Zetec S is dead, long live ST-Line. Ford has replaced the sportiest versions you can get of its regular cars without venturing into proper performance car territory with a new trim called ST-Line.

In essence, it’s exactly the same thing as what Zetec S was before; a compromise for customers who want a package that’s just a bit slicker and sportier than an everyday car but without the drawbacks of a hot hatch.

Compared against standard models, the new Fiesta ST-Line gets styling inspired by the Fiesta ST with a honeycombed front grille, large bumper lip spoilers and a rear diffuser element, plus the same rear wing from the ST.

Enlarged side skirts come as standard along with metallic grey 17-inch alloys, sports suspension and a range of powerful, albeit frugal, engines. It’s a warm hatch, then, but while some warm hatches can feel like the one you got ‘cos you couldn’t afford the proper fast one, the ST-Line offers compromise without feeling like a half-measure.

Performance

Just like it was still the Zetec S, the new Fiesta ST-Line comes with the same engine choices as before. That means a choice of three versions of Ford’s critically acclaimed 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, with outputs of 99bhp, 123bhp or 138bhp.

There is also a 94bhp 1.5-litre diesel if you’re that way inclined, but given the size of the car and its semi-sporting aspirations, you probably won’t be. As standard, all engines come coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox.

We tested the more powerful 138bhp version, which is probably going to be the best-seller. We’ve previously driven this engine in the Fiesta Red Edition, and found it to still be a sprightly little thing, with power and torque that’s surprising for all the size of it.

Bury your right foot into the floor mat and the compact motor pulls strongly with a similarly turbo-enhanced power delivery that’s a dead ringer for the more powerful ST. The 0-62mph sprint takes just nine seconds flat, while top speed clocks in at 125mph.

Peak power kicks in from just over 1,800bhp and it’ll keep going all the way up to 6,500rpm, making it a brilliantly flexible little motor with a broad spread of power, even if the noise gets a bit gurney higher in the rev range.

Regardless of the slightly droney noise, it’s got plenty of character for such a small engine too, with cheeky chappy eagerness that practically dares you to open it up on a quiet B-road.

Ride and Handling

The standard Fiesta is already a brilliant car to drive and still holds the title of best handling supermini by a long margin.

Like other ST-Line models, the Fiesta ST-Line gets revised suspension that’s slightly lower and slightly firmer than that in the regular models. While the Focus and Mondeo versions are a little guilty of feeling not all that different to their regular counterparts, the ST-Line package feels like it works best in the Fiesta. Of course, the standard Fiesta is already a brilliant car to drive and still holds the title of best handling supermini by a long margin, but the ST-Line version just gives you that bit more. You can chuck it that bit harder, push it that bit further and it just keeps responding where the regular Fiesta might start to feel a tad overwhelmed. The trade-off is a little more cabin noise and vibration over bumps than the standard Fiesta, but then it’s nowhere near as jittery as the rigid ST and offers just the right amount of flexibility. If you ask us, it almost makes the car feel a bit more exciting with just enough firmness to give you that naughty hot hatch feeling without the compromised ride. It has the same fantastic steering and the pedals all modulate well, with the clutch a bit on the heavy side but smooth to operate. If there’s one criticism we have, it’s that the gearbox in this car is the exact same as the standard Fiesta. Maybe we’re just looking for reasons to criticise it at this point, but the shifts feel a bit long and the gearknob itself just a little plasticy and flimsy; it would be nice if it got the same slick-shifting gearbox as the ST, which also benefits from a sixth gear for motorway driving. That’s possibly just our opinion though. Grab the ST-Line by the scruff of the neck and really work it, and the car is rewarding as heck for what’s essentially just your average Fiesta with a slightly puffed up bodykit and an attitude.

Interior and Equipment

The ST-Line’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine is the most powerful engine of its kind in the world, with more power per litre than a Bugatti Veyron.

Our only real criticism of the current-gen Fiesta is its interior, which hasn’t really seen much of an update since it was first introduced despite the fact that virtually all of its rivals now come with slick touchscreens. Instead, you get the same slightly drab plastics and fiddly, button-heavy infotainment system, but hopefully with the introduction of the new Fiesta next year the car will benefit from Ford’s sleek new SYNC 3 touchscreen. In terms of layout and equipment the ST-Line is essentially standard Fiesta, but what sets it apart is a pair of fabric sports seats with larger side bolsters up front, plus a leather-clad steering wheel, aluminium sports pedals and ST-Line scuff plates. They’re nice touches but not quite enough to lift an interior which is starting to feel past its sell-by date, though the seats are comfortable and supportive with a good view of the road ahead, even if you do sit a little high for a hatch of its kind. You can have the ST-Line Fiesta with either five doors or three depending on how often you need to cart passengers around, while it’s also worth bearing in mind that its 290-litre boot is bigger than both the Vauxhall Corsa and the Volkswagen Polo.

Cost

Hot hatch fans are likely to just pay the difference and opt for the ST.

Prices for the ST-Line start from £15,795, though in order to get the most powerful engine you’ll have to spend £16,595 at least. That means that the Fiesta ST will be temptingly close for many, with a starting price of just £1,300 more. Still, while hot hatch fans are likely to just pay the difference and opt for the ST, other buyers will be tempted towards the ST-Line on account of both its flexibility and its running costs. Both the diesel and the two lower-powered versions of the EcoBoost engine produce less than 100g/km of CO2 which means free road tax, while even the 138bhp version can return up to 62.8mpg with just 104g/km of CO2.

Our Verdict

With sharp looks, plenty of power and excellent on-road ability, the Ford Fiesta ST-Line offers a highly versatile day-to-day car which can be as practical as you need it to be one minute, and as exciting as you want the next. Its new name will draw obvious comparisons with the ST hot hatch more now than ever before, but it helps to treat the ST-Line not as an ST-lite, but rather like a regular Fiesta which just offers than bit more in every regard, with no penalty in terms of practicality, comfort or costs. Compared against rivals the interior in particular is starting to feel aged, but take it on the road and the Fiesta ST-Line feels just as fresh ever and serves as a great reminder of why the Fiesta is still the cream of the supermini crop.