Ford is to offer the performance version of the Fiesta, the ST, for the first time with five doors.
The five-door variant will boast the same potency as the existing three-door, and its creators believe it will appeal to fans of the car who require more practicality, for example those with young families.
Power for the car comes from a 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine of 182hp with 240Nm of torque. The 0-62mph sprint takes 6.9 seconds while combined cycle fuel efficiency is 46.3mpg with CO2 emissions of 141g/km.
Upgrades over the mainstream Fiesta include retuned suspension, steering and brakes, bespoke settings to the Torque Vectoring control – this brakes the inside front wheel when cornering to reduce understeer and improve grip – and Electronic Stability Control with three modes.
Visually the car gains 17-inch alloy wheels, and a specific grille, headlamp design and rear diffuser.
The five-door models go on sale in October at prices starting from £19,495 and are expected to take 25 per cent of ST sales. “Ford has now sold more than 38,000 Fiesta STs in Europe since we introduced (the car) in 2013, and growing numbers of customers have been asking us for a five-door version,” said Ford of Europe marketing chief Roelant de Waard.
“The Fiesta ST with five doors makes an affordable Ford Performance driving experience accessible to an even greater number of customers,” he adds.