Review: the Ford Fiesta ST200 on British B-roads

You've driven the Ford Fiesta ST200 again?

Yes. Because a month after having first tried it out in France, Ford rather excitedly offered us one to drive in Britain. Which is to hot hatchbacks what Wimbledon is to tennis. Not the only place to play, but pretty much the only one that matters.

Why’s it on German plates, then?

No idea. But the car’s got the steering wheel and pedals on the correct side of the gear lever, and is UK spec.

Not that there’s much to spec on an ST200. You get all the ST-3 kit (reversing camera, climate control, nav, Bluetooth, heated seats, heated front and rear screens, heated Recaro seats) and the Storm Grey bodywork as standard.

But when a regular ST can be had brand new from well shy of £18k, the ST200 suddenly looks terribly expensive.

Why, how much is it?

It costs £22,745, which is a Peugeot 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport-sized pile of money. And that’s the most talented car Peugeot’s made in three decades.

Sure, Ford gives you exclusive diamond-cut-style wheels, a large-font plaque on the console and some token extra poke.

But besides exclusivity, the ST200 can’t really justify its £2,350 premium over the outstanding ST-3. Neither can its awkward and dated cabin hope to compete with what Peugeot, VW and Mini offer for nigh on twenty-three grand.

But you still love it, don’t you?

Yes, deeply and almost unconditionally. Quite simply, no hot hatch – few cars at all, in fact – are as playful as this. The root of the ST’s brilliance is how on its toes it feels, so every tiny adjustment you make is met with a lightning fast reaction from the chassis.

Bringing the rear into play isn’t an option for yobs, it’s actively encouraged by the car and super-friendly. The ST200 is permanently on your side.

Do you notice the extra power?

If I’m honest, no. To refresh you, Ford claims 212bhp and 236lb ft, matching the post-Mountune’d normal ST on overboost, channeled through a shorter final drive ratio to make it feel a bit zestier and chomp up through the gears.

Indeed, it does feel pleasingly short geared compared to a fair few other hatches, and slicing up and down the gate is a delight. The shift is slicker than slick. Just so, like all the control weights.

One thing to note – the ST200 torque-steered less than the last normal ST I drove, and lot less than I remember the ST Mountune doing. Perhaps Ford’s stiffer front anti-roll bars and tweaked suspension have dialled that out. If so, good work ladies and gents, but it still doesn’t feel quite like £2k’s worth of work.

Does that revised suspension still work on one of your typical (rubbish) British roads?

The ST200 remains on the stiff side of firm, setting it apart from the VW Polo GTI (adaptive dampers), the Renault Clio RS (rally-style hydraulic bump stops) and standard Peugeot 208 GTI (just a bit softer all round).

But locked in the aggressively bolstered Recaro bucket (still too high but wonderfully supportive), you’re so well held in the car your brain soon dials out the firmness and concentrates on the sheer joy of pratting around.

The ST200 loses out to the similarly pricey 208 GTI Peugeot Sport in ultimate body control (it can go floaty over crests where the Pug stays locked down and expertly damped), as well as in using its ESP to mimic a front diff where the Peugeot deploys a proper locker.

But the front axle has enough grip that you rarely notice that issue, or sympathetically drive around it. Turning in with a generous trail-brake is the best solution.

Sounds great.

It really, really is. The ST’s simply one of the best cars on sale right now, and has been for three years. And hey, plenty of people will want to celebrate that fact by having the most powerful, most rare, most grey version to truly advertise their Fiesta ST evangelism. So Ford still deserves to sell all 200 it is making.

Pictures: Simon Thompson