The Peugeot has a more natural soundtrack
as it Climb Dances against its rev limiter. The Ford reaches that same point
with much less venom. A hearty Darth Vader-esque rumble from the rear of the
car as the turbo comes on song is a surprise in the Peugeot, but flicking the
Fiesta ST into Sport mode the ESC button tweaks its rorty sound symposer for
the full Dolby WRC experience with a lovely paaarp at 5,000rpm. By comparison,
the Polo doesn't make the most emotive sound, sounding more like 14oocc of
plumbing with overtones of induction noise.
Fiesta's
chunky controls inspire a fun, sporty feel but perceived quality lags behind
the Polo. Aluminium pedals and ST embellishments lift the package
As for the force- fed engines in these
cars, the Peugeot's traditional unit with a bore/stroke ratio of less than 1:1
is the most powerful on paper, and boy can it move it along when you have some
traction hooked up to the front wheels, but performance is still undeniably
laggy. The EcoBoost motor in the Ford is perfectly square and such parity is
revered for providing all-round prowess and the ST's crisp throttle response
and abundance of mid-range torque don't disappoint. Nor once over two days in
the Ford did I think to myself, 'Oh, I've dropped off boost'.
The
208 is by far the best-equipped car here with sat-nav, Bluetooth, USB
connectivity and a touch-screen Interface comprising the gadget list
Read them their rights, officer
As modem fast cars grow up and move out of
reach of average minimum-wage-earning enthusiasts, it's good to know these
cheaper hot hatches are still committed to unadulterated driving pleasure. To
this end, the Polo GTI with its 'Sta-Soft' DSG gearbox was always going robe on
the back foot (even though it's pretty quick on paper) and so it has proven.
It's the token invite here whose absence from the ménage a trois would have
been conspicuous, but only having two-pedals in this dogfight mutes driver
involvement. It feels less of a hot hatch and more a Polo that shunts from A to
H quickly. It's a great feeder car to Golf GTI ownership, but it can't run with
the newer lads.
From
the GTI adornment on the steering wheel to the red stitching on the gear lever
surrounds and Alcantara-clad leather seats, the Polo boasts superb tactile
quality
The Peugeot and Ford are separated by mere
inches on paper but the winner in this contest can only be the one that sets
the pulse racing the quickest. Without a shadow of doubt, that is the Ford
Fiesta ST. The Peugeot, with its 'Woolite' ride, is the most comfortable and
the cabin is well equipped, but these simply aren't the traits we're looking
for in deciding the best junior hot hatch. A masterful turbo engine in the Ford
delivers normally aspirated lineariry that is complemented by superb all-round
dynamics, efficiency and the most affordable list price. It's the best-sorted
'gateway' hot hatch since the previous Renault Clio RS.
