The lovely Ford Fiesta ST, in its current guise, has been around for a while now and in all of that time it has received nothing but praise from customers and journalists alike. Just about the only thing some would complain is less than brilliant in this car was the power output. But that issue has been fixed in the latest version, set for public debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. 

So the new 2017 Ford Fiesta ST comes with a 200 PS version of Ford’s marvelous three-cylinder, 1.5?litre EcoBoost engine, and granted, it is not that big of an upgrade. But whereas before the ST owners had to go aftermarket in order to bring their hot hatch up to the level of the rivals in terms of raw output, they are now getting it from the factory and they are getting it in a small, efficient, and delightfully busy little motor which itself will have a big impact on the joy of driving this car.

With 200PS, 290Nm of torque and anticipated 0?62mph acceleration in 6.7 seconds, the new Ford Fiesta ST has satisfactory performance for its size and class. But crucially, that unique driving feel which is what makes this car so lovable must be there if it wants to continue on the path of success. In the new ST you get new driving modes which allow users to alter the parameters of engine, steering and stability program, and that is a little bit worrying to be honest. What we want is a ST already setup like a ST at the factory. These driving modes are like having hear sensors on smartphones – pointless.

Available from launch in early 2018 in both three-door and five-door bodystyles, the next generation Fiesta ST will be offered with a greater variety of interior trim and personalisation options.