Jack Russells are little dogs with big hearts and great spirit, not afraid of taking on foes much larger than themselves.
In the car world there is a similar breed of small but sporty hatchbacks that packs a bigger bite than their diminutive size suggests and in April the Ford Fiesta ST was added to this litter in South Africa.
The Fiesta packs a hot two-litre engine, rivalling baby bombers such as the Renault Clio 2.0 Sport and the Peugeot 206 GTi 2.0. It has only three doors - like its two French competitors - and is thus aimed squarely at boy racers who don't count practicality high on their wish lists.
The Ford gives adrenalin-seekers decent performance without costing an arm and a leg. At R169 500 it's cheaper than either the 206 GTi (R181 400) or Clio Sport (R209 995).
The heart of the new Fiesta ST is a two-litre engine similar to that in the bigger Mondeo sedan. Sequential fuel-injection with four valves per cylinder sees it produce a handy 110kW and 190Nm, placing it between the weaker Peugeot GTi and the more powerful Clio Sport.
The aluminium engine uses chain-driven camshafts in the interests of lower maintenance and costs and an electronic throttle control for a quicker response when you press the go pedal. It drives the front wheels through a stronger five-speed manual gearbox than less-powerful Fiestas, with closer ratios and a short shift gear mechanism.
The ST version also has a stiffer suspension, a faster steering ratio, and better braking thanks to larger front callipers and pads. Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) are standard and the 17" alloy rims are shod with low-profile Pirellis.
Sporty front and rear bumpers with projector-style fog lights add the required racy looks, along with a honeycomb mesh grille, prominent side protection mouldings, a boot spoiler and a large, oval, chromed tailpipe. You can also order white racing stripes for an extra R2000 if subtlety has little meaning in your life.
There's plenty of interior eye-candy too, starting with dual-tone, cloth/leather bucket seats embroidered with the ST logo. An ST-branded, three-spoked leather-covered steering wheel, drilled metal sports pedals and a sports short-shift gear lever will also entice the young-at-heart.
Standard interior features include driver's seat height adjustment, remote-controlled central locking, heatable door mirrors, front power windows (the rear windows don't open), and air conditioning which is dispatched through cool-looking circular air vents.
Cool sounds
The audio is pretty cool, too, and based on a six-CD rack and a radio system with speed-sensing volume control, four speakers and remote control on the steering column. Two front crash bags and seat belts with pre-tensioners supply the latent crash restraint.
Access to the rear seat through the front doors is easy thanks to a simple one-tug lever system that folds and pulls the front seats forward. Rear passenger space is pretty good for a compact hatch and tall passengers can sit there without contortion. The boot is of useable size and the rear seats fold to expand the boot.
The Fiesta ST has some handy and some not-so-handy features. We liked the central-locking system that opens (not just unlocks) the boot by pressing the keyring remote. We didn't like that you need the ignition key to open the fuel cap, which means you can't listen to the radio while you're filling up.
Nor did we enjoy stretching far back for the front seatbelts when buckling up. The belts are mounted on the B-pillar, which is far back on a three-door car - a better idea would have been to incorporate them in the front seats.
A kerb weight of only 1137kg gives the Fiesta ST a good power-to-weight ratio and reasonably spirited performance. Top speed is an impressive 208km/h and this flagship has no problems making its presence felt in the fast lane.
Slower than expected
However the car is not quite in hot hatch territory with its 0-100km/h sprint of 10.3sec at Johannnesburg altitude, a little slower than we expected - the Peugeot 206 GTi posted 8.5sec and the Clio Sport managed 7.7sec.
The Fiesta's quad-valve engine needs high revs to give its best and there's not much grunt at the bottom end. The car tends to be revving hard a lot of the time thanks to its short gearing.
It's a loud engine and, though this can seem sporty, it sounds quite strained when approaching its 6500rpm red line. The short-throw gearshift is reasonably smooth but sometimes feels stiff when attempting a fast shift from second to third.
Fuel consumption averaged 10.3 litres/100km, though Ford claims 7.8 litres is possible (if you drive like Miss Daisy, presumably).
The Fiesta ST makes a fun time of a twisty road, with neat handling, not too much body roll, and good grip from its wide 205mm tyres. The steering feels sharp and the front bucket seats provide great lateral support.
The steering is only tilt-adjustable (not height) but enables a comfortable driving position. The drawback of the stiff suspension and the low-profile tyres is a rather firm ride but that's unlikely to worry the performance-seekers this car's meant for.
The anti-lock brakes arrest speed in a hurry, though our test car pulled to the left.
Summary
The Ford Fiesta ST doesn't quite have the bite to match its bark but, aside from its not-so-brilliant sprint times, it rates fairly well on the thrill-o-meter.
Its sporty looks and fun-to-drive nature are strong drawcards, especially at the price. - Star Motoring