Watch the new Ford Fiesta ST flex its muscles on a Belgian race track

Ford of Europe has issued a short video showing the awesome little Ford Fiesta ST being pushed to its limits on Track 7 at Ford’s Lommel, Belgium test facility and it is a truly awesome example of just what the EcoBoost’d hot hatch can do when run all out.

At the helm of the bright red Ford Fiesta ST shown in the video below is Ford Vehicle Dynamics Specialist David Put. Mr. Put throws the Fiesta ST around the turns of the Lommel course with the screech of tires and the harmonious roar of the 1.6L EcoBoost engine as the compact hot hatch gladly lifts the wheels and slides through the turns. Even though the course looks quite wet, the Fiesta ST handles the turns very well when Mr. Put isn’t intentionally trying to get the back end sliding – which is also fun to watch. Honestly, the Fiesta ST looks like it is a heck of a lot of fun to drive. in addition to showing how well the Fiesta slides, corners and roars around the test track, this video provides a great look at the new sport compact hatchback from all angles with the unique ST exterior package that makes this Fiesta vastly more sporty looking than the non-performance model Fiesta. Finally, while there may not be a great man Fiesta ST buyers who plan to spend a lot of time on the track with their ST, this video shows just how capable the car will be for those who do enjoy the occasional romp around a road course.

The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is powered by a 1.6L turbocharged EcoBoost 4-cylinder that provides 197 horsepower and 214lb-ft of torque with all of that power channeled to the front wheels via a standard 6 speed manual transmission. This compact hatch (in US form) is expected to offer 34 miles per gallon but even if it doesn’t, the Fiesta ST will really will not have a tremendous amount of competition. Following in the footsteps of the Ford Focus ST, the Fiesta ST will be the newest high performance global EcoBoost application to hit the US shores – finally providing competition for the likes of the sporty subcompact Volkswagens and Mini Coopers.

You may notice that the Ford Fiesta ST in action in the video below is a 3-door hatchback model which, sadly, is not available here in the United States. When the Fiesta ST hits later this year, it will be similar to the high performance hatchback shown in the video below in terms of the drivetrain but our Fiesta ST will be the larger 5-door model – similar to what is already available here. Many American hot hatch fans are hoping that Ford will work the “One Ford” angle and bring the Fiesta 3-door to the US in the near future but for the time being, we will have to settle for the larger version. However, based on this new video of the Fiesta ST being rung out on Ford’s Belgian test track, it looks like the Fiesta ST will be a ton of fun to drive regardless of how many door it has when it gets here.

So, crank up your speakers and check out the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST being run hard on a closer circuit test track.