2014 Ford Fiesta ST
Here at MotorWeek, we’re always looking for cheap thrills…performance wise that is…and while they have become somewhat more readily available of late, many options are still a little too watered down for our tastes. That brings us to the Ford Fiesta ST. Is America ready for a world class high performance subcompact from Ford? Well, we sure are!
Performance oriented versions of existing cars are nothing new and usually come with a 20 or 30% boost in power. Well how about 65%? That’s what we’re talking about here in the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST.
Its 1.6–liter turbo I4 sees numbers climb from 120–horsepower and 112 lb-ft. of torque to 197 and 202 respectively! And while those aren’t supercar high, they are certainly high enough for a good time. And, with the engine’s instant response, the numbers feel even higher.
Just about everything has been major upgraded here, including suspension, brakes, and steering.
The humble Fiesta was already a solid handler for a bargain basement subcompact, but now it’s gone full on Go-Kart. With a firm feel that’s more like a mid-size sport sedan than pocket rocket.
We’re talking true point and shoot fun here! This car yearns for you to get on it and stay on it. It even has a very pleasing exhaust note, inside the cabin, thanks to a sound symposer; powerful, but not too loud at all.
Off the line, torque steer is surprisingly minimal, despite big hits from the turbo, accompanied by some cool waste gate noise that put smiles on our faces. A strong clutch aids the launch, and you hit 60 in 7.1–seconds. Again, nothing for purveyors of exotic cars to lose sleep over, but in this little car it mean just plain fun, as you grin your way to the end of the ¼-mile in 15.3–seconds at 93 miles-per-hour. The shifter is fast and direct.
The ST…Sport Technologies…engineers added Torque Vectoring Control, but weren’t able to dial quite all of the understeer out. But just about, as it sticks really well and feels exceptionally neutral for a front-driver, with very little roll.
The interior is spiffed up with aluminum trim, enhanced gauge cluster, and well bolstered Recaro seats. Ford’s MyFord Touch screen is here as well, and most found words on the display too small for easy use, and ended up using voice command.
Rear seats are more spacious than many other pocket hot rods, and you can fold them down to expand the 10.1 cubic foot cargo bay to make the ST a purposeful hauler in more ways than one.
The last Sport Technologies effort we sampled was the Focus ST, and as much as we loved that, the Fiesta ST has the same amount of awesomeness in a smaller and lighter package. It’s just simple, pure, driving fun. Sure a Corvette can beat it in every performance category, but is it more enjoyable? Well that’s doubtful.
So yes, the Fiesta ST is a lovely piece of work and we liked just about everything about how it goes. But, many of our staff were less enamored with the exterior design.
The 5-door hatch-only ST is definitely tricked out, though; sharp and evil looking from most angles. But, with way too much grille up front; like a stupid grin showing way too many teeth. Poor rear visibility from the thick C-pillars didn’t help either. And some thought the brake calipers would benefit from some bright paint to sport-en the look up even more.
But cosmetics aside, this is the most pure joy we’ve ever extracted from a front-wheel-drive car. All while doing fine on gas. Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 26-City, 35-Highway, and 29–Combined. We fit right in a 29.1 miles-per-gallon of Regular.
And all for an amazingly low price starting at $22,225. High performance on a budget, that’s what a lot of us are looking for, and the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST delivers that best.
So much so we delivered it our Drivers’ Choice Award as Best Subcompact of the year. We love it!
Along with the Focus ST, Ford has got quite a great thing going and should really promote the ST lineup more, as they could be real halos for the brand. We think that most Americans are well beyond the rear-drive only bias when it comes to performance cars. And while putting more spunk into an existing model is not a new idea, this one is as well executed as they come.
Specifications
- Engine:
- Horsepower: 197
- Torque: 202 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 7.1 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 15.3 seconds @ 93 mph
- EPA: 26 mpg city/ 35 mpg highway
2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe
Genesis GV80 SUV Upstaged By Stylish New Sidekick
These days if you don’t have a coupe version of your luxury SUV, you’re not trying hard enough. And that’s something that Hyundai and their luxury division Genesis could never be accused of. So, let’s go for a spin in the latest oh so stylish GV utility from Genesis.
