According to UK website Auto Express, the next time Ford rolls out an all-new Fiesta ST hot hatch, it might be powered by a specially-tuned version of its 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder.
“We’re seeing more and more of what we can do with the 1.0-litre engine in development and the signs are promising,” Ford Europe Small Car Vehicle Line Director Darren Palmer told the website. “It’s a great engine – it sounds brilliant and there’s loads of torque when the turbo comes on boost, so we’re looking into things for the next ST.”
In 2012, Ford’s EcoBoost I3 was tuned to produce some 205 horsepower in a one-off Formula Ford racer, Auto Express reports. That’s 8 more horsepower than the current Ford Fiesta ST produces with its 1.6-liter EcoBoost I4 while on overboost, from an engine weighing just over 200 pounds fully-dressed.
In addition to the possibility of a small-but-mighty three-cylinder engine, the next Ford Fiesta ST should also benefit from improved steering. The development team at Ford’s Belgian testing facility has “obsessed over the car’s steering,” according to Palmer. “They’ve fine-tuned the calibration to make sure it drives exactly how a Fiesta should.”
Taken together, these two insights regarding the next Ford Fiesta ST tell us that the hot hatch ought to be a hit with enthusiasts right out of the gate – assuming the words “three cylinders” don’t rub too many the wrong way. First, of course, the regular Mk VII Ford Fiesta needs to debut. We expect it to bow sometime next year as a 2018 model.
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