Spied Next-Generation Ford Fiesta ST Prototype

A prototype for the next-generation Ford Fiesta ST has been spotted out in the wild. The performance-focused hot hatch, which is expected to arrive in late 2017 as a 2018 model, was seen testing alongside a current Ford Fiesta ST.

While few details are known about the next-gen Fiesta in general, this recent sighting of the ST suggests that the playful hot hatch will arrive earlier in the car’s production cycle than it did for the current generation. While the current Euro-market Fiesta ST is available as a two-door hatchback, Ford only offers a four-door hatchback bodystyle for the Fiesta ST in the U.S. The test mule is a four-door hatchback.

From the spy shots, we can tell the 2018 Ford Fiesta ST features redesigned front grille flanked by slimmer headlights and a new fascia with reshaped lower air intakes. Though it’s hard to see through the camouflage, the side profile seems to match that of the current car. The rear quarter window aft of the rear door is hidden from view. Around back, the next-generation gets redesigned horizontal two-piece taillights in place of the current car’s one-piece vertical units.

Although powertrain details haven’t been revealed, the next-generation Fiesta ST is expected to get a power bump over the current U.S.-market car’s turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost I-4 engine’s 197 hp and 202 lb-ft of torque. We also expect the six-speed manual to remain the sole transmission offering.

Photo Source: KGP Photography