There’s no doubt that the fortified-flea segment is catching on in the U.S., even if the number of entries can still be counted on one hand. The Mini John Cooper Works was the, er, 90-pound gorilla for years, but Fiat’s 500 Abarth has recently taken up arms and now this Ford Fiesta ST is charging onto the battlefield, unleashing its own high-pitched battle squeal.

Previewed by both the three-door European version and subsequently caught by our spy photographers, a hopped-up five-door Fiesta for America was a foregone conclusion. But now we have details, including output—and the numbers are frankly a little staggering.

Using a “high-output variant” of the same 1.6-liter EcoBoost four found in the Euro ST and in our Fusion family sedan, the U.S.-spec Fiesta ST boasts preliminary figures of 197 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque. The European model with this engine is currently projected to produce just 178 horses and 177 lb-ft, roughly on par with the 1.6-liter Fusion, although that may change. (We hope it doesn’t; let the Europeans deal with a weak-sauce version of something for once.) Ford says all 214 lb-ft are available at 3500 rpm, and that 177 lb-ft are on tap at 1600.

More comparables: The Mini JCW has 208 hp and 207 lb-ft, the Abarth 160 hp and 170 lb-ft, and the most powerful non-ST 2014 Fiesta 123 hp and 148 lb-ft. The Honda Fit, our favorite subcompact and a perennial 10Best winner, gets a measly 117 hp and 106 lb-ft from its naturally aspirated four. This Fiesta is shaping up to be mighty feisty, and that’s before we’ve looked at any of the other particulars.

View Photos MARC URBANO, THE MANUFACTURER

The turbo four is hooked exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission, the brakes are upgraded to discs all around (the fronts are 10.9 inches versus the base car's 10.2-inch platters) and use performance pads, and the suspension has been revised. Specifics for the latter are scarce, but include new knuckles that quicken the steering ratio to 13.6:1 from the regular Fiesta’s 14.3:1. Ford also says the ST gets a 75-percent stiffer torsion-beam rear and that the body sits 0.6 inch lower to the ground. The only fuel-economy number being bragged about at this point is 34 mpg, which we presume to be a highway figure.

The rest of the Fiesta ST fixin’s include a gaping maw of a grille, a new chin spoiler, and a reworked rear fascia shaped to look like a diffuser. Dual exhaust outlets and a roof spoiler round out the rear, and the car rolls on unique 17-inch wheels. Recaro seats will be available, and the Molten Orange paint you see in these photos is a Fiesta ST exclusive; the color originally debuted on the SVT Raptor supertruck, but is no longer available there. The car has picked up a few tricks from its Focus ST big brother, including a sound symposer that enhances aural pleasure by piping sound directly into the cabin; an electronically controlled, brake-based torque-vectoring setup; and a three-mode stability-control system with settings for full on, full off, and sport. The Fiesta ST does not, however, adopt Focus-style torque-steer compensation, which might make this little mite a handful.

At least your hands will have more cash in them. While the three-door Mini JCW crests the 200-hp mark, it also commands nearly $31,000, and Fiat asks almost $23,000 for an Abarth. We expect the more-practical, five-door Fiesta ST to start somewhere near $22,000 when it goes on sale later in 2013. That low price and the excellence of the Focus ST, which just knocked off the VW GTI as hot-hatch king, has created lofty expectations for the Fiesta ST. We have to say, though, that the paper-based argument is pretty strong, and we definitely look forward to shaking down this powered-up pipsqueak.

This version of the story adds some details and revises the estimated base price from $20,000 to $22,000.

MARC URBANO, THE MANUFACTURER

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