The 2025 model year brings an updated midsize Genesis GV80 utility, which we recently put to the test. It also brings this sloped roof Coupe cousin along with it, which adds much more than just some athletic proportions to the luxury crossover party.
But, let’s start with the GV80’s already gorgeous styling, which received a new 2-line crest grille and updated lighting for ’25. Naturally this Coupe has a more severely sloped roofline that leads to a hatchback-like tail with an integrated kick-up spoiler.
Adding the final bit of garnish are 20 and 22-inch wheel options that are not available on the standard SUV. It looks fantastic overall; sportier, but still very luxurious, fitting right in with the Bentley’s and Benz’s at the valet line of whatever latest “it” restaurant or hotel you drive up to.
Even more appealing to us is what’s under the GV80 Coupe’s long hood, a new optional twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 with an e-Supercharger.
This 48-volt power booster is in place to fill in any gaps in power delivery from the turbos as well as feed in a little additional boost, increasing the standard V6 output from 375-horsepower and 391 lb-ft. of torque to 409-horsepower and 405 lb-ft. E-supercharged models come with black painted brake calipers and quad exhaust tips. Power is distributed through an 8-speed automatic transmission to standard all-wheel-drive.
While it mostly shares the GV80’s updated interior, there are a few exclusive details that come with the Coupe. The Nappa leather seats get a unique stitching pattern, and just to emphasis the sporty mission, there’s available carbon-fiber trim to replace the usual wood appliques, a 2-tone flat-bottom steering wheel, and added metal accents on the pedals. Cargo capacity does take a hit, falling nearly 20% from 36.5 to 30.3 cubic-ft., expanding to 62.1 with the rear seatbacks down.
Understeer was minor and well-controllable, allowing us to keep up a good pace through the cones.
To go along with the sportier details and boost in power, GV80 Coupes with the e-supercharger also get an added Sport+ drive mode that dials back stability control intrusion, provides a more aggressive transmission tune, and tightens up steering. Through the handling course at our Mason Dixon Dragway proving grounds, the GV80 Coupe did still exhibit a lot of body roll, but understeer was minor and well-controllable, allowing us to keep up a good pace through the cones.
Checking out that new powertrain was next on the list, and we could indeed feel a little something extra off the line, but then just as quickly, it settled down and we reached 60 in the exact same 5.6-seconds we achieved in the 3.5 twin-turbo GV80 SUV without the e-supercharger.
There was no drop off in power throughout the ¼-mile run however, and shifts were quick but still very smooth. All in all, it was a swift and luxurious 14.2-second trip to the end of the track, at which point we were travelling 100 miles-per-hour and the GV80 Coupe felt like it was just getting started.
In braking runs, that soft suspension did lend itself to some significant nosedive, but there was a surprising amount of feedback through the vehicle, and stops from 60 were stable and steady, averaging a very short 98-feet.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are slightly improved compared to the GV80 SUV’s V6 at 18-City, 22-Highway, and 20-Combined. But that’s still a slightly below average Energy Impact Score; consuming 14.9-barrels of oil yearly while emitting 7.5-tons of CO2.
Pricing starts at $81,300, which is only $150 more than the top GV80 SUV, opting for the e-supercharged turbo-6, which for now is exclusive to the Coupe, takes it to $87,100.
Genesis continues to stake their claim in the luxury vehicle landscape. Coupe-style SUVs may have limited practicality compared to the SUVs they’re based on, but for better or worse, they’ve not only become an important part of almost all luxury carmaker’s portfolios but are quickly becoming the status symbols of their brands. The Genesis GV80 Coupe is well equipped to be just that for Genesis.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 409
- Torque: 405 lb-ft.
- EPA: 18 City | 22 Highway | 20 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 5.6 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 14.2 seconds at 100 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 98 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 22.9 MPG (Premium)