Summary
The Ford Fiesta ST is the performance version of the regular Fiesta hatchback. This iteration of the ST was based on the sixth-generation Fiesta, first arriving in the UK in 2013 and produced until the overall Fiesta range was replaced in 2017.
The Fiesta ST was only available in a three-door body style at launch, but a five-door version joined the range in 2016, alongside a more powerful ST200 model. After five years on sale, this ST iteration was removed from sale in 2017, before being replaced by the current Fiesta ST in 2018.
As far as British reviewers are concerned, this version of the Fiesta ST was one of the greatest hot hatch models ever made. “Every so often, a hot hatchback comes along that simply grabs the market by the lapels”, the What Car? team explained. “This masterpiece is simply up there with the lairiest and most outlandishly fun machines money can buy.”
Carbuyer said it was “as practical and affordable as it is fast and fun to drive”, while Parker‘s Richard Aucock commented that the hot hatch was “superb to drive, with brilliant handling and a fantastic 182hp 1.6-litre turbo engine delivering exceptional performance.”
“The cabin might be a little too fussy in its details for some”, noted Evo, “but the aggressive exterior styling hits all the right notes for a small hot hatch.”
No longer in production, the sixth-generation Ford Fiesta ST holds an exceptional Expert Rating of 90%, based on 13 reviews published by the British motoring media.
Fiesta highlights
- Serious fun to drive
- Value-for-money performance car
- Economical with high resale values
- Attractive subtly sporty styling
Fiesta lowlights
- Rivals offered a higher interior quality
- Rather firm ride comfort
- Entry-level version felt underpowered
- Other hot hatches came with better infotainment
Key specifications
Body style: Three- and five-door hatch
Engines: petrol
Price when new: From £18,015 on-road
Launched: Summer 2013
Last updated: Autumn 2016
Replaced: Summer 2018
Image gallery
Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.8 / 10
“The Ford Fiesta ST looks the part, it’s fantastic fun to drive and it’s available for a bargain pricetag. That’s pretty much everything you could ask from a good hot hatch. Simply brilliant.” (Ivan Aistrop)
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Model reviewed:
Score: 9 / 10
“The UK’s most popular hatchback gets the hot ‘ST’ treatment, and is all the better for it. Little else can match it for the money.” (Matt Prior)
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Model reviewed: ST2
Score: 8 / 10
“The latest Ford Fiesta ST is built for speed, not comfort, and its suspension is stiff enough to purse the lips of a disapproving aunt, which may be exactly what you want.”
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 10 / 10
“The Ford Fiesta ST has become renowned as one the best hot hatchbacks ever. It ticks all the boxes, being as practical and affordable as it is fast and fun to drive.”
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Model reviewed:
Score: 9 / 10
“The Ford Fiesta ST wasn’t just the best car in its class when new, it also ranks among the very best small hot hatches of all time in our book. Combining the standard Fiesta’s sparkling chassis with a lively, brawny turbocharged EcoBoost engine and slick manual gearshift. The cabin might be a little too fussy in its details for some, but the aggressive exterior styling hits all the right notes for a small hot hatch.”
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 10 / 10
“The Ford Fiesta ST is the class leader in the small hot hatch market, due to its impressive performance and unparalleled flexibility. It’s cheaper, more useable and better rounded than all of its rivals, while its improved economy means it isn’t too expensive to run on a daily basis.”
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Model reviewed: 1.6-litre petrol manual ST3
“It’s a sign of how good the Ford Fiesta ST is that, as the model evolves, Ford is having to make it more expensive, not cheaper. That’s how superb it is to drive; how strong its engine is, how sublime its handling is.” (Richard Aucock)
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Ford Fiesta ST Mk7 is a hot hatch great. It’s superb to drive, with brilliant handling and a fantastic 182hp 1.6-litre turbo engine delivering exceptional performance – 0-62mph takes just 6.9 seconds. You even get 15 seconds of ‘overboost’, which takes power up to almost 200hp, to help with overtaking. Be in no doubt, it’s a potent hot hatch indeed.” (Richard Aucock)
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Model reviewed:
Score: 10 / 10
“The best way I can define it is to say that the Ford Fiesta ST feels like a throwback to another, simpler and more entertaining age. Of course, back then the price paid for such amusement was that cars tended to fold up around you like Swiss Army knives when it went wrong, while the Fiesta is safe, strong and, unless you deliberately remove its safety nets, about as likely to spin as a Jimmy Anderson yorker.” (Andrew Frankel)
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Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“The Ford Fiesta is full of juicy speed and joie de vivre.” (Jeremy Clarkson)
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Model reviewed: ST200
“The Ford Fiesta ST is 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.” (Ollie Kew)
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Model reviewed: 1.6-litre petrol manual three-door ST
“You can go nuts in the Ford Fiesta ST and it just… clings. Way past the point where other hot hatches have fallen off a metaphorical cliff.”
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 10 / 10
“Every so often, a hot hatchback comes along that simply grabs the market by the lapels. The Ford Fiesta ST one of them. Fast Fords have always enjoyed success in this field, but this masterpiece is simply up there with the lairiest and most outlandishly fun machines money can buy.”
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Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Adult protection: 91%
Child protection: 86%
Vulnerable road users: 65%
Safety assist: 71%
The sixth-generation Ford Fiesta was crash tested by safety body Euro NCAP back in 2012 – a rating that also stood for the performance-enhanced ST model. However, this rating expired in January 2019 as the Fiesta no longer met the requirements for a five-star car. This is normal practice, as Euro NCAP reviews its ratings on most cars annually with most ratings expiring after about six or seven years.
However, if you are comparing a used Ford Fiesta ST to other vehicles of similar age, whose ratings will have probably also expired, its safety rating score is still useful.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
The sixth-generation Ford Fiesta never has its emissions tested by Green NCAP. The emissions testing programme began in 2018, after this iteration of the Fiesta was removed from production.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
Total claims: 259
Average repair cost: £759.49
Last updated: May 2023
All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims
The overall Ford Fiesta family has a reliability score of 53% as of May 2023, which is barely above average. This applies to all Fiesta models in MotorEasy’s database, including older model generations and all powertrain versions from entry-level diesels to the top-spec ST.
The most common Fiesta warranty claims relate to suspension issues, but these are relatively inexpensive to fix on average, costing less than £200. Gearbox repairs are generally the most expensive claim by a considerable margin, with an average repair bill of about £1,600, but fortunately these are relatively rare.
The average repair cost for Ford Fiesta warranty claims is just under £600, which is quite a bit more than the cost of a used car warranty, so it’s certainly worth considering. If you’re looking at a used Fiesta, make sure any extended warranty cover you purchase covers all of these potential problem areas.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Ford Fiesta has received.
2022
- Parkers Awards – Used Car of the Year
2016
- BusinessCar Awards – Best Mainstream Supermini
2015
- Am Awards – Used Car of the Year
- BusinessCar Awards – Best Mainstream Supermini
2014
- Auto Express Awards – Best Supermini
- The Telegraph Motoring Awards – Car of the Year
- What Car? Awards – Used Car of the Year
2013
- Auto Express Awards – Best Supermini
- Women’s Car of the Year
2009
- Auto Express Awards – Car of the Year
- Red Dot Design Award
- What Car? Awards – Car of the Year + Best Supermini
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If you’re looking at the Ford Fiesta, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
Ford Puma ST | Hyundai i20 N | Mini Cooper S | Mini hatch John Cooper Works | Suzuki Swift Sport | Toyota GR Yaris | Volkswagen Polo GTI | Volkswagen Up GTI
More information
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