The all-new five-door Fiesta ST should be more practical than ever but, how does it compare to the current three-door model?
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Ford hopes its new five-door Fiesta ST will take the current three-door model’s class-leading hot hatch handling and add a healthy dose of practicality. Does this new model strike the perfect balance between sporty and spacious? Read on for details…
We’ve compared the existing three-door and new five-door models side-by-side to help you decide which is best for you.
Besides an extra pair of doors, the new five-door Fiesta ST looks almost identical to its three-door sibling. Not only does it feature the same aggressive bumpers and heavily sculpted side skirts, but twin exhaust tips and a body-coloured rear diffuser also come fitted as standard. A set of 17-inch alloy wheels and a large rear spoiler complete its sporty makeover.
Thankfully, it isn’t just the looks that Ford has carried over to this new model. The standard hot hatch’s turbocharged 1.6-litre engine has been transplanted into the five-door car where it develops an identical 182hp. This more practical offering boasts the same 6.9 second 0-62mph sprint time as its compact cousin but does lose out in terms of fuel economy – 46.3mpg is 1.6mpg down on the three-door model.
The same excellent chassis, powerful brakes and stiffened suspension should make this new, larger, Fiesta ST just as entertaining to drive as the current three-door model. When it goes on sale in October 2016 it’ll be offered in ST2 and ST3 trim and will cost approximately £600 more than the three-door across the range. Unfortunately, Ford doesn’t intend to offer it as an upgraded ST200 model.