If you're looking for one hell of a bang for your performance buck, then perhaps look no further than the Ford Fiesta ST. For a starting price of just $21,000, you'll get a turbocharged 1.6-liter four banger good for 197 hp, 17-inch alloy wheels, an ST-tuned suspension, and, of course, a six-speed manual. The five-door pocket rocket is literally in a class all its own (in the US, at least). But is the Fiesta ST everything that it can be? With the recent unveiling of the Focus RS, many have wondered whether the Fiesta will also receive the RS treatment.

Ford isn't saying much on the subject, but we spoke to Ford Performance and engineering manager Tyrone Johnson at Geneva and asked him outright if a Fiesta RS is on the horizon. He's really good at deflecting questions like that one. With a simple smile and a sip of coffee, all Johnson said is that the Fiesta ST "Isn't the best it can be." Like any Ford Performance product, he added that "We want to do something that makes sense…(and) does it meet our objective." Both good points, indeed, but we got the feeling an even hotter Fiesta hasn't been ruled out. Or maybe it was just the coffee talking. It was really good coffee after all.