Enthusiasts will like the manual though, its short, chunky throw dialling you into the car. The ST launched with a six-speed manual gearbox, though a seven-speed automatic is now available. Back then you were stuck with it whether you liked it or not – the technology in the new Focus means you can calm it for everyday driving and only need tighten your grip on the wheel when the mood or situation takes you. Confidence in the front end gives you options galore too and, at least on dry roads, you never once feel the need for RS-style four-wheel-drive.Īt just two turns lock to lock the steering is already super sharp in the sportier modes the tweaks to the diff, dampers and weighting unleash additional feel and response, the power delivery aggressive enough in Track to have the wheel sniffing out cambers and wriggling in your hands under power in the way older fast Fords always used to. Suspension that feels a touch brittle at town speeds reveals itself superlatively composed at B-road pace, the clever damping coping with cambers, surface changes and even hard-edged bumps and potholes with utter composure. And by sharpening damping, response from the ‘eLSD’ on the front axle, steering weight and throttle mapping the ST morphs from merely a fast Focus to a properly assertive one. Indeed, the transformation from the standard driving modes to Sport and Track is sufficiently dramatic as to make it feel like you’re getting two cars in one. Most will consider this a no-brainer, given the cost. An extra £250 buys the Performance Pack with an additional Track Mode, launch control, rev-matching throttle blipping and another level of sharpness for the ultimate fast Focus experience. In Normal mode it’s reasonably refined, with a pleasingly authentic rasp from the exhausts and a softer throttle hit Sport and you get piped in noise and more decisive response. It gets the job done, responding quickly to the accelerator and able to maintain boost in on-off throttle situations with a version of the anti-lag technology used by rally cars. The EcoBoost motor isn’t as charismatic as the five-cylinder that made the ST of two generations ago such a hit. 280 and Civic Type R and it comes paired with other on-trend technology like self-adjusting dampers, all of which can be adapted via the driver modes. ![]() ![]() Ford will argue it’s a more sophisticated solution than the mechanical diffs used by the Megane R.S. Without getting mired in engineering semantics it basically means the Focus can proactively send drive torque to the wheel that can benefit most, the i30 N and fancier Golf GTIs using equivalent technology. ![]() Like most of its rivals it’s still front-wheel-drive, though in the modern way it features fancy torque-shuffling technology described as an electronic limited-slip differential but actually distinct in mechanical terms. You’ll still find the same 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine inside the Ford Focus ST though.The new Focus ST has the biggest engine in its class in the 2.3-litre, 280PS (206kW) EcoBoost four-cylinder others may have more horsepower but in torque terms it punches harder than its closest rivals and has the cachet of being derived from the motor in the previous Focus RS. You’ll need a set of tools though as it’s a manually adjustable system. If you’re unsure of how to set it all up, there’s even a handy guide thrown in giving you recommended settings based on certain conditions - as well as a setup specifically for the Nurburgring. In basic terms, that essentially means you can adjust the stiffness of the car - setting it up to be stiffer for smooth race tracks or softer for bumpy country roads. This allows you to lower the car yourself by as much as 20mm, as well as having the option of messing about with jounce and rebound settings. So the main selling point of this new Focus ST Edition is its standard-fit adjustable suspension system. Which, speaking of… Ford Focus ST Edition suspension The Ford Focus ST Edition sits 10mm lower than the regular car thanks to the new suspension. Though their purpose is more than cosmetic, as they apparently reduce unsprung mass on each corner of the car by 10%. There’s a set of new 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres too. You might recognise it from the Fiesta ST Edition, too. ![]() See that blue paint? Well, more specifically it’s Azura Blue and you’ll only find it on the ST Edition if you want it on the Focus. This is the new Ford Focus ST Edition - a special variant of the hot hatch, going toe-to-toe with the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport and Honda Civic Type R.įresh for this model is an adjustable suspension setup, lightweight alloy wheels and an exclusive paint colour.
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