the already unloaded inside front wheel
but, foot to the floor, there’s not even the
slightest deflection, or hesitation as the
power seamlessly goes to the outside
tyre. You can’t pin this ability on one single
component or feature either – it’s a factor
of the whole package being so brilliantly
calibrated and those long hours engineers
like Stefan spend pounding round the
Lommel test track. Sure, there’s plenty of
gadgetry helping you along. But feel like
this can only come from people who really
understand how to make it work properly.
Track mode isn’t intended for the road.
But, having done the sensible thing and
opted for it, you’d be daft not to explore
how takes the ST to an even higher level.
“Vertical load resistance” is doubled over
Sport, the CCD dampers able to keep the
car flat for an even sharper feel. Now there’s
that sense of Fiesta ST rawness Muenzinger
said he wanted in the Focus too, the steering
sniffing out cambers and surface changes
and wheel wriggling in your hands under
power like an old RS thanks to a looser leash
on the ESC. It’s not intrusive. You just need to
be ready for it and hold your nerve, safe in
the knowledge the car will pull itself straight.
The best setting for really appreciating
the car? That will depend on the road,
your tastes and even your mood. There’s a
whiff of artificially enhanced sportiness in
Sport and Track that risks over-egging the
experience at times, to the extent Normal
can actually feel more natural, flowy and
fun, especially on a bumpy B-road or similar.
Saying that there are times when you want
to go full pants-on-fire and, if that’s your
fancy, the sharper modes deliver something
closer to RS than ST. It’s all there, meaning
you’re in effect getting two Fords for the
price of one and a wider range of ability than
anything that’s gone before. In Performance
Blue the ST looks subtle and classy enough
to tempt those who might not have
considered a fast Ford before; Orange Fury
meanwhile delivers on the attitude the more
traditional fanbase will crave. Again, it’s like
two cars in one.
Eyebrows may lift at the £32,000
starting price for the EcoBoost petrol, the
mechanically simpler diesel lacking the
‘diff’ and dampers and costing a chunk
less money. Pricing a Focus ST at Golf GTI
money is punchy though, as much as a list
price matters to the way most people buy
their cars these days. The most important
thing to note is this – the return on that
investment for the driver is considerable
and this new ST is effectively a class up from
those that went before. And with it the Ford
Performance family just gained another
hard-hitting addition. Good times.isn’t entirely authentic but gets you in the
mood and the previous mushiness in the
accelerator is replaced by real urgency. And
the exhaust note gets more meaningful,
thanks to a little extra fuel through the
injectors and occasional pops and bangs
that sound more natural than the artificially
orchestrated parp you get in VW products.
It still feels – and sounds – turbocharged
but the extra swept capacity of the engine
over the 1.6s, 1.8s and 2.0s in rivals means
it has reserves to lean on before the boost
comes in. In on-off throttle situations the
anti-lag holds the throttle open for up to
three seconds, keeping the turbo spinning
and response there when you get back on
the accelerator – ideal for those moments
where you might want a quick ‘confidence
lift’ without killing boost. Which is good,
because the combination of turbo and
bigger bottom end means a burly mid-range
to exploit. And something to really test thetyres, suspension and front axle.
At over 1,500kg the ST isn’t the lightest
in its class and, accordingly, it doesn’t
erupt out of the blocks like some. Where
it does score is in the speed it carries, and
the confidence you have in maintaining
your pace whatever the road is doing.
Faith in the front end and a near total lack
of understeer means you can go barrelling
in all guns blazing, confident it’s not going
to push on. And if you’re confident on the
throttle the front axle is ready to pull you
into the turn on the power. It’s not quite
the helping hand from the rear as you
get in an RS. But given how much torque
there is going through the front tyres the
ST has huge traction, proactively hauling
itself out of the turns without even a flicker
of ESC light.
