The latest incarnation of the hot ST version Ford Fiesta makes a cool statement, declaring that it is king of the pack, a status that is hard to attain and even harder to keep.

Ford has always been known for producing good functional vehicles that are on top of the game. But when it comes to performance vehicles and in particular hot hatches, not many are aware that Ford was one of the first manufacturers to come up with the hot hatch concept back in the early 1980s. More significantly, not many of these cars finished up on local roads.

Having a strong relationship with both track cars and rally cars, Ford has long been associated with performance. But when it comes to this category of performance hatchback, Ford has always enjoyed an edge over the competition – something from the pedigree rally cars has rubbed off and as a car enthusiast one can only rub their hands with joy.

The original hot Fiesta was the XR2 and Ford has come a long way since then. The latest ST is both functional and compact but at the same time spacious and above all very rapturous, in terms of performance. Packaged within this understated body is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a car that is ready to surprise and astonish the driver with its very classy delivery of power that is surprisingly very smooth. Simply said, this is a car that eats the road for breakfast and takes fast corners for dinner.

This is a car that eats the road for breakfast and takes fast corners for dinner

Having owned and driven several turbo-powered cars in the past, I can state with some form of authority that this model gives another meaning to the whole engineering concept. Gone is the turbo lag and the sudden urgent power delivery – instead, the driver is now welcomed with a smooth surge of power, delivered when it is required on time, every time. This is one gem of an engine and is definitely fast becoming a benchmark in its class.

When you look at this class of compact hatchback, there are not many manufacturers that produce a car that is worthy of the hot hatch nickname. Just to mention two rivals that, in my opinion, are worth mentioning and that are flatly and squarely pitched against the ST are the Fiat 500 Abarth and Renault Sport Clio RS 220. Both cars are worthy rivals, having a pedigree background and coming from manufacturers that are known for their very well packaged fast hatchbacks.

When it comes to seeing what is readily available on our market though, then here the story takes a different twist. It is only Ford that have put this car in the line-up for the local market. A hot hatch, an icon in its class, can be seen in a local showroom and even booked for a test-drive. Maybe Ford have seen an opportunity here, one that was well worth taking advantage of. Coming from the fact that one can walk into the showroom and actually see the car first hand before deciding to purchase it, which is not very often the case when you are looking for something special. It seems that Ford are putting a lot of effort in serving this very exclusive niche within the car enthusiast market. Well done for that.

Everything in the car is well weighed. It’s evident that Ford engineers have gone to great lengths to get every aspect of driving the car right. Of course, they have a lot of previous experience, but it’s not the first time that engineers manage to spoil a recipe that was already good and come up with something that although is very modern and technologically up to date would then let the faithful enthusiast down. Here it’s a different story altogether.

When you get in the car, the first thing that strikes you are the Recaro seats – on the test car these were half leather in black with red cloth inserts. The great thing about these seats is that both the driver and passenger seats are adjustable for height so you never end up sitting lower than your occupant.

Thanks to the simple but very effective interior design, the car feels very airy and the larger than normal seat backs do not feel as if they are taking up the entire passenger cabin. The car is equipped with all the modern day technology and much more. Ford has even gone down to the finer detail by adding heated front seats which are a rather nice extra to have. Obviously, the car also comes equipped with an array of airbags and most importantly a driver’s knee airbag as well.

Driving the car is altogether a very positive experience and given that the car has a torque vectoring system, which emulates a traction control system, and also a three stage traction control system both ensuring that all the up-to-date technology is packed into the very curvy and modern looking design. The car features stiffer springs and an uprated suspension that has been lowered by 15mm and rides on 205 section tyres that fit on lovely dark grey 7.5-inch by 17-inch wheels.

Although the set-up might lead you to think that the car may feel stiff and bumpy on our roads, driving it will result in a totally different experience. You feel in control all the time and the suspension layout results in a very comfortable ride which does not give you shivers down your back every time you take a bump or pass over a pothole. Living with the car shall also prove to be just as good given that the car manages 5.9 litres per 100km and also has an emission level of 138g/Km CO2. Above all the car has a power output of 182bhp from a 1.6 Ecoboost engine.

Surely anyone reading this write-up is asking the inevitable; Is the car worth the €24,600 price tag? Yes, every cent. Does the car live up to all the hype? Yes it does. Would I buy one? Yes I would.