Ford Focus ST Estate
The hot-hatch-based fast estate arrives for a long-term appraisal
AMONG THE RS MÉGANES, CIVIC TYPE Rs, i30 Ns and even Fiesta STS that hog the hot hatch limelight, the Focus ST can sometimes find itself elbowed into the shadows. It’s not that it’s a car without merits – far from it, in fact – but because its chosen role leans more towards being an all-rounder than an all-out action hero, it perhaps doesn’t shine as brightly as some of its contemporaries in the relatively short timeframe of a regular road test.
A long-term test ought to be a more suitable stage for it to show the full extent of its talents, then. So for that very reason, this month we welcome to the evo Fast Fleet our first Mk4 Focus ST. It’s not the hatchback version, though, because uniquely amongst the current cast of hot hatch players, the Focus ST is also available as an estate. And if it’s an all-rounder you’re looking for, why not have it in its most versatile form?
It’s been a while since a Focus ST has graced the pages of evo, so perhaps a quick refresher is in order. It’s powered by Ford’s 2261cc turbocharged fourcylinder, an engine that’s also been associated with the last Focus RS, BAC’S Mono, Radical’s Rapture, and that Ford Mustang that was quietly dropped from the range a few weeks ago because it didn’t have a V8 and so hardly anyone bought one. In the ST, said 2.3-litre unit produces 276bhp, so more than a Golf GTI (242bhp), equal to the facelifted Hyundai i30 N, but behind its other obvious rivals, most of which offer somewhere in the region of 300bhp. However, the ST counters with 310lb ft of torque, matching the new Golf R and edging ahead of the front-wheel-drive competition, which tend to settle for 295lb ft.
Those outputs are sent through a six-speed manual gearbox (a seven-speed auto is also available, as is a 187bhp, 295lb ft diesel engine for that matter) then an electronically controlled limited-slip differential to 19-inch wheels wearing 235/35 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber. Zero to 60mph takes a claimed 5.8sec – a tenth slower than the hatchback, but still right up there with those Méganes and Civics.
Price-wise, the ST Estate is £34,660 basic (£1400 more than the hatch), which includes a generous helping of standard kit, including partial leather heated Recaro seats, adaptive LED headlights, a B&O premium audio system, a wide-angle reversing camera, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel and a hands-free tailgate. The only options on our car are Ford Performance Blue paint (£800) and a Blind Spot Information System (£400), but then the only others available are a panoramic sunroof, a CD player and a tow bar, none of which we’ll be missing.
There is, however, one further option available on the hatchback ST that isn’t offered on the estate, and that’s the Performance Pack. For £800 this adds Continuously Controlled Damping, an additional driving mode (Track), upshift lights, launch control and automatic rev-matching. I’ll endeavour to try a Performance Pack hatch alongside our estate at some point to find out what, if anything, we’re missing by not having these features.
And so to those all-important first impressions. The ST’S interior is certainly welcoming, with its
recently introduced digital instrument cluster looking fresh, and switchgear such as the column stalks feeling almost expensive after the clacky equivalents in the GR Yaris I’d been driving immediately beforehand. It’s great to have a manual gearbox and a third pedal to work with, too – they’ll always be welcome on a car at this level – while the ride on the passive dampers is more compliant than I expected. We’ll see how that pans out.
It’s early days for judging the ST’S outright pace, though, as we’re still running it in. Even so, there are already signs that it’ll be no slouch. I’m now keen to get the next few hundred miles ticked off in quick order so I can lift the curtain on its full performance.
Date acquired February 2021 Total mileage 635 Mileage this month 393 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 28.9