New Focus ST gets all manner of toys
New ST has Civic Type R-busting torque, turbo lag-busting tech and a noise ‘enhancement’ system. Here’s hoping...
Believe it or not, this is the fourth generation of Ford Focus ST. Rivals with that sort of lineage were inducted into the hot hatchback hall of fame long ago, and yet it’s safe to say the ST’s still a long way from icon status.
There are several plausible reasons why; every generation has had a burlier RS brother muscling its way into the limelight, alongside which the ST can only ever feel somewhat tame. Especially when it’s been offered in both estate and diesel versions. The glamour fades when your performance car can also play the role of a minicab.
The smaller Fiesta ST is a real star, though, and perhaps in the hope some of its magic might rub off on its bigger brother, Ford has seemingly used the same grille and paint tins on the latest Focus ST. It’s still got a pretty malleable spec, mind; you’ve a choice of five-door hatch or estate, petrol or diesel, manual or automatic. Serious drivers need only apply for the petrol, though.
For starters, its 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo produces 276bhp and 310lb ft, and while the former isn’t class leading, the latter beats the current champion, the Honda Civic Type R. Ford reckons on 0–62mph in sub six seconds.
Only the petrol comes with turbo lag-busting tech from the Ford GT and a new electronic limited-slip differential on the driven front axle, too. Ford claims the latter is quicker-reacting and more accurate than the mechanical set-ups we like so much in the ST’s hardcore rivals. The diesel (a 187bhp/295lb ft 2.0-litre, for what it’s worth) gets a brake-based torque-vectoring system in its place.
The ST also offers an optional Performance Pack, which brings rev-matching to the six-speed manual gearbox, launch control and a clever suspension system (called Continuously Controlled Damping) which monitors various parameters every two milliseconds and tells the dampers to soak things up accordingly.
Suspension changes otherwise sound relatively minor, but the standard Focus is pretty damn good to drive, so it’s not worth worrying. The ST
sits 10mm lower and is marginally stiffer, while its steering is 15 per cent quicker.
The Performance Pack adds a Track mode, possessing looser stability control settings, to the car’s drive-mode roster. It’s the first time those have appeared in the Focus ST, and they look simple to cycle through, thanks to steering-wheel-mounted buttons. Which goes some way to chip away at our concerns about the Sport and Track modes’ electronic noise enhancement tech. Could be good, could be dodgy; these things can go either way.
While we’re talking exhaust noise, the pipes have moved to the outer edges of the rear diffuser to right a wrong of the old ST, whose central exhaust pipe denied it towing capability. Rest assured, you can hitch a caravan to this one. Other cloyingly sensible abilities include adaptive cruise control, fully automated parking and the fact the ST can act as a wifi hotspot for up to 10 devices. Perhaps most importantly of all, though, you can still have it in orange. Perhaps there’s some glamour here after all.