There are very few dead certs in the motoring world. That which we think is set in stone often turns out to be built on foundations of clay. A car that's at the top of the sales charts one year can rapidly fall from favour the next. Despite this, it's difficult to see how a car like the Ford Fiesta ST can possibly come up short. Hot Fiestas have long been a favourite amongst the young and young at heart and the ST will doubtless be the most capable yet.

I can still remember the moment that my brother, freshly commissioned into the Royal Air Force, arrived home with his present to himself, a Mk 1 1983 Ford Fiesta XR2 finished in Glacier Blue. Having cut his teeth in a Triumph Toledo, the 84bhp of the XR2 represented some seriously extreme power under his teenaged right boot. He let me drive it in a suitably spacious car park and I can remember being astonished at the brakes, the grip and the overall performance. But then I was fifteen. Fast forward a good few years and we are now treated to the £13,795 Fiesta ST, a car that packs a hefty 150bhp but which represents only the first rung on the specialist Fiesta performance ladder.

Yes, we had seen the Focus ST170 and the Mondeo ST200/220 but the Fiesta was the first of Ford's 'Sports Technologies' models to carry a newly designed ST badge without the use of numbers. This branding has since appeared on the Focus ST and will be adopted by all new ST models for the foreseeable.

Back in the days of the XR2, a solid 150bhp was the preserve of pretty serious executive cars. Even BMW's 323i - the benchmark driver's car in its class - could only muster 120bhp. The Fiesta ST would eat it for breakfast before dropping the kids off at school, taking a run to Asda and then giving the groceries a good agitation on the twisty route back. Sixty from rest takes 7.9s on the way to 129mph.

"Ford insiders have hinted that the Fiesta ST isn't much slower around their Lommel test track than the mighty RS Focus"

If that's not fast enough, Ford is offering Fiesta ST customers in the UK a unique opportunity to buy performance upgrades for their cars through a choice of two special dealer-fit options. The Mountune Performance Stage 1 package retails at £1,435 (plus fitting) and consists of a high-flow air induction system, a high performance exhaust system including high flow catalyst and tubular manifold, and re-calibration of Ford's potent 2.0-litre Duratec ST engine to produce 165bhp. The more powerful Mountune Performance Stage 2 package will cost £1,838 (plus fitting) and adds new camshafts and valve springs to the basic package to deliver 185bhp.

Whatever version of the Fiesta ST you choose, it's easily identifiably by the beefier front and rear bumpers, side moulding strips and colour- keyed detailing such as the door handles and mirrors. Most will be attracted by a set of very purposeful looking seventeen-inch multispoke alloys. They're not quite as iconic as the old XR2's 'pepperpot' alloy wheels but they're a neat set of rims nonetheless. Indoors there are racing style seats embroidered in black leather with bright red cloth inserts and finished with ST logos. A leather steering wheel, white metal pedals and a metal finish for the handbrake and door handles help give the interior a little extra visual flair. All of these extras fit over the latest Fiesta facelift with its improved interior plastics and the sleeker front end that lends itself to sportier models in the range like the ST.

More than 34,000 XR2i's were bought by Britain's hot hatch fans. According to Ford, the Fiesta ST puts them back into the heartland of small-car performance in a 'great-to-drive' package that's accessible for driving enthusiasts to own and insure. Feel free to disagree.

The 2.0-litre Duratec engine is the brainchild of Leo Roeks and his band of engineers at FordTeamRS. They have worked to create not only the ST but also a 180bhp RS version. Roeks explains how an RS model "would join the new Fiesta ST to demonstrate how two distinct Ford performance brands can complement our mainstream models. I believe that Ford performance cars will be true to their heritage and exploit to the full the outstanding vehicle dynamics that are recognised to be an intrinsic part of the modern Ford range." He has a point. Ford have recently opened up quite a gap over the chasing pack when it comes to vehicle dynamics and given the paucity of talent in the Vauxhall Corsa line up, the Fiesta ST should hammer its point home hard. The key threat will doubtless come from Renault, as hotter Clio Sport models are both inexpensive and abundantly powerful.

Otherwise, things are much as they are in any Fiesta three door. Headroom is 8mm less than in the five-door variant, but the rear is no longer cramped or claustrophobic, rakish rear notwithstanding. Rear passengers also benefit from class leading knee clearance and because there are no rear doors, the shoulder room of 1,355mm is also top of the shop for a three-door supermini. There are stowage bins to the side of the rear seat and entry and exit from the rear is easy due to the long doors. As a result it's a bit of a stretch for the seatbelts when seated up front.

The Fiesta had something of a low key introduction. The ST will certainly be enough to get it noticed a little more amongst keen drivers, although many genuine enthusiasts will doubtless hold out in hope of a more evocative RS model becoming available. Patience may be a virtue but it's not going to paint as big a grin on your face as a few months behind the wheel of a Fiesta ST.

Ford insiders have hinted that the ST isn't much slower around the Lommel test track than the mighty RS Focus. High praise indeed, suggesting that this car is as good as the old XR2. That particular hot hatch certainly painted a huge grin on my brother's face - right up to the point that he drove it head-on into a Volvo 244DL. After that, he had to concede that the car's crashworthiness wasn't all it could have been. One sure thing is that the ST will be a much better car to crash in. But please - just take our word for that.

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