Website Carscoops has secured a series of spy photographs depicting what could be a test mule for the next evolution of the Ford Fiesta ST hot-hatch, with a handful of clues suggesting that the car is indeed something more than just an ordinary Fiesta prototype.
While spy shots purporting to show test mules for the forthcoming seventh-generation Fiesta hatchback have hardly been scarce, this is the first photo we’ve seen that might be depicting a future Fiesta ST. Nonetheless, the visible presence of a decently-sized intercooler, dual exhaust outlets, a rear roof spoiler, and big rims with low-profile rubber suggests that this is not a basic Fiesta test mule.
Carscoops suggests that the next Ford Fiesta ST would keep the same basic powertrain as the current hot-hatch, featuring a small, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. However, output will likely climb past 200 horsepower (not counting “overboost” mode), whether or not displacement is increased. An even hotter Fiesta RS remains a possibility for the seventh-generation car, perhaps with an AWD system similar to that on the Focus RS, but we’re not holding our breath.
The next generation of the base model Ford Fiesta is expected to launch globally sometime in 2017, with a new Fiesta ST trailing by as little as a year. We’ll surely know more in the coming months.
For the full 2018 Ford Fiesta ST test mule gallery, be sure to stop by Carscoops.
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