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Ford Focus ST MK4

Sam Worth
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What's good?

– Lots of extras
– Range of colours
– Estate model on offer

What's bad?

– Pointless diesel engine

What's the score?

8/10

Overview – I didn’t drive the car

The first-generation Focus ST was revealed in 2002, called the ST170. It was powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol making 170bhp. Since then, the Sport Technologies badge has been stuck on many Ford hot hatches and saloons over the years, from the Fiesta to the Mondeo. Now, Ford has decided to give the all-new Focus the badge, too.

The five-door family hatch back gets the 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine found in the Focus RS MK3, with some slight modifications. You’ll be glad to hear it comes standard with a six-speed manual and there’s an optional seven-speed auto. Just like the older generation ST, the new one gets a diesel option as well.

The ST does look like the ST-Line X trim from the outside, although there are some big and little touches to make it stand out. There’s a sportier grille, matte grey fog light surrounds, full LED adaptive headlights, a bigger spoiler, larger alloys, red brake calipers, a rear diffuser, and two exhaust pipe tips poking out either side. Oh, I forgot to mention, you can order it in orange if you really want to stand out.

The five-door petrol model comes as standard with CCD (Continuously Controlled Dampening) which adjusts the firmness of the dampers every 2 milliseconds. It’s optional on the five-door diesel but isn’t available on the estate, due to a different rear suspension set-up.

Engine

The four-pot petrol engine sends 276bhp and 310lb-ft to the front wheels, achieving 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, and will top out at 155mph. Like the older ST, the new one gets treated with an estate model, as well as a diesel engine, meh. The diesel offers 187bhp and 295lb-ft from a 2.0-litre turbocharged EcoBlue engine, that’ll get you 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds and will do 137mph flat-out. The diesel gets around 50mpg, opposed to the petrol with 36mpg. But when it comes to deciding what engine to have, don’t be too harsh on yourself eh?

There’s an optional Performance Pack costing £250 for the petrol version, which gets a few goodies like Track mode and multicolour ambient lighting. If you have the manual box, you’ll also get a shift indicator, launch control and rev matching. The £800 diesel Performance Pack only has CCD, Track mode, a shift indicator and multi-colour ambient lighting.

While we’re talking performance, Ford has fitted anti-lag technology to the ST which keeps the throttle open even when you lift your foot off the accelerator, maintaining pressure to the turbo which improves throttle response. The Focus ST sit’s 10mm lower to the ground compared to the ST-Line trim. It also has stiffer anti-roll bars, and the suspension is 20% stiffer at the front and 13% at the rear. There’s an electronic limited slip differential which comes as standard on the petrol, but it’s not available for the diesel. Still trying to make up your mind for which engine to go for?

If you’re leaning towards the diesel engine, I really don’t see the point. Even if you’re doing a lot of mileage, it’s completely pointless. It’s like going to McDonald’s and asking for a salad with some water, rather than their chicken nuggets. The whole purpose of buying a Focus with the ST badge is to enjoy it, not worrying about how many mpg you’ll get. You don’t get the proper driving experience with the diesel. Get the petrol.

Before I forget to mention, if you’re thinking of the RS model instead, I’m about to disappoint you. Ford have recently said they’re no longer building a Focus RS, due to emissions. Sad times.

Interior

The cabin is well-dressed. Like always, it gets a set of Recaro bucket seats with ST logos. There’s a grippy flat bottom wheel, metal pedals, and carbon fibre effect trims. Pocking up on top of the dash is Ford’s 8-inch infotainment touch screen with the Sync 3 system which has Bluetooth, USB, Aux, DAB, Sat Nav, Wi-Fi hotspot and it’s compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The old ST had performance gauges sitting on top of the dash, but now they live in the digital instrument cluster screen. Shame. It’s not the same having a digital screen opposed to proper analogue dials, is it?

The Focus has different driving modes, which can be selected via the steering wheel control, unlike the new Fiesta ST, where the driving controls are on the centre console. There’s Normal, Sport, Track and Slippery/Wet. Each driving mode effects the throttle response and ESP interference. In Sport and Track mode you’ll get more crackles and pops from the exhaust. Having both modes enabled also turns off the auto stop/start rubbish.

Price for the Focus ST starts at £29,825, and that’s for the diesel engine. It’s an extra £2,685 for the petrol, which takes your shopping basket to £32,510. Yes, it’s pricey. But you do get quite a lot of extras as standard, that would cost you extra in a standard Focus. The B&O surround sound system, full LED front and rear lights, adaptive cruise control with lane centering assist, heated front seats and steering wheel, key free system, and front and rear floor mats. There’s optional extras including blind spot information system, head-up display, openable panorama roof and a few more tech add-ons.

The boot gets 443-litres, and with the back seats down there’s 1,320-litres.

Verdict

Although I didn’t get the chance to drive it, it’s an expressive bit of kit and looks fun to drive. If you don’t want it to stand out in the Fury Orange paintwork, there’s a wide range of HUE options, too. It looks like it’s a good hot hatch to live with, has the power when you need it and looks pukka.