Used Ford Fiesta ST200 (2016 - 2017) – a hot hatch great for under £9000

The Ford Fiesta ST200 hit the market in 2016 as a limited-run, further-honed take on the already-excellent Mk7 Fiesta ST. Even with the recently discontinued Mk8 still fresh in our minds, the ST200 remains one of our favourite Fiestas, thanks to outstanding dynamic ability that makes it huge fun to drive. 

The regular Mk7 Ford Fiesta, built from 2008 to 2017, was a sales behemoth. Next time you’re out for a drive, try counting how many you spot. It’s become a part of the UK’s furniture. That Fiesta production ended altogether in summer 2023 still feels like a part of a slightly surreal alternative reality. The base model was already an enjoyable drive, but the ST was a revelation. Epically agile, apparently keener to corner on three wheels than four, and with a penchant for oversteer.

History and specs

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Launched three years into the Mk7 ST’s production run, the ST200 increased the output of the standard car’s turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder from 197 to 212bhp (on overboost in third and fourth gear), with peak torque rising from 214 to 236lb ft. 

A power increase wasn’t all the ST200 received, though, with Ford Performance applying softer springs and dampers all-round for better ride quality, but with a 33 per cent increase in front anti-roll bar and rear torsion beam stiffness for reduced roll. These chassis changes were rolled out to the standard ST soon after.

The ST200 is near-identical to the standard Fiesta ST in appearance, with only its badging, 17-inch diamond-cut wheels and unique grey paint setting it apart. Ford did ensure that every optional extra came as standard, though, making it not only a fantastic driver’s car, but a wonderful one to live with day-to-day too.

Thanks to its chassis changes, a 198bhp-per-ton power-to-weight ratio and the added response from that torque-rich motor, the ST200 settles into a beautiful flow on a good road, with its sharp front end and compliant, perfectly damped chassis rarely upset by uneven tarmac. The driver’s seat is set a little too high and the steering wheel is not quite as adjustable as we’d like, but these are moot points given the vast array of ST modifications now available.

Ford Fiesta ST200 on the evo Eras: the 2010s test

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‘Settling into its cabin, an unexpectedly powerful wave of nostalgia hits me. I now understand how the previous Eras chapters’ narrators felt re-experiencing the 1980s, ’90s and ’00s. It’s funny how a car’s once-familiar cabin instantly transports you back to times, places and people in your life.

‘I remember the Ford’s button-frenzy centre console (which was modelled on a pre-smartphone Nokia interface when the Mk7 Ford Fiesta was being designed in the noughties); the bear-hug bolstered Recaros, fitted with the fastest seat-heaters in the world, capable of cooking rump from cold to medium-rare in a matter of moments; and the seats’ sky-high mountings. With such a high seating position and the big windscreen ahead of you, with quarterlights under the A-pillars, the initial impression is suggestive of a commercial vehicle. 

‘The way it drives is anything but, though. A standout ST characteristic is its super-fast steering. As with the Mégane, the Fiesta’s front end is glued down, but its ultra-quick steering gives it an even pointier feel. And the tail is much more mobile. In fact, the Ford is so keen to rotate that it takes a moment or two to tune into its positivity. 

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‘It’s unusual for a car with such an ‘on the nose’ balance to have been signed off by a mainstream company. Yet it never feels twitchy or dangerous. The handling is beautifully predictable and consistent. Countless miles and months racked up by the chassis engineers at Ford’s Lommel proving ground in Belgium shine through in every corner. Being the lightest car here at 1088kg does it no harm either.

‘Compared with the regular ST, the ST200 was given a stiffer front anti-roll bar and rear twist-beam axle but softer springs and dampers – a cushy ride is one quality that could never be attributed to the standard ST, and the suspension tweaks were quickly mapped across to the rest of the ST range. The 1.6-litre turbo four’s 179bhp was remapped to 197bhp, with an extra 37lb ft wodge of torque and an overboost facility enabling it to temporarily hit 212bhp. 

‘A shorter final drive makes it feel all the more potent in the ST200 and gives more opportunities to enjoy changing gear: the ST is blessed with such magical alchemy between flywheel, clutch and H-pattern shift that you can swap gears about as fast as you can move your hand. Throttle response is excellent for a turbo, and the in-line four has an enjoyably burly feel for a small engine. There’s no limited-slip diff – a torque-vectoring-by-braking system instead nips the inside front to tighten the Fiesta’s line and quell understeer.

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‘Despite its terrier-like enthusiasm, the ST is a calm car to drive. You need so little steering input that your hands rarely pass 12 o’clock on the wheel, guiding the little Ford with palms and wrists rather than arms and shoulders. On-centre feel is improved in the ST200 versus the standard ST by shorter steering arms and modified knuckles (the car’s, not the driver’s).

