From £18,995
New hybrid turbo conversion endows the Fiesta ST with Focus ST power

What is it?

It wasn’t so long ago that the largest amount of power you could put through the front wheels was considered to be around 250bhp. Yet my abiding memory of the Cupra Leon 300 (no prizes for guessing how much power it has) from Best Affordable Driver’s Car in July is that it felt rapid but mostly ordinary.

The Cupra isn’t the only one to put huge power through the front axle with no great difficulty, either. The recently departed Honda Civic Type R had 316bhp, while the Renault Mégane RS and Hyundai i30 N get close.

But those are cars developed from the factory to have big power. It’s another story entirely when you boost a car after the fact. So what happens when you massage the turbocharger on the Ford Fiesta ST to take it from 197bhp to approximately 285bhp? Here to help us find out is Turbo Technics’ new S285 conversion.

If you haven’t heard of Turbo Technics, they’ve done this sort of thing before. Working at Garrett in the 1970s, Geoff Kershaw was instrumental in the development of the turbo engine in the Saab 99 before he struck out on his own and started Turbo Technics in 1981. Since then, the firm has offered turbo kits for various cars, from the Ford Capri to the Nissan Figaro and the Volkswagen Golf R (easily capable of 550bhp, apparently) – although a lot of their business comes from turbo refurbishment and turbocharger-balancing machines.

The S285 uses a so-called hybrid turbo. There are no batteries involved; it’s not that kind of hybrid. Instead, Turbo Technics takes the standard turbo and guts most of it, uprating the shafts, compressor wheels and bearings and modifying the housing to optimise the shape for power, rather than efficiency.

The internals reportedly take the extra power with little complaint, although Kershaw admits that there will always be some trade-off in the longevity of some components. While internal upgrades aren’t essential, some supporting modifications are. An ECU tune, an uprated intercooler, an induction kit and a freer-flowing exhaust ensure the turbo’s increased potency isn't wasted.

3 Turbo technics fiesta st 285 2022 uk first drive review cornering rear

What's it like?

As you might imagine, then, this is a thorough job, and there’s little to criticise about the turbo conversion itself. Granted, there is more lag than with the standard engine, and it wants at least 2500rpm on the tachometer before it really wakes up, but the more old-school turbo experience is very exciting, and it’s accompanied by the full complement of whooshes and chuffs.

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It feels quite content to headbutt its 7000rpm limiter, too, at no point feeling strained, while also remaining perfectly tractable at low revs, with no hesitation or roughness.

If there is some coarseness, it’s from the Scorpion exhaust. At low revs it grumbles; at higher revs it shouts obnoxiously; and in general it buries any three-cylinder character under a loud blare. Kershaw says that it was the only system available when they started developing the turbo, and you’re welcome to choose a different exhaust, as long as it’s less restrictive than the standard one.

While the turbo conversion is brutally effective, it’s right at the limit of what the chassis can handle. On the cold winter’s day we drive it, it's well over it.

If the boost comes in midway through the corner, the Michelin Pilot Supersport tyres will break traction quite suddenly and give up any attempt to follow the chosen cornering line. Lift off and the Fiesta’s naturally playful balance comes into play and quickly converts understeer into oversteer. 

Things improve as the road dries out, and the traction control actually does a good job of managing things if you just want to get from A to B, but it’s always going to be a raucous experience with plenty of torque-steer and one that will be frustrating during the colder months.

8 Turbo technics fiesta st 285 2022 uk first drive review engine

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Should I buy one?

Turbo Technics sells the kit through tuners such as Collins Performance, who bundle the turbo with all the required supporting modifications in one package for just over £3000, excluding fitting.

Alternatively, the turbo on its own is £1140 on an exchange basis with your standard turbo. Although they haven’t tried yet, it’s safe to assume that this would also work on the Puma ST

Considering that the Mountune M260 kit with all the trimmings costs £2340, that isn't bad value for an additional 30bhp and hardware that has been specified for the task. 

The question of whether it’s a worthwhile upgrade will depend on what you want to do with your Fiesta ST. If you just want a bit of extra poke from your everyday and all-weather road car, Turbo Technics’ kit is overkill. However, there will be those who want the fastest Fiesta ST, one that’s faster even than the Focus ST, just for the hell of it. In that case, or for a dedicated track build, this is a great option. Just don’t expect it to be as well-rounded as something that was designed from the outset with this level of power.

2 Turbo technics fiesta st 285 2022 uk first drive review side pan

PRICES & SPECS

Illya Verpraet

Illya Verpraet Road Tester Autocar
Title: Road Tester
As part of Autocar’s road test team, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews, comparison tests, as well as the odd feature and news story. Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s eight-page road tests, which are the most rigorous in the business thanks to independent performance, fuel consumption and noise figures.

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Comments
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michael knight 12 January 2022
How long would that last before it goes pop I wonder.
SAS32 12 January 2022
Probably makes more sense applied to a used example and combined with a LSD. A lot of potential B road fun for not a lot of money or at least in comparison to the GR Yaris.
Citytiger 11 January 2022

Even though Turbo Technics are no cowboys, I think I would stick to the Mountune Conversion, its a more rounded package.