Fast Ford fans have been itching for a new Fiesta ST for years now and that wait is finally over.
Ford is also rewarding South African fans for their patience by being rather aggressive on the pricing front, bringing it in at R254 500. It thus undercuts the 132kW VW Polo GTI (R283 900) by a useful margin, and it's the same story with the 125kW Alfa Romeo Mito QV (R284 900).
However, Peugeot will be throwing in a wildcard in early July when it launches its 208 GTI at R259 000. The 147kW Peugeot is only marginally more expensive than the Fiesta, yet has a killer-watt advantage over the new 134kW/240Nm Fiesta ST.
Like its French foe, the new ST is thrust forward by a 1.6-litre turbopetrol engine. The direct injection Ecoboost motor, says Ford, will allow it to screech from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds at the coast and reach a top speed of 220km/h.
The engine was tuned by Ford's Team RS division and their tinkering also extends to the suspension, steering and brakes. The Fiesta ST also gains an enhanced version of Ford's Torque Vectoring Control system.
As we speak, our colleague Denis Droppa is putting this little terror through its paces on a race track at its launch in Gauteng; stay tuned for his full report and driving impressions.