It was a sad day when the Ford Fiesta ST was discontinued in the US. Now, the only ST model you can buy in America is the Edge ST crossover, but it pales in comparison. In Europe, the Fiesta ST lives on and now Ford has launched a new special edition to capitalize on its popularity. Limited to 500 units in Europe, 300 of which will be sold in the UK, the new Fiesta ST Edition gains a new suspension setup and unique styling enhancements that set it apart from the regular Fiesta ST.
Available in a three-door body style, the Fiesta ST Edition is finished in an eye-catching Azura Blue finish that was previously only available as part of Ford's Special Vehicle Options range.
Contrasting high gloss black accents have been applied to the upper grille, fog light surrounds, rear diffuser, roof, rear spoiler, alloy wheels, and door mirrors. In addition, the lower grille and turbocharger air charge cooler are finished in matte black for a stealthier look, while the exterior ST badges feature a unique black enamel surround.
Inside, the instrument cluster surround and decorative elements of the dashboard have a carbon-fiber-effect finish, while the flat-bottomed steering wheel, gear knob, and handbrake are finished in leather with distinctive blue stitching. This has also been applied to the door trims, ST-branded floor mats, seatbelts and ST-branded Recaro heated sports seats with adjustable lumbar support.
To make the hot hatch even more fun to drive, Ford has fitted a two-way adjustable coilover suspension system that reduces the ride height by 0.5 inches at the front and 0.3 inches at the rear. New 18-inch alloy wheels reduce the car's weight by around 4.4 pounds, while a limited-slip differential improves the front-end traction and cornering ability.
Under the hood is a 1.5-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine producing 197 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. This setup enables the Fiesta ST Edition to complete the 0-62 mph sprint in 6.5 seconds and top out at 143 mph.
"Our new Fiesta ST Edition squeezes even more excitement out of the best-handling compact hot-hatch on the road," said Stefan Muenzinger, Ford Performance manager for Europe. "The Edition model puts drivers firmly in control with the ability to manually adjust the feel of their car and fine-tune the handling to suit their personal preference."
Pricing for the Ford Fiesta ST Edition starts at £27,075 ($35,119) in the UK.