suspension

Without a doubt the ST220’s finest aspect – its handling – provides incredible poise on road or track, with a comfortable ride that hot hatchbacks could only dream about. The factory suspension and steering setup combined Mk3 Mondeo components with a Jaguar X-Type 3.0 front end, specially-tuned dampers, 15mm lowered springs and shorter anti-roll bar links.

If anything, the ride height is still a little lofty, so a set of Eibach springs takes the car’s body down to the wheels, resulting in a much tougher stance. It makes sense, too, to add a set of Bilstein shock absorbers, giving the perfect balance for fast road use.

Coilovers are available for the ST220, and may reap rewards if you’ve bought a cheap car to use for track days or genuinely prefer a tarmac-hugging pimpedup appearance. Otherwise, though, why would you spoil the ST220’s impeccable road manners?

Having said that, a set of polyurethane suspension bushes are well worth considering, even if only for the rear subframes of saloon and hatchback models – it saves replacing the standard parts every couple of years, after all.