Hello there. New member in Charlotte here. Likewise, it's been a while since I was active in car forums, previously in vintage Ford groups. I've modernized, and just bought a new-leftover 2013 1.4T LT auto sedan from Randy Marion. I think it's groovy and decently peppy. I had a choice - there was a red tintcoat hatch (and black, silver, victory red) with the 1.8, but only 1 turbo left, a white sedan. I figured that the motor is more important than either the bodystyle or the color....
I am a bit wary of modding a brand new car, but since I'm also a car guy, naturally I have been looking. What I'd suggest is checking out the Trifecta tunes. Seems you can just tune it and make it breathe better, and crank a decent amount of power out of the little beast. Have fun...