Ford Focus ST
MODEL TESTED: Focus ST Track Pack PRICE: £39,950 POWERTRAIN: 2.3-litre 4cyl turbo petrol, 276bhp
BUYERS can get behind the wheel of the Focus ST from £36,950, but we’re keen to find out whether the Track Pack, which is available as a £3,000 option, is worthwhile. The Mean Green paint of our test car costs another £825, which brings its total cost to £40,775.
Tech highlights
WE’RE well acquainted with the fourth-generation Focus ST, and it’s not a car that we’ve ever felt was lacking in terms of sharpness. That hasn’t stopped Ford from trying to improve things, though, and the result is this Track Pack.
The upgrades look to improve the response of the chassis, so the pack adds a set of KW adjustable coilovers all round. There are 12 levels of adjustment, while the springs are up to 50 per cent stiffer and 25mm lower than the standard ST ’s. New 19-inch wheels reduce unsprung mass by 10 per cent over the stock model, and behind them are a set of 363mm (up from 330mm) Brembo brake discs at the front that are gripped by red calipers.
A Track Mode is also added to the drive settings. This introduces a launch-control system and shift lights for the six-speed manual transmission. The remaining changes are cosmetic; those wheels are painted in gloss black, as are the grille, rear spoiler, diffuser and door mirrors.
The powertrain is unchanged from the standard ST, so power comes from a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that develops 276bhp and 420Nm of torque. This is sent through the front wheels via an electronically controlled limited-slip differential.
SAFETY:
The Focus was tested by Euro NCAP in 2018, and scored a full five-star rating. Some assistance features are options; the £550 Driver Assist Pack adds traffic-sign recognition, for example.
On road
IT doesn’t take long to confirm that the Track Pack adds a new level of sophistication to the way that the Focus ST drives. The fact it manages to keep the regular car’s slightly lairy personality is a bonus.
AROUND TOWN:
It’s a given that modern hot hatchbacks feel quite firm at low speeds, but the Track Pack’s higher-quality KW suspension and reduced unsprung weight have enabled it to round off the harshest bumps in a way that the standard Focus ST cannot.
A & B-ROADS:
Increase your pace and you can really feel the benefits of that uprated suspension. Body control is superb; the Track Pack manages to flow across B-roads in a way that suggests it was designed just for the UK. The steering is quick – almost too quick – but once you dial into its response, it manages to match up to the ST ’s incredibly agile chassis.
Combined with the grip from those Pirelli tyres, there are very few cars that would be able to keep pace with the Track Pack along a difficult stretch of tarmac. Yet this uprated Focus offers all of this speed while still maintaining the playful, slightly boisterous feel of the standard ST.
Lift off the throttle mid-corner and the Focus will tighten its line gamely; do it too aggressively and you’ll need to wind off the lock to correct the rear end swinging around.
And if you want to alter the Track Pack’s balance – or relax the ride quality – then you can manually adjust the damping rates to get them how you like.
MOTORWAY:
The stability is hard to fault, with that suspension working just as well at high speeds as it does on twisty asphalt. These rivals both suffer from noticeable road noise, thanks to their wide tyres.
“Increase your pace and you can really feel the benefits of that uprated suspension”