The 2017 Geneva International Motor Show kicks into high gear this week, and once again our friends at Ford Performance have put together an impressive display of next-generation vehicles for Ford enthusiasts to drool over during the event. One of the specialty vehicles that we have kept a close eye is the 2018 Ford Fiesta ST, which made its public debut in Switzerland.

Ford Performance officially unveiled the hot hatch at the Geneva Auto Show’s Media Day on Monday, and it has created quite the buzz. Powered by an all-new 1.5-liter turbocharged, inline-three-cylinder EcoBoost engine, the Fiesta ST will produce the same power output as the previous 1.6-liter, four-cylinder model!

According to Ford, the new ST will produce 197 horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque and will hit 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds. While these may not sound like record-breaking times, when you combine the all-aluminum powertrain with the standard six-speed manual transmission with a hotter tune, the possibility of this little ST schooling you off the line is real!

Ford has also invested a lot of time ensuring the new Fiesta ST EcoBoost engine is both responsive and efficient by adding a number of advanced features into the vehicle that would normally be reserved for performance cars well above the estimated price range of the new hot hatch. The new EcoBoost engine will automatically shut down a single cylinder during normal everyday driving when an excessive load is not being detected on the engine, ensuring maximum fuel efficiency.

But for those of you that may not be concerned with this feature in your next performance vehicle, Ford Performance has the enthusiast covered as well by integrating performance tweaks to both its exhaust manifold and turbo allowing the car to generate boost even quicker under hard acceleration.

The 2018 Fiesta ST is also adding the popular three selectable drive modes which will give drivers the ability to change the vehicle’s performance from Normal, Sport, and Track modes on the fly.

According to Jim Farley, Chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe, “Accessible performance is at the heart of what we do at Ford. From the active aerodynamics of the Ford GT supercar to the Drive Modes of our next generation Fiesta ST, our Ford Performance models are developed using innovation that brings the driving thrill of our race cars to customers on the road.”

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According to Ford Performance, the new ST will produce 197 horsepower and 214 lb-ft or torque and will hit 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds, so that ST badge shows it means business.

Although Ford has not officially announced launch details here in the US, you can bet top EcoBoost tuners will be anxious to get their hands on the inline-three cylinder engine to see just how much more horsepower they can squeeze out of the little hot hatch. Did we mention this EcoBoost engine will also feature both port and direct fuel injection?

If you happen to be lucky enough to be in Switzerland this month, the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show will be open to the public from Thursday, March 9-19.