• Hot hatches – sporty small cars with powerful engines – appeal to a broader range of buyers  with better ride comfort, specification and practicality increasingly cited as deciding factors

• New customers challenge “boy racer” stereotype; 8 per cent more women bought Ford hot hatches between 2010 and 2015; average customer age grows from late thirties to forties

• Ford hot hatches fit the “Swiss Army Life” trend, according to Ford futurist Sheryl Connelly. Multi-function vehicles support owners through different lifestyles and life stages

• Fiesta ST now available in three- and five-door bodystyles for the first time. New ST-Line range includes Fiesta and Focus – offers ST-inspired styling with powerful, efficient engines

COLOGNE, Germany, Oct. 28, 2016 – Hot hatches – sporty small cars with powerful engines – were once the preserve of “petrol head” car fans, but are fast becoming a mainstream choice for car-buyers who are a far cry from the stereotypical “boy racer”, Ford data shows.

Ford hot hatch sales across Europe are booming with more than 22,200 Focus RS, Focus ST, and Fiesta ST models sold during the first three-quarters of 2016. Orders for the acclaimed Focus RS have reached more than 9,100 since launch.*

Customers choosing practical performance models are increasingly ranking equipment levels and compact size as key purchase decisions, alongside powerful engines and driving experiences that better combine ride comfort with driving dynamics tuned by award-winning Ford Performance specialists.

Ford’s Focus RS, Focus ST petrol and diesel, and Fiesta ST – now available in five-door bodystyle for the first time – also offer a number of technologies that enhance daily driving. These include Ford’s SYNCcommunications and entertainment systems, Quickclear windscreen for effortless defrosting in winter weather, and heated seats – helping keep the latest generation of hot hatches comfortable and practical all year round.

New findings from Ford sales data shows the average age of hot hatch customers has increased from around 38 years old in 2010 to 42 years old in 2016. Ford data also reveals that 8 per cent more women bought hot hatches in 2015, compared with 2010.

Ford futurist and global consumer trends manager, Sheryl Connelly, has identified a trend for durable, multi-function products that meet customer desire for a “Swiss Army Life”.

“The Swiss Army Life is all about self-reliance. In response to the trend, consumers are increasingly drawn to products that deliver in terms of versatility, adaptability and utility,” Connelly said. “Perhaps this is even truer for Millennials who seem to be pioneering new paths and are careful to invest in products that can support them through many different lifestyles and life stages.”

Sarah Stringfellow, from Brentwood, U.K., is typical of new buyers who are attracted by hot hatch versatility and who confound the usual stereotype. The 31-year-old drives a top specification Focus ST3 with EcoBoost petrol engine.

“The Focus ST appealed as it was fast, looked great and wasn’t too big, with plenty of room for shopping or luggage for weekends away. What I hadn’t expected was the real sense of luxury inside,” Stringfellow said. “Of course, it’s the power and the way it drives that I really love. In fact, I’m now beginning to hanker after a Focus RS!”

More practical hot hatches also continue to hold their appeal with a dedicated customer base as those buyers grow older and experience lifestyle changes. Having a family no longer rules out owning a hot hatch as an everyday car, and performance car fans who could not afford their dream car in their younger years are now able to consider a modern hot hatch in later life.

“There remains a hardcore of hot hatch fans who believe nothing with more than three doors is worthy of the hot hatch description, but as the market, and buyers, have matured I think there’s less of a stigma attached to the five-door bodystyle,” said Dan Trent, editor of popular car enthusiast website Pistonheads. “I’m a perfect example – now I’ve got kids I couldn’t run a three-door car and if the option of a five-door version is the difference between having a hot hatch or not, then I’m all for it!”

The Ford Focus RS five-door hatchback features a 350 PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, Ford Performance All Wheel Drive and Selectable Drive Modes – including an industry-first Drift Mode that allows controlled oversteer drifts.

The Ford Focus ST is offered with 250 PS EcoBoost petrol or 185 PS TDCi diesel engines in five-door hatchback or wagon bodystyles. The Ford Fiesta ST three-door and five-door hatchbacks deliver 182 PS from a 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. Also offered is the new 200 PS Fiesta ST200 – available in three-door bodystyle only.

Earlier this year Ford also introduced a new ST-Line range of models that offer Ford Performance-inspired styling and powerful, fuel-efficient engines. ST-Line models include Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo and the recently announced new Ford Kuga.

Ford has a strong history of popular hot hatches in Europe dating back 35 years to the Fiesta XR2. This year Ford will sell more than 200,000 performance cars globally, including Mustang, Focus RS, and Focus ST and Fiesta ST – nearly double the volume from just three years ago.