With identical bodywork to its hotter brother, the 148bhp 2.0-litre petrol ST, the Zetec S looks the part. Deep front and rear valances, a mesh grille and a nicely proportioned tailgate spoiler give it a strong, purposeful presence. But the go-faster exterior raises expectations that the Zetec S cannot meet.
Underneath the bonnet is the all-alloy 1.6-litre Duratorq common-rail turbodiesel engine from the new Focus. Though the Zetec S can also be had with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, the TDCi should be the better performer in everyday conditions, with its low- and mid-range grunt making it ideal for town driving.
A fixed-ratio turbocharger, rather than the Focus’s variable-ratio version, helps provide 89bhp and 150lb ft of torque – that’s 19bhp and 27lb ft down on the engine in the Focus. It doesn’t compare well with its rivals, either: the Fabia vRS makes 128bhp and 229lb ft from its 1.9-litre TDi powerplant and the Peugeot 206 GTi HDi generates 108bhp and 177lb ft from its 1.6-litre unit which, incidentally, is the same unit as the Fiesta’s but in a higher state of tune.
