If you don’t quite fancy the running costs and speeding fines that go along with a Focus
RS, then you might want to consider a Focus ST – a slightly tamer version of Ford’s
halo Focus, a hot hatch that aims to be a bit easier to live with.
But unlike some hot hatches, Ford gives you the choice of both a petrol and a diesel with
the ST.
Both models get the typical sports make-up and accessories, the beefier bonnet, grille,
side skirts and spoiler.
And our model’s actually got the optional Style Pack, which adds bigger 19-inch wheels,
privacy glass and red brake callipers, and I think it adds a nice edge to it.
Now, the diesel is a few hundred pound cheaper, has less power, but is more fuel efficient.
But can a diesel version offer similar levels of entertainment to the petrol?
Well, it worked for the Volkswagen Golf GTD, so why not?
So, the interior of the ST is a very nice place to spend time, and our ST-3 model ticks
lots of important boxes.
There’s lovely comfortable heated recaro seats finished in leather, an ST-styled gearshifter
and flat-bottomed steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors and
an easy to use SYNC2 touchscreen with DAB and sat-nav, which cost £300, a good value
option though.
Build quality is really good too, not quite to Golf standards, but even the slightly cheaper
materials have a soft touch to them.
And, true to its hot hatch name, it is quite practical in here.
Good sized door bins, and a few handy cubbies for loose change, but my favourite feature
is this cup holder…
looks normal doesn’t it, but wait a second, get out of town, boom.
The rear seats have impressive space all-round, there’s plenty of head and leg room, and
thankfully these recaro seats aren’t too chunky, so knee room is good.
Now these rear seats unfortunately don’t fold completely flat, but thankfully, the
boot makes up for this, with an easy to access, very usable 316 litres of storage space.
I mean sure that’s not as big as the Golf, the Octavia, or the Leon.
But it’s still very handy.
So, before I get to the engines, I want to talk about how the Focus ST drives.
Well, it’s certainly worthy of wearing that ST badge.
There’s no limited slip diff to speak of, but the sporty suspension – and the likes
of torque vectoring and cornering understeer control – make sure it stays extremely sticky
in the corners.
And the overall body control of the ST is excellent.
Body roll?
Ha.
But even though its composure in the corners is brilliant, the ST is still actually very
comfortable to drive.
It can feel a little unsettled if you hit lots of little bumps in quick succession,
but overall, you could easily mistake it for a standard Focus.
The steering is piano wire sharp too, a little too sharp at first actually.
I mean reach for the touchscreen or, adjust your undercarriage while driving, and the
steering is so sensitive, any slight movement can result in a bit of a wobble.
Great for intense cornering, but yeah, it takes some getting used to.
Even though it is incredibly sharp, the steering still does still lack feedback, but there’s
enough acuity to the ST to forgive that.
But what about the diesel?
Well, it’s a 2.0-litre unit that produces 182bhp – which is 64bhp less than the 2.0-litre
petrol.
It’s also 1.6 seconds slower than the petrol.
However, there’s more torque on offer, at 400Nm, that’s 40Nm more than the petrol.
And the main thing you’ll notice with the diesel, is its performance low down the rev
range.
It takes a bit longer to get going, but then you open up its torque and you’re away.
In fact, once you get the revs up, I think the diesel feels just as flexible as the petrol.
It’s got smooth, seamless acceleration like a petrol and it even sounds a bit like a petrol.
And most importantly, it does feel fast and sporty.
If a petrol hot hatch is a nippy MMA fighter, then a diesel hot hatch is a heavyweight boxer.
It may take a little longer to swing a punch, but when it lands, it’s just as effective,
if not more so, due to that extra torque.
So why sacrifice a quicker sprint time?
Well, because with the diesel, you are looking at around 60mpg on the motorway, or when driving
sensibly around town, 40-45mpg.
From a hot hatch!
That’s quite a bit different to the petrol, where you’re looking at between 25-40mpg,
max.
The petrol and the diesel ST models are great cars in their own right though.
The petrol will favour those after out and out performance, and the diesel will appeal
to those after something a bit more sensible.
I actually think, if you’re going for the diesel, why not spend an extra £1,000 or
so and go for the estate, then you get better fuel economy
and greater practicality.