It hasn’t even hit UK roads yet, but Ford is already chasing the warm hatch pack with the Fiesta Zetec S.

The Zetec S will sit at the top of the new Fiesta range when the car is launched in October, keeping the throne warm until the true king arrives – the scorching Fiesta ST.

But the pretender will not be short on thrills, thanks to an all-new 118bhp 1.6-litre Duratec petrol engine. Designed to deliver a great mix of performance and economy, 0-62mph is dealt with in 9.9 seconds, CO2 emissions are a scant 139g/km and a gallon of fuel should be enough for almost 50 miles.

It might not be quite as outlandish as its RS siblings, but the Zetec S will stand out from the hatchback crowd thanks to a dynamic body kit, including deeply-sculpted flanks, jagged side skirts and an aerodynamic splitter.

Both handling and safety will benefit from improved torsional rigidity over the last car – all new Fiestas will be ten per cent stiffer than their predecessors. 55 per cent of the body structure will be fabricated from high-strength steel, so the Fiesta will be less prone to body roll and much more resilient to impact.

The new Fiesta will be officially unveiled at this month’s UK motor show, but in the meantime make sure you pick up Auto Express issue 1,021 – on sale Wednesday 16th July – for all the details on the Zetec S and the rest of the range.

via autoexpress