Though its bigger, production-bound brother, the 2012 Focus ST, stole the hot-hatch limelight yesterday, today Ford released the Fiesta ST Concept, and it just might be the more interesting of the two.

Packing a 177-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine inside an exterior that draws inspiration from the Fiesta RS WRC rally car, the  new Fiesta ST Concept is smaller, lighter, and perhaps a bit more focused than the Focus ST.

Europeans, of course, will be excited, as they had the previous generation of the Fiesta ST available for sale. The new Fiesta ST Concept looks like it will also be heading to production--and given Ford's global designs and plans to bring the Focus ST to America, we just might see this one, too.

In addition to the punchy four-cylinder, the Fiesta ST Concept packs a motorsports-inspired suspension package with improved geometry and tweaked spring and damper rates. Ford says it's good enough to "flatter less-experienced drivers while rewarding those seeking to push the limits of the Fiesta ST's sports performance."

We'll have to wait until a production model is revealed to get more of the nitty gritty details, but this first taste sure makes us look forward to it.