Ford FocusST

REPORT 4 £ 31,995/£34,940/£377pcm WHY I T ’S HERE

Is the Fiesta ST’s bigger brother just as magical as a daily? DRI V ER

Ollie Kew

OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, THE ST’S MILEAGE CLIMBED PAST

6,000. Now, it’s as if the engine’s been lubricated with greased silk. A fluke?

I’d previously struggled to haul economy beyond 28mpg. Now the Focus stubbornly returns low thirties. A small but important psychological gain, meaning 300 miles per tank is the norm, not the exception. So, to Wales...

On the average-speed-camera-blotted M4, the ST won Dry January with a claimed 40mpg. I got 380 miles from that tank. Props to the immense torque – 310lb ft from a burly 2.3 litres means the ST can be coaxed along like a minicab, labouring from 30mph with the motor on tickover.

Good GT, too. Four hours in the saddle, and none of the pins ’n’ needles the Fiesta ST’s narrower Recaros trigger. I find a momentary blast of the lava-heated seats loosens up the back. Amid the motorway drudgery, the ST’s standard radar cruise was welcome, though the “you’re on your own now” handover if the speed drops below 25mph is abrupt. Because: manual.

And the ST’s reward for this slog? Depositing me at the door of a curious rival. The VW T-Roc R is another hot hatch, but it’s also a mini-SUV. While the Golf R is regenerating, it’s VW’s only family-sized fast car. It goes well, stops fine, corners suitably and makes parpy noises. But it’s taller, heavier, less agile and – crucially – less appropriate than a ‘proper’ hot hatch.

The only advantage I could level at a quick crossover is a loftier sightline to peer over hedgerows. The T-Roc’s economy settled at 24mpg. I swapped back to the Focus ST several times, and enjoyed a sense of homecoming.

A new-age hot crossover such as the T-Roc R is like one of those gourmet ‘finest range’ ready meals. It’s convenient, untaxing, and does the job for most disinterested people. But a truly talented hot hatch is a homemade toastie. More satisfying, less wasteful. Especially at 40mpg.