Bummer, But Expected: Ford’s Not Making A Fiesta RS

The idea of a more powerful derivative of the Ford Fiesta ST  with the ‘RS’ moniker, isn’t exactly new.

In fact, it was only a couple of weeks ago when Ford Performance Europe’s chief, Leo Roeks, chose to limit his words when asked about such a model, thus fueling the minds of enthusiasts worldwide.

However, another Blue Oval official, Amko Leenarts, the brand’s head of design for Europe, denied a  future Ford Fiesta RS in an interview with AutoRai, by saying the ST is good enough for the hot hatch segment.

“We see no reason to bring a more powerful Fiesta model, above the ST”, Leenarts commented. “The performance of the new Fiesta ST is already at such a high level that a more powerful model is not necessary.”

Also Watch: This Is How Launch Control Works In The New Ford Fiesta ST

This means that those in the market for the company’s subcompact hot hatch will have to limit their expectations to ‘only‘ 200PS (197hp / 147kW) and 290Nm (214lb-ft) of torque. That’s how much the new turbo’d 1.5-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine feeds to the front axle through a six-speed manual transmission.

Sprinting to 100km/h (62mph) from a standstill takes 6.5 seconds and flat-out, the new Ford Fiesta ST will do 232km/h (144mph).

In addition to the extra muscle, the automaker’s challenger to the likes of the Renault Clio RS and Volkswagen Polo GTI, among others, benefits from other mechanical upgrades, a beefed up body kit and some other work carried inside.