Ford’s New Fiesta ST’s 1.0-Liter Three-Cylinder Actually Sounds Pretty Good, But You Still Can’t Have One

Ford takes downsizing about as far as they can go by fitting the new Fiesta ST with a 1.0-liter EcoBoost.

And you thought the 1.6-liter turbo in the last generation Ford Fiesta was tiny. That’s nothing! Ford’s brand new Fiesta ST sounds pretty decent, considering it has a three-cylinder engine. But that’s not all – the microscopic engine produces exactly the same amount of power and more torque than the previous model. While the old one produced 197 horsepower and 202 lb-ft of torque, the three-cylinder Fiesta ST makes 197 horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque. It also features cylinder deactivation – yes, on a three-cylinder engine. It can run on two instead, for greater fuel efficiency.

The new Fiesta ST is still supposed to be a hot hatch, though, so what is it really like with a three-pot? More specifically, how does it sound? Check out the video above and judge for yourself!

Ford Fiesta ST
The new Fiesta ST packs a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine under the hood, but it isn’t coming to the U.S. [Photo: Ford]

Not bad, right? Especially when you rev hard, there’s a nice little crackle and bang – not what you’d typically associate with a 1.0-liter engine. Here’s the rub, though: We’re still not getting one. If you missed the news, Ford is killing off nearly all of their car models in the U.S. market. The Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, Taurus and C-Max are not long for this world. If this new Fiesta looks totally different than you’re used to, don’t worry. You didn’t miss anything – this is just the new generation Fiesta, and Ford didn’t ever bring it over here.

Ford also introduced a new generation of the Focus, but we’re not getting that one either. In fact, the only cars that will be sold here are the Mustang and a crossover version of the Focus, the Focus Active.

Detroit Debuts - Preview of the 2018 NAIAS
2019 Ford Edge ST. [Photo: Ford]

Crossover crazy?

Instead of the five discontinued models (except, perhaps the Focus, if you count the crossover variant), Ford will focus on selling us crossovers and trucks instead. So we’ll still see performance “ST” models, but we’re getting crossovers rather than hatchbacks. The company did announce a new Edge ST and Explorer ST in the pipeline. The former will pack 335 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque from a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. We don’t know much about the new Explorer yet, other than it will switch back to a rear-wheel drive platform. We should learn more about the Explorer ST and its powertrain in the coming months.

Ford’s decision to drop their car models in this market comes at a time when customers snap up new crossovers like the latest smartphones. You know which one we’re talking about. Ford sells hundreds of thousands of crossovers every single year, while sedan and hatchback sales have dwindled. Rather than invest time and money into rejuvenating the old warhorses or bringing the new ones over from Europe, the company’s shifting its resources. On that basis, we expect to see more crossover-based ST models in the near future for the U.S. market. An Escape ST, perhaps? How about an Explorer RS?

What do you think of the new Fiesta and it’s turbocharged three-cylinder sound. Would you prefer it over the outgoing 1.6-liter turbo? Do you think Ford should bring this car to the U.S.? Let us know in the comments below! Subscribe to The Fast Lane Car and TFLnow for more news, views, and real-world reviews.