Ford Fiesta ST hatchback (2013-2017) - Interior & comfort

While the Volkswagen Polo is top dog for interior quality, the Ford Fiesta’s dashboard is arguably more interesting to look at and you won’t find that many nasty hard or scratchy plastics. The basic design hails from 2008, though, and looks rather dated against newer rivals – something the replacement Fiesta addresses with a large touchscreen infotainment display.

The most obvious change in the ST compared to the standard model is the addition of sports seats, which offer lots of support for hard cornering. ST-2 and ST-3 models have seats that provide even more support. There are also bright flashes of trim and a sports steering wheel with ST badging. Also, plenty of adjustment for the driver’s seat and steering wheel mean it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position.

Equipment

All models in the Fiesta ST range are well equipped. As well as featuring all of the racy paraphernalia you can see from the outside, there are Recaro sports seats and Ford’s MyKey system, which is a special key that can be used to limit the car’s top speed and stereo volume, helping keep younger drivers safe. Other standard kit includes powered and heated door mirrors, a DAB digital radio, air-conditioning and a Quickclear heated windscreen.

Moving up to the ST-2 model adds heated front seats with half-leather trim, more powerful headlights, a Sony DAB digital radio, Ford’s SYNC voice-activated connectivity system, an engine start button and tinted windows.

At the top of the range is the ST-3 model, coming with all the kit you could wish for, including climate control, cruise control, sat nav, automatic windscreen wipers and lights, plus keyless entry and go.