Ford Unveils Fiesta ST Five-Door Concept Ahead of LA Show

By: Carl Malek

Earlier this week, Ford Motor company finally took the wraps off the Fiesta ST five-door concept ahead of its official debut at the 2011 LA Auto show. This concept is Ford’s second iteration of the Fiesta ST concept.  The car first made its debut in 3-door form at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show earlier this year. Other than the addition of the two additional doors, the Fiesta ST five-door is more or less identical to the three-door version when it comes to exterior styling which includes the use of a large trapezoidal shaped grille, a Fiesta ST exclusive body-kit, 17 inch alloy wheels, and a twin exhaust system. Ford also mentions that the styling for both concepts was inspired by the Fiesta RS WRC Rally car, which is a star out in the world rally circuit.

Powering the Fiesta ST five-door is the same 180 horsepower 1.6 liter Ecoboost inline four engine that made its debut in the three-door version of the concept. Like its larger sibling the Ford Focus ST, the ST variant of the Fiesta will make use of a front wheel drive configuration, with power being sent to the wheels via a six speed manual gearbox. Along with the upgraded powertrain, Ford engineers have also completely reworked the suspension geometry of both versions of the Fiesta ST to allow drivers to get the most fun possible out of both cars when pushing them to their respective limits.

Ford is insisting that this latest version of the ST Fiesta is only a concept vehicle at this time, and has not issued a formal statement on whether it plans to officially put the vehicle into production or not. But with the unveiling of both three-door and five-door variants of this vehicle, chances are good that a production version of the Fiesta ST concept will make its debut sometime soon.  The car’s mix of efficiency and performance should please budget minded enthusiasts who prioritize style and performance in a small, fuel efficient wrapper.