It’s simply a matter of a lack of interest in the B-segment in America. — Leo Roeks, Ford Performance
But many of us were hoping that the ST variant might still have a chance to come Stateside. However, according to Leo Roeks, head of Ford Performance in Europe, that’s not the case.
“It’s simply a matter of a lack of interest in the B-segment in America,” Leo told CarBuzz. “It doesn’t make sense, nor is it possible financially speaking, to import a single trim level, and a niche one at that.”
The third-generation Fiesta ST debuted as Ford’s first performance model powered by a smaller 1.5-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine, and it had many of us wondering if this smaller-displacement engine would be the new benchmark for the hot hatch market here in the US.
With the new 2018 Fiesta ST featuring the popular selectable drive modes and the combination of port and direct fuel injection, we are a little bummed we will not get the chance to get behind the wheel of this hot hatch — unless we travel across the pond.
With the rise in popularity of subcompact sport-utility vehicles in North America, it makes sense that bringing ST only variant of the Fiesta would just not be cost-effective for Ford.
Ford’s EcoBoost performance lineup is plenty strong here in the US, even with out the Fiesta ST, and it appears that for now, Ford’s main focus for the North American market will remain on the performance Focus variants in this segment.