N
obody would accuse the Focus
ST of being an also-ran among
hot-hatches. But it’s fair to say
Ford has never pitched any of
the previous generations as a direct rival to
Golf GTIs, Megane Renaultsports or Civic
Type Rs. The Mexico or XR3i to the flagship
RS Escorts of an earlier Ford age if you will.No longer. The new Focus ST is the real deal,
with the power to compete with the best of
the hot hatch field and the chassis tech and
gizmos to put it to the road with near-RS
levels of sophistication and performance.
This is a serious step up in ambition and
brings with it a massive burden of
responsibility. And a bit of a price hike...
A quick re-cap for those who weren’t
listening at the back when news of the new
ST broke. The engine is an evolution of the
2.3-litre EcoBoost, sharing fundamental
architecture and breeding with that in the
previous RS and the Mustang. It’s got a twin-
scroll turbo, anti-lag technology inspired
by the GT and F-150 Raptor and delivers
280ps/276bhp and a thumping 310lb.ft of
torque out of the box. That noise you can
hear? People who realise there’s headroom
for a lot more with a few mods rubbing their
hands in anticipation, given the motor isNEW MK4
FOCUS ST
DRIVEN
A new Ford Performance model is always big news,
but the new Focus ST could be bigger than most...
Words DAN TRENT Photos FORDQUICK SPEC
2.3-litre four-cyl, 280ps [276bhp], 310lb.ft.,
six-speed manual gearbox* with active front
axle torque distribution (eLSD), three driver
modes including flatshift (four with optional
Performance Pack plus launch control and
rev-matching), 19in alloys with 235/35R19
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, 0-62 in 5.7
seconds, top speed 155mph, price from
£31,995 (2.3 EcoBoost petrol hatchback)
*Seven-speed automatic available autumn
2019both proven and considerably burlier than
others it’ll be competing with. Which will be
music to the ears of those with ambitions to
make an already fast Ford faster still and go
baiting GTI drivers. Basic stats include 0-62
in 5.8 seconds, top speed of 155mph and
a claim by Ford it can go ‘toe to toe’ with an
RS over the quarter-mile, despite only being
front-wheel drive.
It drives through a Borg Warner supplied
FXD ‘front cross differential’ you’ll hear
described by many – Ford included – as
an electronic limited-slip differential or
eLSD. It’s not really, given its clutch pack
is distinct from the actual differential and
offers proactive torque vectoring to improve
traction without the need for ESC-driven
intervention from the brakes. Put simply,
rather than cut power in response to loss
of traction it sends it to where it can best be
used and means front-driven cars can useDan really
enjoyed the new
ST, and claims it's
a serious rival for
hot hatches like
the Golf GTIѰѲ FAS T FOR D SEPTEMBER 2019WHAT'S NEWN
obody would accuse the Focus
ST of being an also-ran among
hot-hatches. But it’s fair to say
Ford has never pitched any of
the previous generations as a direct rival to
Golf GTIs, Megane Renaultsports or Civic
Type Rs. The Mexico or XR3i to the flagship
RS Escorts of an earlier Ford age if you will.No longer. The new Focus ST is the real deal,
with the power to compete with the best of
the hot hatch field and the chassis tech and
gizmos to put it to the road with near-RS
levels of sophistication and performance.
This is a serious step up in ambition and
brings with it a massive burden of
responsibility. And a bit of a price hike...
A quick re-cap for those who weren’t
listening at the back when news of the new
ST broke. The engine is an evolution of the
2.3-litre EcoBoost, sharing fundamental
architecture and breeding with that in the
previous RS and the Mustang. It’s got a twin-
scroll turbo, anti-lag technology inspired
by the GT and F-150 Raptor and delivers
280ps/276bhp and a thumping 310lb.ft of
torque out of the box. That noise you can
hear? People who realise there’s headroom
for a lot more with a few mods rubbing their
hands in anticipation, given the motor isNEW MK4
FOCUS ST
DRIVEN
A new Ford Performance model is always big news,
but the new Focus ST could be bigger than most...
Words DAN TRENT Photos FORDQUICK SPEC
2.3-litre four-cyl, 280ps [276bhp], 310lb.ft.,
six-speed manual gearbox* with active front
axle torque distribution (eLSD), three driver
modes including flatshift (four with optional
Performance Pack plus launch control and
rev-matching), 19in alloys with 235/35R19
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, 0-62 in 5.7
seconds, top speed 155mph, price from
£31,995 (2.3 EcoBoost petrol hatchback)
*Seven-speed automatic available autumn
2019both proven and considerably burlier than
others it’ll be competing with. Which will be
music to the ears of those with ambitions to
make an already fast Ford faster still and go
baiting GTI drivers. Basic stats include 0-62
in 5.8 seconds, top speed of 155mph and
a claim by Ford it can go ‘toe to toe’ with an
RS over the quarter-mile, despite only being
front-wheel drive.
It drives through a Borg Warner supplied
FXD ‘front cross differential’ you’ll hear
described by many – Ford included – as
an electronic limited-slip differential or
eLSD. It’s not really, given its clutch pack
is distinct from the actual differential and
offers proactive torque vectoring to improve
traction without the need for ESC-driven
intervention from the brakes. Put simply,
rather than cut power in response to loss
of traction it sends it to where it can best be
used and means front-driven cars can useDan really
enjoyed the new
ST, and claims it's
a serious rival for
hot hatches like
the Golf GTIѰѲ FAS T FOR D SEPTEMBER 2019
WHAT'S NEW