Ford Focus ST Edition

With its trick chassis upgrades, ‘Edition’ spec finally elevates the bigger ST from its underdog status

FORD’S FOCUS ST HAS ALWAYS BEEN A bit of a strange one for evo. It should be a contender that takes the Golf GTI to task for those who are happy to swap soft-feel plastics and a sophisticated approach for a little more spirit and engagement and traditional front-wheel-drive yobbery. But we’ve never fallen for the Focus as we have its wee brother, the Fiesta ST.

Where the Fiesta feels alive, its character always bubbling away at the surface with a sense it’s been honed by the guys and gals at Ford Performance to be the best it can possibly be, the Focus doesn’t. There’s a sense it’s been pegged back, that it missed out on a layer or two of polish being applied and is therefore not quite as good as it could be. It’s still a rewarding steer, but there are niggles that surface frequently and are enough to prevent it being a truly great drive.

Such as? Its front suspension and steering struggle to contain the modest 276bhp output from the 2.3-litre turbocharged motor, the front axle being easily distracted and knocked off line, the front tyres fighting with the torque delivery. Where a Fiesta ST feels cohesive, the Focus can, at times, feel disjointed.

With this new Focus ST Edition, Ford hasn’t set out to specifically address these issues – they will more likely than not be dealt with by the introduction of the recently announced facelifted Focus. Rather the Edition is a final hoorah for the current car that taps into much of the finessing that makes the Fiesta such a capable and desirable and class-leading supermini.

So there are changes beneath the Azura Blue paintwork and black roof and spoiler. Big changes, too – as you’d hope for the extra £2500 that the Edition commands – because the adaptive damping hardware and software have both been left on a shelf and replaced by KW Automotive’s trick adjustable coilovers and twin-tube dampers.

And by adjustable they don’t simply mean Comfort and Sport settings, but a full-on 16 levels of rebound and a further 12 for compression. Unfortunately, Ford didn’t provide an indication as to the settings our test car arrived on, and the thought of removing the wheels and some of the wheelarch linings to start playing with the adjustments wasn’t a positive one: before you could say ‘lift-off oversteer’ we’d have a chassis set-up to rival an MGF with failed hydragas.

The settings Ford had selected were pretty spot on, though. On the road the Edition is much calmer at the front, the steering less fitful in your hands, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres exerting more control over the surface and managing the torque and power delivery with a much higher level of ability. Feed the power in on the exit of a corner that’s less than perfectly surfaced and you’re no longer fighting the steering wheel like you would a dog when trying to squeeze it into a Christmas

jumper. It’s a much calmer, more precise and more rewarding road car as a result. Dynamically a significant step above what’s gone before, it now feels ahead of a Golf GTI and not as far behind Hyundai’s i30 N.

Despite spring rates that are 50 per cent stiffer, the ride isn’t a killer. Yes it’s firm, but not as unremittingly harsh as some rivals. Some of this can be attributed to the fitment of a set of 19-inch flow-formed wheels that reduce unsprung mass by 10 per cent at each corner. The Edition also sits 10mm lower than a regular ST, with a further 20mm of ride height adjustment available if you enjoy getting on your hands and knees. Combined, these changes turn the Focus ST from a hot hatch that required a commitment level often higher than the reward on offer to one that flows with the surface, applying a lighter touch when it can but still able to knuckle down when needed.

We also tried the Edition on track at Thruxton and Bedford Autodrome, and the newfound precision on the road continued to impress beyond the pitlane. Directional changes are consistent and inspire a much higher level of confidence, which encourages more commitment and a few more liberties to be taken as you throw the ST at the apex, the nose holding tight as the rear goes light and glides around the car’s centre point at your discretion. However, this new-found athleticism shines a light on the Focus’s steering, which still lacks the clarity of that of, say, an i30 N or Civic Type R. It can be slow to respond to inputs,

Above: Azura Blue paint is mandatory for the Edition, as is the hatchback body and manual gearbox (there’s no estate or auto). Top left: Recaros gain blue stitching

‘It’s a calmer, more precise and more rewarding road car’

and any mid-corner adjustments don’t always deliver the expected result.

Ultimately, the ST Edition is more lively, more engaging and more fun as a result of its more sophisticated chassis hardware, and crucially a far better resolved hot hatch. It’s just a shame that it’s taken a very bespoke and quite expensive solution to get here.

Engine In-line 4-cyl, 2261cc, turbocharged

Power 276bhp @ 5500rpm Torque 310lb ft @ 3000-4000rpm Weight 1433kg (196bhp/ton) 0-62mph 5.7sec

Top speed 155mph Basic price £35,785

+ Quality of the chassis beyond question

- Needs an engine and steering to match evo rating