drive

Comparison Test: Ford Fiesta ST vs Peugeot 208 GTI

January 14, 2015

As gloomy as the bigger picture paints this sordid truth, hot hatches appear to be the last bastion of proper manuals. Just ponder on that for a moment, most of the larger performance-oriented machinery now focus on executing the gear swaps for the driver themselves to cut down precious seconds with some even completely sending manuals the way of the dodo bird.

While dual-clutch witchcraft and even extremely efficient torque-converter automatics can get the job done consuming less effort and time, the end result is now always worth the trade-off of rowing your own gears. Sure there are still options for manual transmissions but the numbers are dwindling.

That leaves compact hot hatches as the unlikely saviour for those that demand the full driving experience that includes shifting your own gears. Granted, options are still limited but you could just go out and buy one hassle-free without the worry of having to special order it which would take months to deliver.

The Peugeot 208 GTI was the one true proper compact hot hatch with a manual here since the end of last year. Renault threw its hat into the ring with the new Clio RS but they sinned by ditching the manual altogether and their followers were not pleased. The Volkswagen Polo GTI shouts loud and proud about its parent company’s DSG. It can be had with a manual although not in our market.

Enter the Ford Fiesta ST that is the bang the year deserves to conclude with. With its turbocharged EcoBoost mill and sticky Potenza rubbers, the Ford packed a heavy arsenal that could more than stick it up to the Pug to sway the war its way.

Interior

The Peugeot’s office is by far the more hospitable and comfortable of the two. French cars tend to get their interiors right and the Peugeot is bang on with superb quality for a plush and cosy cabin.

Thick leather seats that manage to be supportive and snug are the perfect companion for winding, twisty roads and city traffic whilst the touchscreen multimedia head unit will keep you entertained all day long if the driving does not.

One thing that has plagued that the 208 and blemishes its excellent driving experience is the absurd seating position that only caters for midgets or basketball players. Anything in between is left with that tiny steering wheel obscuring the instrument cluster, and in a car with a revvy motor that alone could be enough to sway buyers away.

Steeping inside the Fiesta ST, a familiar sight greets you if you have spent time in a regular Fiesta. The plastics are not up to par against the Peugeot’s soft-touch dash and the whole thing just looks like a regular Fiesta’s interior. The tiny SYNC monitor does not help as well after spending some time in the 208.

That sense of occasion is glaringly missing save for the bolstered Recaro’s that surprisingly are some of the best sports seats we have ever tested. Rear legroom is adequate and certainly more generous than the Pug as well.

Powertrain

On paper, the Peugeot looks to have this in the bag. Both have 1.6-litre turbocharged and direct-injected inline-four mills but Peugeot have managed to squeeze out more grunt from its pony. 200hp and 275Nm of torque should deliver a markedly quicker drive than the Fiesta’s 182hp and 240Nm of torque but it was a different story on the road.

The century sprint times show the French car takes it by a tenth of a second but the Fiesta felt the livelier, eager and; dare we say it, quicker one. Ford’s secret sauce here is an overboost function that ups the power to around 200hp and a whopping 290Nm of torque in 15 second bursts. This helps the honing factor tremendously and is possibly the reason for it feeling quicker when pushed.

Both come with proper manuals and six ratios but the Fiesta had a meatier and more dramatic shift. The shifter slid into place with a solid thud and minimal free play, adding to the dramatics of spirited driving. The French connection was sadly absent as the Pug’s shifter lacked the preciseness and weighting of the Ford’s but was a much easier brute to deal with in regular driving.

Driving

Peugeot have packed a bigger punch under the hood of the 208 but that alone will not be enough to win this battle. Having a big gun is one thing, knowing how to aim is another. The Peugeot’s power advantage was sadly a little muted by virtue of its mind-blowing ride, which we will get to.

Everything in the 208 felt a little over-damped to the point that perhaps it softened the driving experience a little. The electric steering was expectedly feather-light but returned generous feedback and allowed you to really aim the nose right into the corner’s apex.

Even for something with such a supple ride, the damping was superbly set up and delivered excellent body control although grip would go at lower G-forces over the Fiesta due to the softer damping.

The 208 was so comfortable and refined that you would almost mistaken it for a regular ol’ hatch but to look down on its ability to make haste and cover miles of tight roads as well as entertain would be a costly gaffe.

It really has to be reiterated how wonderful the ride was, absorbing all the imperfections of the roads yet being able to carve up corners with ease. That manual transmission was a joy to use but felt overly light.

Even with a lack of punch on paper, the Ford more than made up with a genuine compact hot hatch performance that left us begging for an encore. The gearshifts were rugged and stout while the quick-ratio steering had that same meatiness for extra precision to hit a dime on the apex.

That engine note is aural pleasure too. It is just a few octaves short of that marvellous warble you get from its larger Focus ST cousin but still just as delightful. The overboost function is disengaged in first and second to limit wheelspin but once you floor it in third, the Fiesta will truly come alive and that sound just eggs you on to continue giving it the full beans.

It will easily pull more G-forces, resulting in more grip before understeer or oversteer kicks; depending on how naughty you have been. Nonetheless, the extra bite does come at a cost. The ride is always busy and nowhere near as supple as the 208. Highways in the Fiesta might not be as amusing but once the B-roads are back on the menu, prepare for fun.

If the Peugeot could carve a corner, this one would roast it and serve to you on a silver platter as well.

Conclusion

More than once, words such as ‘over-dampened’ or ‘light’ have been used to describe the 208 GTI in this article while the Fiesta ST would have been paired with the likes of ‘precision’ and ‘meaty.’ Simply put, that is the contrasting natures of both cars.

The Peugeot represents a more balanced hot hatch that will be a gentle companion on the daily grind yet still manage to put a smile on your face when tackling corners and twisty strips of asphalt.

On the other hand, the Fiesta ST is more of a bruiser that punishes corners and delivers a proper driving experience but with the sacrifice of some comfort and refinement.

Nonetheless, this is a test of compact hot hatches and therefore the driving experience and fun factor takes precedence so the winner of this comparison is the new kid on the block, the Fiesta ST.

Specifications of the Peugeot 208 GTI

Engine: 1,598cc, DOHC 16V inline-four, direct injection, twin-scroll turbocharged, variable valve timing & lift

Max power: 200hp @ 5,800rpm

Max torque: 275Nm @ 1,700-4,500rpm

Transmission: Six-speed close ratio manual

Safety features: Six airbags, ABS, EBD, BA, stability control, ISOFIX anchorage points, hill start assist

Price: RM139,888.00

Specifications of the Ford Fiesta ST

Engine: 1,596cc, DOHC 16V inline-four, direct injection, turbocharged, variable valve timing

Max power: 182hp @ 5,700rpm

Max torque: 240Nm @ 1,600-5,000rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual

Safety features: Seven airbags, ABS, EBD, BA, stability control, traction control, ISOFIX anchorage points, hill start assist

Price: RM149,888.00

— January 14, 2015.