It'll Be Another Year Before Ford Rolls Out A New Fiesta ST

After eight years on the market, Ford has finally revealed an all-new Fiesta. The next question on our mind – and the minds of most hot-hatch enthusiasts – then is when the manufacturer will bring out a new Fiesta ST. And the answer, it seems, is late next year.

Speaking with Dutch publication AutoRAI, Ford's hot-hatch development boss Tyrone Johnson disclosed that the next Fiesta ST will be unveiled by the end of 2017, with production to commence the following January.

While details are still scarce, Johnson indicated that we shouldn't expect much more power. The current model packs a 1.6-liter turbo four producing as much as 200 horsepower in the Fiesta ST200 – or even 215 on overboost – but that won't be the new benchmark.

Instead the focus (so to speak) will be on the fun factor, which the Blue Oval automaker aims to boost. It will also be more visually aggressive than the ST-Line version pictured here. Expect front-wheel drive and hopefully a manual transmission to hold their ground instead of all-wheel drive and a DCT. And there'll likely be both three- and five-door versions once again.

The prospect of a Fiesta RS, meanwhile, is anything but confirmed. But Ford's European R&D chief Joe Bakaj told AutoRAI “never say never.”