So, there's good news and bad news.
Ok, what's the bad news?
There won't be an RS version of the Ford Fiesta.
Nooooooooooo!!!!!
But wait, there's good news. We will get this instead, the ST200, which is kind of an RS in all but name. It gets more power and torque from its 1.6-litre turbo engine (now up to 200hp and 240Nm of torque) plus there's an extra, bonus 15hp and 30Nm of torque on offer thanks to a 15-second overboost feature. The 0-62mph sprint time drops to 6.7 seconds while the top speed is 143mph.
Ford has also tweaked the suspension; there's a new front knuckle, lower centre of gravity, new springs and dampers and tweaked torque vectoring by braking setup. The steering (one of the Fiesta ST's strongest suits) has also been quickened up a bit and Ford has fiddled with the gearbox and final drive ratios to improve in-gear acceleration.
On the outside you get special Storm Grey paint and new wheels while on the inside there are new bucket seats by Recaro, silver detailing and silver seat belts.
What's the official word?
"The Fiesta ST is truly beloved by owners and critics. The ST200 takes this special drivers' car to a new level of power and performance," said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. "I think it's a future classic in the making."
Neil Briscoe - 29 Feb 2016