As you likely already know, the latest Ford Fiesta ST is not offered in South Africa. And now the Blue Oval brand has released a fresh ST Edition variant in Europe, complete with adjustable coilover suspension. Jealous?

Back in July 2018, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa confirmed to CARmag.co.za the Fiesta ST would “unfortunately not be coming to SA”, with the company citing “fuel quality” concerns.

Now Ford in Europe has revealed its new Fiesta ST Edition, with production for the continent capped at 500 units, all in the three-door body style. What sets the ST Edition apart from the standard ST? Well, it gains adjustable suspension for what Ford describes as “ultimate road and track performance”, along with a smattering of model-specific styling updates.

There’s a new Azura Blue exterior finish plus gloss-black detailing for elements such as the rear diffuser, spoiler and “ST” badges, as well as a set of lightweight 18-inch alloys (with each wheel saving almost 2 kg). Inside, you’ll find fresh carbon fibre-effect detailing, blue stitching and a new Ford Performance steering wheel.

But perhaps the most signigicant upgrade is the fitment of a Ford Performance adjustable coilover suspension system that the company says “enables customisation of cornering, road-holding and ride-height characteristics for true performance driving enthusiasts”.

Ford claims the Fiesta ST Edition has been “fine-tuned to optimise balance and control through corners and offers the flexibility for drivers to further tailor suspension setting to their specific driving style or environment”.

The two-way adjustable coilover suspension setup features twin-tube stainless-steel damper housings and powder-coated springs finished in Ford Performance Blue. Ride height is lowered by up to 15 mm at the front and 10 mm at the rear. Twelve bump settings (the degree of upward damper movement allowed as the wheel contacts a bump in the road) and 16 rebound settings are on offer. A Quaife limited-slip differential furthermore ships standard.

As a reminder, power comes from a turbocharged 1,5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine sending 147 kW and 290 N.m to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. That’s enough, says Ford, for a sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in 6,5 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h.

Original article from Car