HERE’S a treat for a company car driver looking for a hot hatch.
Ford’s latest Fiesta ST is on sale at £16,995, or for another £1000 there’s a specced up version, the ST2. Ford says it’s “the most accessible new hot hatch on the UK market”.
All Fiesta STs are powered by the same 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, with an impressive 182 PS and 290 Nm of torque. Boy racers will be especially pleased that Ford has squeezed a sub-seven-second 0-62 mph acceleration time (6.9 seconds), conferring important bragging rights on ST owners.
Company car drivers will be just as interested in the impressive fuel economy and emissions figures for a car that that provides so much go: 47.9 mpg and 138g/km. Company car tax rate is 19% for 2013/14 so a 20% tax payer will pay about £54 a month.
Ford is promising decent handling thanks to features such as enhanced Torque Vectoring Control (eTVC) and a ride height that is 15mm lower than that of the standard Fiesta.
All ST models get trim changes such as a black honeycomb trapezoidal front grille, a big rear spoiler with twin air vents and twin exhaust. There are also 17-inch alloys, halogen projector headlamps, special fog lamps, a DAB digital radio, SYNC connectivity, an alarm, Recaro seats and air conditioning.
Buyers who really want to stand out from the crowd can opt for vivid paint colours such as Molten Orange and Spirit Blue, as well as red brake calipers and grey alloy wheels.
Upgrade to the ST2 and you’ll add a part-leather interior, heated seats, a Sony DAB radio, Ford keyless start, privacy glass and LED daytime running lights.
