought in its award-winning Ecoboost engine into this model which isa small turbocharged engine which produced the same power as a larger enhine whilst improving fuel efficieny and CO2 emissions. After what seemed an eternity we got the second ST which has received rave reviews and won a collection of awards since its release in 2013 beating off competition from the Renaultsport Clio and Peugeot 208 GTi
The current ST has the 1.6 Ecoboost engine which offers 180 bhp and 240 Nm of torque. This means a top speed of 136 mph and a 0-60 of 6.9 seconds. The ST does however feature overboost which gives it 197 bhp for a maximum of 15 seconds. Still not enough?
The Mountune package offers a performance package which gives the car 212 bhp and 0-60 of 6.4 seconds. It costs £599 and doesn't even void the warranty, happy days! Other features of the ST are 17 inch alloys, sound symposer (for more engine roar!), Recaro seats and bold styling. You can upgrade to get features such as LED running lights, tinted windows, Ford KeyFree System and much more!
With the ST200 on it's way it looks the Fiesta can only get better. The ST200 will come in limited numbers in the summer and is expected to cost £22,000.
