Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red and Black Edition: 102kW three-cylinder

Called the Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red and Black Edition, the two-tone, three-door city slicker gets a tweaked version of Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost triple with 102kW of power, 10kW more than the regular version fitted to models such as the regular Fiesta, EcoSport and Focus, and also 2kW more than BMW Mini’s rival 1.5-litre three-cylinder.  

Hilariously, this gives the Fiesta Red and Black a higher power-per-litre of displacement figure than a Bugatti Veyron or Ferrari 458 Speciale. Before you get too excited, it is worth noting that a number of 2.0-litre hot-hatches with more than 200kW can also claim as such. 

The Blue Oval brand has liberated the extra power by changing the turbo’s boost control, valve timings, intercooler and throttle management.

The special edition Fiesta Zetec S Red and Black Edition Fiesta that plays host to the tweaked engine gets a range of other sporty tweaks including revised gear ratios for the five-speed manual gearbox, firmer suspension, new shocks and springs, a stiffened rear axle and weightier electric power steering.

Cosmetic additions include black 17-inch alloys, a sharpened body kit with new front and rear bumpers and side skirts and contrasting red roof paint. Inside are a black leather sports steering wheel and gear lever with red stitching, black floor mats with red stitching, and black sport seats with contrasting red stitching and bolster exteriors.

Despite the laudable power-per-litre figure, the Red and Black’s performance figures are ‘warm’ rather than hot. The 0-110km/h sprint is dispatched in 9.0 seconds, 2.1sec slower than the 134kW/240Nm 1.6-litre Fiesta ST. 

But in bad news for Australian buyers, the Red and Black Edition is made in Cologne alongside the ST and is for now a European-market car.

Ford Australia brand communications manager Neil McDonald told CarAdvice that the company was unlikely to import the Red and Black, or some other tuned version of the existing EcoBoost Fiesta, to this market -- though never say never. Ford currently sells the 92kW/170Nm Fiesta Sport and the Fiesta ST here, priced from $22,525 and $25,990 respectively. 

Since its launch in August last year, Ford Australia has been taking about 40 per cent more orders on the ST than it expected, averaging about 50 per month.