Volkswagen Polo GTI review: Big on kit, no great hit

Joshua Dowling cuts to the chase on the Ford Fiesta ST.

2016 Ford Fiesta ST Mountune.

VALUE

At $25,990 plus on-roads, the Ford Fiesta ST provides the most hot-hatch bang for your bucks, undercutting its rivals. But that price is set to rise to $27,490 from September, when it gains satnav, rear-view camera with a higher resolution display and illuminated scuff plates. What we have here is the $25,990 model with the optional $2328 Mountune kit from Ford that claims to boost power from 134kW/240Nm to 158kW/320Nm (the regular ST peaks at 147kW/290Nm in its 15-second “overboost” mode). The kit increases fuel use from 6.2 litres per 100km to 6.9L/100km but if you get it fitted at a Ford dealer, it retains the factory warranty.

COMFORT

2016 Ford Fiesta ST Mountune.

The bolstered Recaro sports seats can make it feel as if your underwear is creeping up but they sure keep you pinned — the ST’s sharp handling would have you thrown about the cabin otherwise. The interior is showing its age but most mod-cons are covered.

SAFETY

Seven airbags and a five-star safety rating. Good road holding also deserves a mention, as do the four-wheel brake discs which have plenty of bite. There’s also a “go slow” key that limits top speed and radio volume should your teenager want to borrow the car.

DRIVING

2016 Ford Fiesta ST Mountune.

2016 Ford Fiesta ST Mountune.

The ST, already one of the purest hot hatches, fits like a glove. You can feel the car react to every tiny movement of the throttle, steering or brakes, though the suspension can give you a little too much feedback on bumps. The 1.6-litre turbo is astoundingly elastic in its power delivery, and always feels as if it’s ready to go. So imagine our disappointment when the Mountune version didn’t really feel any different. Using a satellite-based timing device, the best we could manage in the 0-100km/h dash was 7.0 secs. Ford claims 6.9 for the standard car; performance magazines have clocked 6.97 and 7.0. In-gear acceleration felt exactly the same as the standard car. The Mountune-equipped car had done 2800km, so it was run-in. And our test conditions were perfect: cool air, a smooth, dry, grippy road and repeatedly clean launches. Having done 5500km in a Fiesta ST I previously owned, I regretfully report this Mountune kit wasn’t any quicker in 0-100km/h tests or in real world in-gear acceleration.

ALTERNATIVES

Volkswagen Polo GTI $27,490

Powered by a 1.8-litre turbo (131kW/320Nm), this car is a missile in a straight line but doesn’t handle corners as well as the ST.

Citroen DS3 $33,990

Similar performance to the ST thanks to 1.6-litre turbo (but down on power at 121kW/ 240Nm) though it doesn’t corner as well and the price is way too steep.

Peugeot 208 GTI $30,990

Has a more powerful 1.6-litre turbo (147kW/275Nm), handles well, is priced better than the Citroen but it’s still dearer than the ST and Polo.

VERDICT

Save your money on the Mountune kit and buy a $25,990 ST during run-out. If you can afford $27,490, wait until September for the update with more gear and the same power.

QUICK GLANCE

PRICE $28,318 as tested

SAFETY 7 airbags, 5 stars

ENGINE 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo, 158kW/320Nm (up from standard 134kW/240Nm)

TRANS 6-speed man; FWD

THIRST 6.9L/100km