‘The next ST launched in 2018, based on the Mk8 Fiesta, which itself retained plenty of hardware from the Mk7. It adopted a smaller three-cylinder engine (as did so many other cars during the 2010s), a wider track, even faster steering and a slightly more grown-up vibe. I ran one as a long-term test car for nine months for another magazine and adored it. It turned the most mundane of journeys into a drive to remember, just as its predecessor did. 

‘Whether Mk7 or Mk8-based, I reckon the Fiesta ST is the Peugeot 205 GTI of its generation. It’s as magical to drive, in its own way, as the 205 in the ’80s Eras test in evo 334. Time will tell if its styling ages as well as the Peugeot’s, but I’d bet on the Ford being another future classic.’ – James Taylor, evo deputy editor, who tested the ST200 on our evo Eras: the 2010s test.

What we said

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'Almost exactly like the Fiesta ST we know and love, which is a very good thing indeed. You’d need to drive this model back-to-back with an earlier version to notice those chassis teaks – in isolation the two cars behave in much the same way.

'The first impressions from the international launch in the south of France were very positive indeed and, encouragingly, we now know the ST200 wasn’t simply being flattered by the smooth roads of the test route. On our much bumpier network it is every bit as impressive.

'At low speeds the chassis does feel very tautly sprung on rougher surfaces, but with speed the ride does settle markedly. It should be noted that the seat is set a little too high and the steering wheel is only just within comfortable reach, but the seats themselves are supportive with firmly stuffed bolsters that wrap around your torso.

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'It’s just such a cohesive, expertly judged machine to drive on a twisty road, bumpy or smooth. The ST200’s dynamics are as polished as those of the very best sports cars at any price, but it backs up that impressive technical ability with an effervescent, addictive character. The chassis is characterised by its neutrality and the way it leans in cornering; to call it roll would be misleading. Pitch the car into a medium speed or fast bend and it snaps sharply into the corner without a trace of understeer, then leans onto its outside wheels in a very tautly controlled way.

> Ford Fiesta ST Performance Edition (2019) review – the best, bettered

'What really demonstrates the quality of this chassis is the way it breathes with an angry road surface, soaking up big bumps and landing softly into depressions. This being a small car with a short wheelbase you do certainly feel those bumps and potholes, but the crucial point is that the car isn’t unduly deflected or upset by them, instead maintaining a steady course.

'That sharp front end gives the car huge pace down a road and that propensity to lean somehow makes you feel as though you’re travelling at far greater speeds than you really are. The car is really well supported at its outside rear corner, too, which works the rear tyres hard and keeps the front axle on a tight line. It all means the ST200 flows down the road beautifully, with enormous precision and control, all the while placing the driver front and centre.

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'This is a stupendously fun car to drive, one that goads you into committing ever harder. Only in the very tightest corners does the front end begin to wash out. The steering, meanwhile, is direct and precise with a very natural rate of response from the front end. There are six-figure sports cars that don’t marry steering response, grip and body control as cohesively as this.

'The drivetrain is the weak point, because although the gearshift is brilliantly mechanical the engine itself is short on thrills. There’s plenty of power – without any torque steer, incidentally – and low down response is good, but the engine always sounds coarse and there are no real fireworks as you approach the redline.

'Rather like the chassis tweaks it’s difficult to identify the ST200’s shorter gear ratios in terms of straight-line acceleration – you’d need to drive it back-to-back with an ST – and there are actually occasions where the shorter gearing forces you to shift up between corners rather than being able to hold the lower gear.' – Dan Prosser

Ford Fiesta ST200 values and buying guide

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The used market is wise to the value of the ST200, with prices having been steady for some time now. Nevertheless, you’ll only need ovr £15,000 for the very best c20,000-mile cars, and if you’re willing to take a punt on one with closer to 70,000 miles, you’ll be paying under £9,000. There are plenty to choose from, too: Ford initially planned to build just 400 examples, but demand saw this rise to a much higher number that the marque won’t officially disclose. What we do know is that just shy of 1000 were registered at one point in 2017.

Given the Fiesta ST’s reputation for hard use, it’s wise to check for regular servicing, with oil changes in particular a must. Ford did issue a recall for a cylinder-head cracking issue on Mk7 STs, but this was for cars built before December 2014, meaning the ST200 should be unaffected.

Interior quality for this generation of Fiesta wasn’t a particularly strong point, so don’t be surprised by some squeaks and rattles on higher-mileage examples, but generally speaking the ST200 is a strong car with no catastrophic reliability issues. Ensure everything’s been regularly and properly maintained and you’re unlikely to have any serious problems.

Ford Fiesta ST200 specs