Fiesta ST Not Coming to Australia !!!!

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Ford's top-secret Fiesta ST has been spied relatively undisguised during testing at the Nurburgring in Germany.

The Fiesta ST is set to be powered by a new 1.6-litre EcoBoost turbocharged engine, rumoured to produce as much as 150kW of power and as much as 250Nm of torque.

The new engine is rumoured to propel the Fiesta ST from 0-100km/h in less than 6.0 seconds, making it quicker than the upcoming Polo GTI (6.9 seconds), against which the Fiesta will compete.

The ST's front-end clearly shows a new gaping air intake that covers a relatively large intercooler, giving the Fiesta ST a real "boy-racer" look.

It also sports a large rear spoiler, new rear diffuser and twin exhaust pipes. It also has some revised bodywork, and a larger set of wheels which sit wider than the current Fiesta's thanks to a wider track which will help the car stick to the road better.

Inside, the car is fitted with a pair of Recaro racing seats, similar to those fitted to the Renault Clio RS, signalling the car's pocket-rocket intentions. The car in question was reportedly being benchmarked against the Clio RS at the time that these images were taken.

But, dear Aussie hot-hatch enthusiasts, don't get your hopes up just yet. The Fiesta ST is unlikely to be seen on your local streets anytime soon.

Local Ford spokesman Peter Fadeyev says the Australian branch has "no knowledge of a Fiesta ST, and therefore consequently no plans for such a model".

The car pictured can clearly be seen to be left-hand-drive, and the fact the Fiesta ST is a three-door model further rules it out for Australia as Ford's local operators will soon cease sales of the three-door model in favour of its new Thai-built sedan. Ford's Fiesta five-door hatch will also remain.

Ford's Fiesta ST is likely to make its official debut in the coming months.

Ford Australia sold an XR4 hot-hatch version of the previous generation Fiesta, powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, but it was discontinued in 2008.