It's a peculiar statistic - even if also quite a familiar one after much repetition in the last few months - that until the ST came along the most powerful production Fiesta in history was the RS Turbo of 1990. For a decade and a half no Fiesta quite matched the Turbo's 133bhp (though the RS1800 came close at 131bhp), but its record has now been comfortably eclipsed. Slightly uprated from its application in the Focus, the two-litre Duratec engine fitted here produces 148bhp.That's a healthy amount in a car of this size, but it doesn't make the ST feel as racey as you might suppose. In fact there seems to be a case of falling between two stools going on here. The engine is quite relaxed, and it neither sounds nor feels very urgent.At the same time, though, you have to work hard to release all the available power. For all the claims of a very flat torque curve, the fact remains that maximum power comes in at 6000rpm. At half that engine speed, the ST feels decently quick without being particularly memorable in a straight line, certainly in comparison with the turbo diesel hot hatches being produced by the Volkswagen Group.Those cars (the Polo, Ibiza and Fabia TDIs) are possible rivals to the ST, but perhaps not the ones you'd first think of. More obvious opposition includes the Clio Renaultsport 182, MINI Cooper S, Mitsubishi Colt CZT and Peugeot 206 GTI. There's nothing in that list that could be described as the class average in handling terms - the manufacturers have opted for very different suspension strategies, and the ST adds yet another to the line-up.Some of the rivals, namely the Clio, Cooper S and 206, feel far more like race cars adapted for road use. Two of them (MINI and Peugeot) have rear ends which make a major, and in some cases alarming, contribution to how sharply each chassis gets round a corner.The Fiesta, in contrast, feels like a warmed-up road car, partly because it is more softly sprung and has a greatly superior ride. It also relies almost entirely for its cornering ability on how quickly the front end will shoot in towards an apex. If there's any significant steering effect from the rear, it's very subtle.Turn-in is most impressive; a slight shift of fingers on steering wheel sends the nose diving into the bend. There's then a secondary effect which suggests that the angle of lean plays a leading role in dictating the direction of travel. Compared with most Fiestas, the ST doesn't lean very much, but compared with other hot hatches it does (it seems to ride quite high, which will have a lot to do with it) so that second-steering effect is very noticeable.There's something strangely low-tech about this. As weight transfers from one side of a car to the other, and the suspension geometry changes, there are bound to be effects on the way the car handles. But in the 21st century it seems odd to rely so heavily on this behaviour - as Ford appears to have done - rather than the more subtle approaches of the rival manufacturers.It all works, if perhaps not in a very elegant way. Although it's fair to say that neither the MINI nor the 206 can approach the Fiesta for ride quality, they do feel more like thoroughbreds in comparison. And while all three are impressively willing to turn into a corner, the non-Fords seem more willing to be held in a straight line. The Fiesta feels as if it wants to change direction constantly, which is occasionally disconcerting.The ST is quick, nimble and competitively priced. It may also prove to be easier to live with than some of the alternatives. It's almost certainly the best ever hot Fiesta. But to me it somehow doesn't feel like the car its engineers most wanted to create. Engine 1999 cc, 4 cylinders Power 150 bhp @6000 rpm Torque 140.1 ib/ft @4500 rpm Transmission 5 speed manual Fuel/CO2 38.2 mpg / 179 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 7.9sec Top speed 129 mph Price From £13383.00 approx Release date 01/01/2005
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