The Ford Fiesta ST, a popular performance car in Europe, is about to go on sale in North America.
The all-new 2014 Fiesta ST will be in U.S. showrooms by summer’s end with a starting price of $22,195 including $795 in destination charges.
The subcompact Fiesta ST costs $2,500 less than the larger Focus ST that has been on sale for a year and accounts for about 5% of total Focus sales. The Fiesta ST is expected to mimic those sales.
Performance models give Ford street cred. Special Vehicle Team models raised Ford’s profile over the years and served as a barometer of its product health. In 2005, there were no SVTs in the portfolio. With the Fiesta ST there are now four — the most the automaker has ever had, said SVT engineer Tim Smith. In addition to the two STs, there is the F-150 SVT Raptor and Mustang Shelby GT500.