The French Rivera near Nice played host to one of the most important events on the hot hatch calendar – the launch of the Ford Focus ST. Will the next-generation ST capture the imagination in the same way as the old one did? Can it offer tar burning performance as well as real world drivability and dare I say efficiency? We jumped in to find out.
Engine sound
Driving on the motorway from the airport to the mountainous region I was already smiling. The reason being that one of my greatest fears was just put to rest – the loss of the famous five-cylinder sound track. This was the defining characteristic of the old car but unfortunately environmental-friendliness and fuel efficiency were not. Welcome the new 2,0-litre Ecoboost unit from Ford. The intake sound has been tuned with the use of a sound imposer in the intake to add character to the engine sound, five-cylinder character! Flooring the loud pedal gives rise to a rorty, offbeat soundtrack. OK, it is not exactly a five but much better than the current crop of 2,0-litre turbo four pots that sound like vacuum cleaners…
Driving the ST
The motorway gave way to a snaking road leading up a mountain. As the traffic cleared the temptation was too great and the ST was let loose. Confidence was building around each bend and the slick gearbox was worked between second and third with the odd burst into fourth. Dynamically the old car was never lacking but this new version feels sharper, lighter and best of all perfectly neutral mid corner. It encourages the driver to go faster with the corner G-forces becoming an addictive drug. The flexibility of the powertrain means that the car can be left in third gear with vehicle speeds ranging from 60–160 km/h without too much loss of pace. Choose your lines carefully and ride the waves of torque from the grunty engine to the next sharp bend. Climb on the fade free brakes and turn-in. Repeat.
Steering
The steering is nicely weighted and provides good feedback. Ford has introduced a variable steering rack which increases the ratio as the steering is turned. The odd tug of torque steer is still there but only adds to the excitement. Without RevoKnuckle technology or a limited slip diff (LSD) the electronics of the ESP system combined with the electric power steering are used to mimic LSD behaviour and counter torque steer. Wheel spin from the inside wheel is limited when exiting sharp corners and the traction on dry tar excellent.
Interior
The interior is basic Focus with a few add-ons like the boost, oil pressure and temp gauges in another tier on the dash, shiny ST logon the steering wheel and snug-fitting Recaro bucket seats provide plenty of side bolstering, which is absolutely needed.
Ride and fuel economy
The ride is firm but still supple enough to soak up the odd ridge on the road or drain cover. Where the Focus RS is really a track machine think of this new ST as the road going version. Fast enough to have fun but practical on an everyday basis. The fuel consumption and CO2 figures have been reduced by 20 per cent compared to the old engine. Cruising at 120 km/h on the French motorway the average fuel consumption indicated was 8,4 litres/100km. Not bad and with the official figure of 7,2 litres/100 km I am sure this can be improved on. If you use the performance then expect to pay the price. A full-on blast up the pass resulted in an indicated fuel consumption figure of 16,0 litres/100 km… You decide how you want to play the game.
Styling
Styling wise the vehicle has been made more aggressive with a few go-faster goodies like new bumpers, 18-inch wheels and that imposing exhaust design. Somehow the vehicle still looks classy but far from boring. An interesting colour palette is also available to make your ST stand out from the crowd.
Overheating
One worrying aspect which also plagued the previous ST was overheating in extreme environments. Our test unit did heat up to the point where an alarm was raised on the cluster during a full mountain onslaught in 30 degree C plus ambient temperatures. Dieter Swartz, manager of basic design and performance cars at Ford assured us that this will be fixed before South Africa receive vehicles in November this year.
Should you buy?
Should you consider the ST if you are in the market for a hot hatch? Definitely and even Mr GTI cannot deny that this is an impressive showing.
Specifications:*
Model: Ford Focus ST
Engine: 2,0-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol
Power: 184 kW
Torque: 360 Nm
Fuel consumption: 7,2 L/100 km
CO2: 162 g/km
Top speed: 248 km/h
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 6,5s
Price: n/a
* Manufacturer’s claim
