FIRST DRIVES
NEW CARS TESTED AND RATED
22 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 2 1 AUGUST 2019
S
o here we are, then. After our
first passenger rides and test
drives on the Continent, the ST
version of the fourth-generation
Ford Focus has finally touched
down in the UK, ready to battle the
hot hatch world’s finest. You’ll find
out exactly how it fares against the
likes of the Honda Civic Type R, the
R e n au lt Mé ga ne R S a nd mor e on t he
pa ge s of t h i s m a ga z i ne v e r y s o on , but
for now let’s see what this hot Focus is
like in isolation.
Up front, the new Focus ST hasthe same 2.3-litre four-cylinder
engine you get in the Mustang and
the previous Focus RS, producing
276bhp and 310lb ft. That’s less than
you’d get in both of those cars (quite
a lot less than the RS’s 345bhp and
325lb ft, actually) but still good for a
suitably rapid 5.7sec 0-62mph time.
T h at ’s a l l m a r sh a l le d t o t he
front wheels (shod in bespoke
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber) via
a six-speed manual gearbox and an
electronically controlled limited-slip
differential. There’s brake-based
torque vectoring, and a heavily
revised suspension configuration
that drops the ride height by 10mm,
increases damping stiffness and
beefs up the anti-roll bars. Adaptive
dampers are standard, with Normal
and Sport firmness settings. Opt
for the Performance pack and you’ll
get Track mode, which tightens
things up even further, and a rev-
matching function for the manual
’box. In addition to the firmness of
the dampers, those three drive
modes also alter the characteristics
of the electronic diff, the electric
power-assisted steering, throttle
response and stability systems.
T he c ombi ne d e f fe c t of t he s e
changes on the dynamic character
of the Focus is marked. Our road
test of the standard ST-Line X model
r e v e a le d t h at Ford’s C2 pl at for m
Hot hatch rival to the Honda Civic Type R and VW Golf GTI shows its hand in the UK
FORD FOCUS ST
Focus ST sits 10mm lower to the road on revised suspension and bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres
TESTED 9.8.19, WARWICKSHIRE ON SALE NOW