Ford launches more powerful Fiesta S1600

Ford will launch a more powerful version of its Fiesta S1600 this month, continuing a sports hatch heritage that began with the Fiesta XR2 in 1981 and has included the Supersport, RS and ST models.

Priced from £15,895 on the road and limited to just 500 examples, the latest Ford Fiesta S1600 boasts 134PS at 6,700rpm and 160Nm of torque at 4,250rpm from its 1.6-litre, Duratec Ti-VCT petrol engine, It can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 8.2 seconds - an improvement of 1.7 seconds.

Based on the popular three-door 120PS Ford Fiesta Zetec-S, the 120mph Fiesta S1600 marks its sporting pedigree with a body styling kit that includes a unique front bumper with flared lower valence panel, extended side skirts, large rear spoiler and rear diffuser, plus 17-inch white alloy wheels. Frozen White or Performance Blue paint colours are available with contrasting motorsport stripes.

The interior also receives a comprehensive upgrade, including heated, stitched leather sports seats with standard side-airbags, leather steering wheel, handbrake cover and gear lever, plus motorsport-branded floor mats and scuff plates.

Andrew Paton, Ford of Britain's Fiesta product manager, said: "The sportier character of these limited-edition Fiesta S1600 models will appeal to all driving enthusiasts. The previous S1600 was rapidly sold out which shows how much fun these affordable new Fiesta models are - and now with more power and performance these latest versions are set to be an even greater hit."