Judging from the reviews it has racked up, the Ford Fiesta ST is probably one of the best hot-hatches of the supermini segment, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.

At least that’s what the folks from Graham Goode Racing (GGR) believe, with the UK-based Ford performance specialist releasing a tuning package that increases the performance of the Fiesta ST’s 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine from 180hp and 290Nm (214lb-ft) of torque to 240hp and 343Nm (253lb-ft) of torque.

Priced at £728.98 ($1,188) installed including VAT, the GGT ST240 package consists of an all-new High Flow Direct Air Induction System and a “Smooth Flow” Air Induction hose, combined with a totally revised ECU remap from electronics experts Superchips Ltd.

For ease of installation, the GGR ST240 ECU remap is only available via the Superchips bluefin handset, which uploads the revised calibration directly to the ECU via the Fiesta ST’s OBD II communication port.

In order to ensure MOT emissions compliance, the package retains the standard Ford exhaust system and catalytic converter. With the GGR ST240 package, the tuner says the Fiesta ST is “staggering when provoked but extremely driveable, user-friendly, quiet and linear in its delivery.”

Unfortunately, no performance figures were offered, but a 240hp Fiesta ST should be noticeably quicker than the standard car, which sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 224 km/h (139 mph).

Graham Goode Racing says that the GGR ST240 package is also available for owners of the existing GGR ST225 specification.

While there has been the occasional unwatchable review from RegularCarReviews, this one about the Ford Fiesta ST is actually worth your time. It looks at how the Fiesta ST was received and perceived in the US and why people have taken a liking to it.

In a word: fun. It’s the main reason why people buy Fiesta STs. It’s fun in a straight line because it sounds beefy inside, has a close-ratio six-speed manual plus it also rewards the driver’s input with sharp steering responses. According to this video, Americans still can’t get over the fact that something this small can be as fast as it is.

The reviewer even suggests it’s faster than a Focus ST, which it probably is in those instances when agility is more important than outright power/acceleration.

Beware, though, the video still contains some profanity (especially when the sound symposer matter comes up…) – this is very much a NFSW video, but you were expecting that, weren’t you?

Rumors about a hardcore Ford Fiesta RS are not new, but this time it appears the performance model is likely to happen, as Ford Performance has finished developing the Focus RS and can now concentrate on other models.

The newly-established Ford Performance arm, which reunites previous divisions such as RS and Ford Racing, has announced it will launch 12 models by 2020, including the new Focus RS, GT supercar, as well as hot versions of the Mustang and F-150.

The Fiesta RS may be among these future models, as Autocar has learned from Tyrone Johnson, Ford Performance manager. The executive confirmed the company is working on a new, higher-performance version of the Fiesta that could theoretically be a Ford Performance product.

However, he declined to say whether the new Fiesta would be an upgrade of the Fiesta ST or an RS model. What he did say is that the performance version would be based on the current Fiesta, which means the market launch shouldn’t be too far off.

“There’s more to come from the current Fiesta,” Tyrone Johnson said, adding that the global success of the standard Fiesta ST prompted Ford to make this decision.

According to Johnson, the difference between ST models and RS cars is that the former are considered “enhanced” versions of existing models, whereas the latter are part of the high-performance category.

When asked whether Ford would consider launching a high-performance Fiesta, in other words an RS model, the exec replied: “If there’s a business case and if it’s technically feasible.” He added that if those two criteria were met, a Fiesta RS would be “theoretically” possible.

Could happen

The Ford Fiesta has received the RS treatment from Hungarian independent artist X-Tomi Design.

The attached renders have some background as Ford Performance manager Tyrone Johnson has already announced a beefier version of the Fiesta is in the works and will be positioned above the ST model. It will be based on the current chassis and chances are it will be out within the next two years. X-Tomi Design decided to envision a Fiesta RS based on the three-door version and with the Liquid Paint blue as applied on the Focus RS and the new GT but this special hue won't be commercially available.

The more potent Fiesta is being developed by the newly established Ford Performance division which was formed by merging the RS and Ford Racing branches. The hotter supermini will probably come with a four-cylinder 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine developing somewhere in the 220-230 bhp region taking into account the 1.6-liter EB inside the Fiesta ST (US-spec) puts out 197 bhp (147 kW).

The added oomph will be matched by a more aggressive body as illustrated above, together with larger alloys, stiffer & lower suspension and a rear wing along with some interior cabin enhancements such as body-hugging Recaro seats and a sporty trim with more aluminum accents.

Edmunds.com Engineering Editor Jason Kavanagh takes Ford's 1.6L EcoBoost equipped Fiesta ST to the dyno.

If you like fast, subcompact Fords, then the 182 PS (180 hp) and 214 lb-ft (290 Nm) Fiesta ST is the best one out there. Unless, you don’t take into account Mountune’s variant.

The British specialist, known for its rallying expertise, has decided to up the Fiesta ST’s power to levels worthy of an RS model – if such a thing existed. Sadly, Ford doesn’t offer a Fiesta RS, but the MR265 upgrade kit is the perfect substitute.

Mountune says the MR265 builds upon the hardware found in the MR230, adding a new hybrid turbocharger, high-flow rear intake pipework, silicone hoses, a larger intercooler and so on. The result is a re-tweaked 1.6-lire EcoBoost capable of boasting, as the name suggest, 265 PS (261 hp) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque.

The M265 won’t be available in the U.S., but according to Autoblog, Mountune’s mission to make the Fiesta faster won’t stop here. Ken Anderson, president of Mountune's US operations, told the magazine that the American branch will squeeze 280 PS (276 hp) out of the Fiesta’s tiny engine.

Mr. Anderson did not reveal the entire upgrade recipe, but he said the kit will include a Garret GT2554R turbocharger bolted on to the stock exhaust manifold, among other mods. Bring it on, we say.

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.