And it’s the same no matter what
surface you’re on. One corner on our
French test route throws a big dip atNEXT TIME
RE VO FIESTA ST MK8The Focus ST can double up as
comfortable cruiser or pants-on-fire
B-road blaster at the flick of a switchѰ FAS T FOR D SEPTEMBER 2019WHAT'S NEWthe already unloaded inside front wheel
but, foot to the floor, there’s not even the
slightest deflection, or hesitation as the
power seamlessly goes to the outside
tyre. You can’t pin this ability on one single
component or feature either – it’s a factor
of the whole package being so brilliantly
calibrated and those long hours engineers
like Stefan spend pounding round the
Lommel test track. Sure, there’s plenty of
gadgetry helping you along. But feel like
this can only come from people who really
understand how to make it work properly.
Track mode isn’t intended for the road.
But, having done the sensible thing and
opted for it, you’d be daft not to explore
how takes the ST to an even higher level.
“Vertical load resistance” is doubled over
Sport, the CCD dampers able to keep the
car flat for an even sharper feel. Now there’s
that sense of Fiesta ST rawness Muenzinger
said he wanted in the Focus too, the steering
sniffing out cambers and surface changes
and wheel wriggling in your hands under
power like an old RS thanks to a looser leash
on the ESC. It’s not intrusive. You just need to
be ready for it and hold your nerve, safe in
the knowledge the car will pull itself straight.
The best setting for really appreciating
the car? That will depend on the road,
your tastes and even your mood. There’s a
whiff of artificially enhanced sportiness in
Sport and Track that risks over-egging the
experience at times, to the extent Normal
can actually feel more natural, flowy and
fun, especially on a bumpy B-road or similar.
Saying that there are times when you want
to go full pants-on-fire and, if that’s your
fancy, the sharper modes deliver something
closer to RS than ST. It’s all there, meaning
you’re in effect getting two Fords for the
price of one and a wider range of ability than
anything that’s gone before. In Performance
Blue the ST looks subtle and classy enough
to tempt those who might not have
considered a fast Ford before; Orange Fury
meanwhile delivers on the attitude the more
traditional fanbase will crave. Again, it’s like
two cars in one.
Eyebrows may lift at the £32,000
starting price for the EcoBoost petrol, the
mechanically simpler diesel lacking the
‘diff’ and dampers and costing a chunk
less money. Pricing a Focus ST at Golf GTI
money is punchy though, as much as a list
price matters to the way most people buy
their cars these days. The most important
thing to note is this – the return on that
investment for the driver is considerable
and this new ST is effectively a class up from
those that went before. And with it the Ford
Performance family just gained another
hard-hitting addition. Good times.isn’t entirely authentic but gets you in the
mood and the previous mushiness in the
accelerator is replaced by real urgency. And
the exhaust note gets more meaningful,
thanks to a little extra fuel through the
injectors and occasional pops and bangs
that sound more natural than the artificially
orchestrated parp you get in VW products.
It still feels – and sounds – turbocharged
but the extra swept capacity of the engine
over the 1.6s, 1.8s and 2.0s in rivals means
it has reserves to lean on before the boost
comes in. In on-off throttle situations the
anti-lag holds the throttle open for up to
three seconds, keeping the turbo spinning
and response there when you get back on
the accelerator – ideal for those moments
where you might want a quick ‘confidence
lift’ without killing boost. Which is good,
because the combination of turbo and
bigger bottom end means a burly mid-range
to exploit. And something to really test thetyres, suspension and front axle.
At over 1,500kg the ST isn’t the lightest
in its class and, accordingly, it doesn’t
erupt out of the blocks like some. Where
it does score is in the speed it carries, and
the confidence you have in maintaining
your pace whatever the road is doing.
Faith in the front end and a near total lack
of understeer means you can go barrelling
in all guns blazing, confident it’s not going
to push on. And if you’re confident on the
throttle the front axle is ready to pull you
into the turn on the power. It’s not quite
the helping hand from the rear as you
get in an RS. But given how much torque
there is going through the front tyres the
ST has huge traction, proactively hauling
itself out of the turns without even a flicker
of ESC light.
And it’s the same no matter what
surface you’re on. One corner on our
French test route throws a big dip atNEXT TIME
RE VO FIESTA ST MK8The Focus ST can double up as
comfortable cruiser or pants-on-fire
B-road blaster at the flick of a switchѰ FAS T FOR D SEPTEMBER 2019
WHAT'S NEW