Top Gear Review: the Ford Fiesta ST200

[Fiesta ST News]

Tell me about "the most powerful production Fiesta ever"...

You're looking at it. The Fiesta ST200. The name reflects its power output in PS. It has 10 percent more power and 20 percent more torque than the regular ST.

But hang on, if you use high-octane fuel, the regular car has 10-second overboost, so doesn't it make 200-odd bhp for short periods anyway?

True, but this one also has more overboost, 15 seconds of it. That's 215PS (212bhp) and 236lb ft when it has its dander up. Try to imagine a circumstance when you have the throttle pinned for 15 uninterrupted seconds except on an autobahn. If you lift for so much as a gearshift, the clock starts again. So it's a 212bhp engine, end of.

But that's the same as the Mountune Fiesta ST that you guys ran as a long-term test car...

It is, but the ST200 has another trick. The final drive is shorter. That's equivalent to another six percent punch in each gear. Though you have to shift up sooner.

OK, I'll stop quibbling. It's the quickest Fiesta. So how does that feel?

[video=youtube;rEgUlswln-k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEgUlswln-k[/video]

Lively. Second gear is pretty hectic, and by 55mph you've hit the strict 6500 limiter and shifted to third. Now that's a useful gear, short enough to really punch this lightweight through a series of bends or an overtake. Even at low revs, lag isn't irksome.

Ford says acceleration to 62mph is 0.2 seconds quicker than the standard ST, at 6.7 seconds. That feels realistic.

Flooring the throttle at even fairly gentle speed is confirmed by a chesty roar. That's because noise from the induction (front) side of the engine is piped back to the bulkhead. It sounds a bit louder versus the ST because the ST200 engine is passing more air.

It's worth saying that the extra power isn't just from a chip change. There's an extra intake pipe from the front grille to the filter, so it can gulp the air it needs for more combustion.

And since you'll be using the gearbox a bit more, we can happily report it's a quick, short-throw little shift.

Read more on Top Gear.

 

[OffTheWall503]

Sweet version of the ST. I still wish the 2 door option was available in the US.

 

[LilPartyBox]

Time to investigate fitting that extra intake pipe to ours

 

[Noodles]

I wonder if this the same final drive that's been available for a while.

 

[skidro87]

Wow there is a lot of buttons on the cd dash/player!! That looks so cluttered! I would prefer a longer final drive.
Does the fiesta st transmission have the same double final drive as the focus one?

 

[me32]

I wonder if something like this will make it to the states. Even thoe i know it wont be the 2 door version

 

[Siestarider]

The stiffer rear beam intrigues me. There are several add-on bars available to stiffen twist beam in our earlier models, I wonder if adding one of those and going with a 5K/3K coil spring package might just be the cat's meow for fast road and tracking?

The rest of it we either already have, or easily do with a few less expensive mods than buying a ST 200. Besides which my preference is for a low profile on street, which means the less contrast with standard Fiestas the better in my book.

 

[Waterfan]

Good sign for the future of the platform that Ford is willing to keep the FiST "fresh" with incremental and meaningful updates.
[MENTION=4046]LilPartyBox[/MENTION] - "Adding the extra intake pipe?" My thoughts exactly.

 

[LilPartyBox]

Good sign for the future of the platform that Ford is willing to keep the FiST "fresh" with incremental and meaningful updates.
[MENTION=4046]LilPartyBox[/MENTION] - "Adding the extra intake pipe?" My thoughts exactly.

Yea. The Big Mouth thing is clumsy and all else is overpriced. I refuse to spend $300+ for a cone on a stick but i do want to increase intake volume somehow. An OEM part would be nice depending on what it is exactly.

 

[koozy]

There's an extra intake pipe from the front grille to the filter, so it can gulp the air it needs for more combustion.

so this is apparently the ST200 air box. The bottom is different with a hole, which a hose may attach to and it also looks like the snorkel attached to the box may be a bit larger as well.

 

[Bluedrank]

so this is apparently the ST200 air box. The bottom is different with a hole, which a hose may attach to and it also looks like the snorkel attached to the box may be a bit larger as well.

That bottom part does look a lot different. Tough to tell on the signal snorkel part from the side. I'm most interested to see where that pipe at the bottom goes to.

Also, we need to find part numbers on these items to see how feasible it would be to retrofit.

 

[Mchris2725]

Sweet version of the ST. I still wish the 2 door option was available in the US.

It would be nice to have the choice between either the 3 or 5-door here in the states. However, I find the 5-door version to be more visually appealing car. The high rear roof line on the Fiesta looks better when a rear set of doors is there. It just fits the car's overall shape better. I think the 3-door looks stretched out and shows too much metal between the door and back wheel arch. Of course, this is subjective. I have also never seen the 3-door in person which could possible sway my opinion.

 

[BiigMe]

That bottom part does look a lot different. Tough to tell on the signal snorkel part from the side. I'm most interested to see where that pipe at the bottom goes to.

Also, we need to find part numbers on these items to see how feasible it would be to retrofit.

This, I was going to make my own but if I could overnight parts from Jap- the UK I'd much rather keep it Ford OEM... Or make my own just more like the one Ford spent actual R&D money on.

As for the other discussion, the only thing I would change about my car is take off 2 doors, no one can fit behind me anyways and the 3 door looks soooo much better

 

[Noodles]

This, I was going to make my own but if I could overnight parts from Jap- the UK I'd much rather keep it Ford OEM... Or make my own just more like the one Ford spent actual R&D money on.

As for the other discussion, the only thing I would change about my car is take off 2 doors, no one can fit behind me anyways and the 3 door looks soooo much better

Sent from the Canyon's Edge

 

[BiigMe]

Sent from the Canyon's Edge

Slightly off topic, bud do you have a build thread? From some of the things I've seen you post I wanna oogle at your car haha

 

[BiigMe]

Also Sico sells the OEM ST200 airbox, so I sent them an email asking about USDM fittment and for some more pictures. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would be interested in buying one as a lower cost CAI...

 

[Noodles]

Slightly off topic, bud do you have a build thread? From some of the things I've seen you post I wanna oogle at your car haha

It's on my to do list, I mostly post from my phone so it's kinda hard to make a big post. I'll get it done eventually lol.

Sent from the Canyon's Edge

 

[TUX15ST]

Little side note here, i really like that satin shift bezel on the st200 anyone know if thats available to us too?

 

[BiigMe]

So uhh... I found some pictures of it....but its in German.

http://fiestast.de/index.php/Thread/4314-Ford-Fiesta-ST-200/?pageNo=21


EDIT:

So... I went to this thread http://fiestast.de/index.php/Thread/4893-Fiesta-ST200-Luftfilterkasten/?pageNo=1 Reigstered an account, and found out this: its a plastic mountune box...

I'll try and post the pictures but honestly it looks no different than what Mountue does...so yeah, thats the ST200 airbox

 

[Karl S]

Yes I was sat in the new st 200 in the dealership in the UK last week and really wasn't impressed with the extra you get for the money,my Uk spec ST3 with the Mountune mp215 upgrade is just as will spec and is a quicker car than the ST200.the Mountune mp215 give you all the power all of the time not just for 15 second over boost.and it saves me ?2400 sterling. Also the grey colour of the car looks like primer. Not impressed at all with ST 200