Geneva motor show 2012: Ford Fiesta ST

The Ford Fiesta ST has been given its debut at the Geneva motor show in its production-ready guise. Ford has confirmed the 136mph hatchback will go on sale in the UK in the first half of next year.

The three-door, front-drive Fiesta ST follows the five-door concept that the Blue Oval displayed at the Frankfurt motor show last year.

The production version is powered by Ford’s 1.6-litre EcoBoost turbocharged engine that’s tuned to deliver 178bhp and 177lb ft. The Fiesta ST will sprint from 0-62mph in less than seven seconds and hit a top speed of over 136mph.

By comparison, the previous Fiesta ST was powered by a 2.0-litre Duratec unit with 148bhp and 140lb ft, covered 0-62 in 7.9sec and topped out at 130mph. Ford claims the new version emits 20 per cent less CO2 than its predecessor, which should put it at about 142g/km.

The new Fiesta ST, which was developed by Ford’s Team RS, has a specially tuned chassis that sits 15mm lower than a standard Fiesta. The car’s exterior features Ford’s latest design signatures, including a large trapezoidal grille.

Recaro sports seats come as standard and there will be five colour options, including Race Red, Performance Blue and Molten Orange. It will also feature Ford’s ‘MyKey’ tech, which allows performance to be limited depending on driver.

Prices for the Fiesta ST should start at around £18k, and senior sources also suggested that there could be three varying trim levels for the Fiesta ST, in the same way that there was on the Focus ST.