Ford announced the 2017 Fiesta ST hot hatch but if you expected any major changes over the previous year models, you’re in for a disappointment.

The Fiesta ST is already one of the best compact performance models on the market and Ford wisely chose not to mess with the recipe for 2017.

The only things that changed is the color palette which now gains a new option, the Orange Spice Metallic Tri-Coat and a complimentary day of performance driving instruction from the ST Octane Academy at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

The rest of the specs remain the same, meaning a turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost with 197hp and 202 lb-ft of peak torque paired to a six-speed manual gearbox. “This is a rewarding car to rev,” says Mark Roberts, Fiesta calibration supervisor. “With 202 lb.-ft. by 3,500 rpm, Fiesta ST gives the performance and feel of an engine twice its size. There’s no waiting at all for the power to just push you back in your seat.”

The chassis is aided by a lower, sportier suspension, a set of bigger brakes, an electronic torque vectoring system to minimize understeer and a three-mode electronic stability control.

Being one of the most fun-to-drive models of its size, the new 2017 Ford Fiesta ST is available now for order across the country.

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