Ford’s Focus ST is one of Europe’s hottest hot hatches and it’s hot to trot on the sales charts, ranking as Europe’s top selling performance hatch in 2012.

Launched here in the final quarter of 2012 this car is really the hero car in the Focus family, now the most popular model in the Ford stable and a truly global success story with the car sold in 130 countries. This global halo also applies to where it is built, which is in many different corners of the world. Our market is supplied from a modern plant in Thailand that also makes Ford Fiesta’s hatch backs for kiwi consumption.

The only Focus models sold here without a South East Asian connection are the station wagon and quick fire five-door ST hatch. This hugely talented model replaces the XR5 that carried the hot hatch torch in the previous focus line-up. Unlike the feisty two-litre turbo motor used in the ST, its performance fire was lit by a five-cylinder engine that Ford raided the Volvo part bins. This was something it could do as the company owner, before they flicked Sweden’s sole surviving car company off to Indian industrial juggernaut TATA a few years ago.

As a sharp performing, fleet footed yet practical hatch, the XR5 was a fairly impressive effort and probably deserved to better on our market than it did, but unlike the UK and Europe, the pool of buyers for this type of car here is very shallow. The ST is a worthy successor to the XR5. It takes all the things that were good about that car and lifts them to the next level and throws several other innovations into the mix for good measure. The net result is the most awarded and applauded “Go faster” Euro hatches in ages and deservedly so with its exceptional abilities.

So what are the critical ingredients that enable Ford to cook up a performance storm with this rock star hot hatch? There are several, in fact to many to mention them all. For me the key ones were strong braking, nimble suspension plus a brilliant close ratio six-speed manual gearbox that moves between gears with almost the speed of light. The real ingredient that clinches the deal is the super energetic 2.0 litre EcoBoost turbo charged motor.

Ford’s reputation in Europe and the UK has risen dramatically as have the number of awards in the company trophy cabinet, on the back of their superb EcoBoost family of engines. While used extensively in Ford product in Europe and Great Britain, they have been much slower to infiltrate Ford models on this side of the world. However, it is happening with this engine option now offered in the Falcon, Mondeo, Focus and just recently the all-new Kuga recreational 4WD. The next member of the Ford family in line for an EcoBoost is the diminutive Fiesta hatch with a heavily face lifted version due here in the next few month. It is expected to use a 1.0 litre take on the EcoBoost formula that won world engine of the year in 2012.

Proving you can’t have too much of a good thing, only one version of the ST is available in five-door hatch six-speed manual form with a $52,490 asking price that those who recognise the real performance hatch deal, will happily pay.

Under the bonnet is “An all guns blazing” 184kw 2.0 litre turbo charged gasoline direct injection motor that is surprisingly fuel efficient, to the point that it comfortably meets Euro 5 emission standards. This allows it show its rivals a clean green pair of heels. This is a deceptively quick motor that cover a lot of ground in a very short time making keeping a vigilant eye on the speedo essential.

I found out on the open road it was better to lock in a sensible speed using the cruise control. Because of the engines turbine like smoothness and lack of noise you get little sense of just how rapidly the car is swallowing up the tarmac in front of you. Plenty of accolades have been piled on this engine and they are all deserved with Ford creating a very special engine in a car to match.

Cabin space is ok, but not as accommodating as the expectations raised by the cars expansive exterior dimensions. Rear seat leg and head room is tight and inferior to other models in this class. Gladder tidings to report on the load carrying front, where has a generous rear hatch load compartment area that should provide more that ample luggage storing capabilities to satisfy most owners.

Both focus models the preceded this one moved the standard on the ride and handling continuum a huge distance, leaving many of competitors gulping in disbelief by just how much. This meant the new Focus and especially the ST, as the expectations around it were huge, had very difficult act to not only follow, but substantially better. There is nothing like a daunting challenge to bring out the best in people and it certainly did with the team that designed the ST Focus. They have done an absolute stellar job on revamping Ford’s unique blade suspension that under pinned the glowing handling reputation of the two previous generations of the Focus. What ST owners get from the efforts of this team is sublime ride and handling, that in my view is without peer in our sub $60,000 performance hatch market.


What’s the verdict? While its lost a little of the agility and characteristic of its predecessor its still a mighty fine hot Euro hatch for the money.