Freshly Forbidden Fruit: 2019 Ford Fiesta ST Performance Edition

by Matt Posky

Published: April 11th, 2019

freshly forbidden fruit 2019 ford fiesta st performance edition

To our collective horror, Ford decided not to sell the new Fiesta ST in North America. Instead, the automaker chose to cull its passenger car lineup during a period of declining demand and profitability in order to focus on higher-margin trucks, crossovers, and SUVs. No one in this office is particularly excited about the idea, but most of us could rationalize our hurt by trying to see things from Ford’s perspective and focusing on the bottom line. However, Ford is just rubbing salt into our wound at this point.

While the 2019 Ford Fiesta ST has abandoned its turbocharged 1.6-liter four-banger for a more Euro-friendly 1.5-liter triple boasting the same 197 horsepower and more torque, the United Kingdom also receives a limited-run Performance Edition that would have made a nifty little runabout/track day hooligan. Sure, it probably wouldn’t have been a hit here. But we would at least like to have the opportunity not to buy it.

Ford only plans on building 600 of these little bastards, all of which will be sold within the UK. Upgrades include a Ford Performance coilover suspension setup, which consists of new stainless steel damper housings and springs powered coated in blue, plus a set of lightweight alloy wheels coated in sharp-looking/durable magnetite film.

Tweaked at the Nürburgring, the suspension lowers the Fiesta’s ride height by 15mm in the front and 10mm in the rear. However, if you’re not satisfied with the Ford Performance settings, the undercarriage can be tailored further — with 12 manually adjustable bump settings and 16 rebound states.

Meanwhile, the 18-inch wheels manage to shave off over 15 pounds of unsprung weight, collectively. While that’s not going to result in the car publicly shaming Italian exotics, it should create a slight uptick in dynamics against the standard ST. Nobody outside the car is going to notice without a stopwatch, but you might sense something from behind the wheel.

The rest of the Fiesta ST Performance Edition’s magic comes via its relation to the top-tier ST-3, which incorporates launch control, shift indicators, and a limited-slip differential. It also comes with an enhanced Bang & Olufsen audio system.

Ultimately, that means it’ll be the most expensive Fiesta money can buy. While Ford hasn’t released any pricing details yet, we expect it to come in a few grand higher than the current ST-3. But, since its MSRP is unlikely to ever be calculated into U.S. dollars, it’s a little difficult for us to care. The Edge ST is fine but we’re going to miss its smaller brethren, who are, honestly, more deserving of the ST badge.

[Images: Ford Motor Co.]

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Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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2 of 23 comments

Cimarron typeR on Apr 12, 2019

I've always been a fan of the ST branded HBs.The 3 cyl is intriguing. I've considered a 3 cyl. Mini, to commute in, but that's way too much of a risk to have 2 British cars in the garage.It's a shame that Mazda think it's Acura/Infiniti now and pricing the 3 with a 6mt way too aggressively.

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WallMeerkat on Apr 15, 2019

A strange world when US motoring enthusiasts are lamenting the loss of the Fiesta

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