Ford Fiesta ST 5-door 2022 UK first drive

At the back end of last year, fast Ford fan clubs across the country cracked out the caterpillar cakes to mark the 40th anniversary of a car that is arguably the very embodiment of the phrase 'cult hero': the Fiesta XR2. 

At around the same time, Ford revealed an updated version of that pepper-potted delinquent’s modern-day descendant, the Ford Fiesta ST, which is an automotive rarity in arguably matching its hallowed forebear for both enthusiast appeal and critical acclaim, helping to appease the bluest-blooded fast Ford fans, who are no doubt still raging about the mainstream rebirth of the Mustang and Puma nameplates. 

A more aggressive front end treatment, upgraded driver aid package and digital gauge cluster are the defining differentiators from the pre-facelift ST, but you'll also have clocked the new Mean Green paint option (Snot Rocket must already have been trademarked). 

Arguably more significant is what's no longer offered: the three-door version, which has bitten the dust in line with Ford's ploy to streamline its line-up and clear order backlogs as it prepares to go all-electric. The standard car now exclusively has four entrances and exits as well, which – aside from whether you think the proportions and usability have been enhanced – does rather bring into question the supermini's ongoing viability, particularly when the larger (and thus now more popular) Ford Puma can be had for roughly the same money - including as a souped-up ST. 

The mid-life tweaks being as subtle as they are, there is no tangible impact on the way the Fiesta ST drives, which is still emphatically one of the most charismatic and rewarding driving experiences offered by anything south of the £100,000 mark.

The grumbling turbo three-pot has been breathed on to produce an ounce or two more torque but is otherwise left untouched, so it still naughtily rasps through a purposeful-looking sports exhaust and endows the fast Fiesta with both the bite (if not a very inspiring bark) to worry cars pumping out several times its power.

In day-to-day driving scenarios and with a carefully placed right foot, there's not a great deal to tell this apart from the common-or-garden 1.0-litre Ford Fiesta - which is absolutely an attribute. The engine is never overbearing at idle or part-throttle, the brakes are effective but none too grabby and the performance tweaks don't diminish the low-speed manoeuvrability, all of which strengthens the ST's credentials as one of few properly sorted sports cars that aren't a chore to use for the weekly supermarket run. That is, if you avoid the speed bumps on the way in: this apex-hunting suspension set-up is not one that translates into a refined treatment of potholes and the like.