SHARPER FOCUS
COVER STORY
arches, and red-painted budget brakes are an apologetic alternative to the proper hardware found on some rivals.
Priced from $44,690 plus on-road costs (about $49,000 drive-away), the Focus is aimed squarely at Volkswagen’s segment-defining Golf GTI.
Unlike the GTI — which is now an auto-only proposition — the Ford will be available with both self-shifting and manual transmissions.
The new model debuts a seven-speed auto (see breakout) for the same price as the manual. It’s an attractive deal. Subaru charges about $3000 for an auto WRX while Renault charges $4000 on its Megane RS. Unfortunately, the auto wasn’t available for our test drive.
There’s just one model, well-specified with toys such as LED headlights, wireless phone charging and an 8-inch touchscreen with satnav, smartphone mirroring and a 10-speaker Bang and Olufsen stereo. Safety kit includes active cruise control, auto emergency braking, blindspot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
A flat-bottomed steering wheel and heated Recaro seats are the only sporty touches in an otherwise plain cabin. The Focus is brand new, but there is little theatre in a grey space missing the tech (such as a widescreen digital dash) and charm (tartan trim and honeycomb detailing) of the ageing Golf GTI.
Ford wins points with a 2.3-litre four-cylinder
accompanied by doughy engine settings, which doesn’t translate well to brisk drives on broken roads. That sort of inflexibility is likely to annoy enthusiasts.
Track mode brings a distant exhaust crackle, along with loud fake engine sounds, too-heavy steering and an auto-blipping function that can’t be disabled. The lack of custom settings is a significant oversight.
But on the whole, the Focus ST has broader appeal than before. The auto option will be an important change for people who don’t want to deal with a clutch pedal.
Previous-generation examples served up unruly behaviour, twisting the steering wheel in your hands under power and skidding out of line with a heavy lift off the gas. Tight bucket seats were uncompromising, and a buttonstrewn dash harked back to the days before touchscreen smartphones.
It was an unpolished gem.
Now, multi-mode suspension and improved driver aids make the Focus ST more liveable in everyday traffic. Beefed-up power, grippy rubber and the clever diff bring improvements felt every day, especially on a weekend blast.
More refined, the Focus ST is a little less exciting than before. The middle child still can’t match the laugh-a-minute thrills of the little Fiesta or the Mustang’s muscle-car theatre.