One for the boys

The Fiesta ST is definitely a boy’s car. Girls will enjoy driving it, but somehow I don’t see many buying one (unless they’re racing drivers like Jade Edwards, below).
   It’s a racey thing with a 179bhp, 1.6-litre urbochared engine, a big spoiler on the back, 17-inch wheels and racing-style Recaro seats – and its exhaust makes a good noise.
   Of course, it’s the perfect flagship to give cred to the rest of the range. It follows in the wheel-tracks of the Fiesta XR2, much admired among hot hatch affionados, and reinforces Ford’s image as a company proud to bring performance to the masses.
   The current Fiesta handles pretty well already, but the ST has a stiffer, sportier suspension and quicker steering. It boasts ‘Torque Vectoring Control’ (the boys will love that) and three stages of traction control, one being ‘Off’ for track days.
   It is a hoot on the track, see my experiences at Llandow with Jade below, and the Joneses will be very jealous if it appears on the drive.
   It isn’t me, though. The Recaro seats are very snug indeed, and my head kept touching the tall rests if I sat up straight. The firm suspension isn’t exceptionally bumpy, but might get a bit much on uneven roads every day.
   It’s very affordable at £16,995 and has plenty of spec for the price. In fact, Product Manager Owen Gregory says most people opt for the more upscale models. And it’s flying out of dealerships – 1,000 advanced orders had been taken by the time I got to drive it April 25, and predicted resale values are good.
   Sadly those who will want it most, wouldn’t be able to insure it (boys). Bad news if Dad buys one, too. The Fiesta comes with MyKey, which allows parents (or husbands/wives) to set parameters for particular keys, including the maximum speed and even the volume of the radio.  Ferris Bueller would hate that.