Ford has already earned high marks with the latest 5-door Focus, giving consumers versatile utility in a compact, stylish package which doesn’t skimp on the handling. But if you’re looking for the same reliability with performance thrown into the mix, the blue oval has you covered with its own hot hatch, the Ford Focus ST.
Our cousins on the other side of the pond have had it good. Their version of the Ford Focus wasn’t too dissimilar to our own when it debuted in 1998, but the hatchback gets a lot more love over there, and this interest spawned versions of the Focus we never got to see on our side: the ST, and the monster RS. The 2005 Focus ST added that little bit more style and pop to a car that was perfectly fine, if a bit lacking in personality; giving it a 5 cylinder turbo engine, a bit extra body kit and an exhaust note that was marvelously pleasing.
A revitalized Focus in 2010 rolled in as the flagship of the “One Ford” global lineup-streamlining strategy, bringing the kinetic styling of the current iteration and setting the template that has influenced models across the board. The success of the previous ST made a new one based on the current generation Focus highly likely, and sure enough, The 2013 Focus ST was announced in November of last year. Only this time, it was coming to the US.
The current Focus already has a fierce look, so how do you step it up? The first step is lose the family appeal. A new focus on aerodynamics gives the ST a true sports presence on all angles. The trapezoidal grill gets a little wider and meaner, while the parking lamps move down to the lower, air catching bumper. The design follows down the body kit with new side skirts and ends at the back where two diffuser vents flank the centralized exhaust pipes.
As is often the case, there’s a brief moment of disbelief when I encounter a vehicle I’ve followed from announcement, to reveal, to the point where I’m standing in front of it holding the keys. On the lower east side of Manhattan, the Focus ST awaits. The car is emblazoned with a decal that reads “ST performance academy” due to the reason why this car is currently in town: This car is on tour. Many of these tests inevitably begin or lead into the city, which has its own unique challenges, not the least of which is the urban gridlock. A ford test driver travelling to all five cities with the Focus ST climbs into the cabin with me, and we set off.
It’s hard for me to restrain my enthusiasm as I head to the west side highway, itching to open the throttle and see just what the 2.0L Ecoboost i4 feels like in this car. Some people have lamented the loss of the previous 5-cylinder but it’s very old news technology-wise, looking at where Ford is with engine development. It gives the 5-door a sizable output of 247 hp and a substantial 250 ft. lbs of torque to power it through whatever you put it through. Direct injection and variable camshaft timing make the performance and fuel economy savings possible. The turbochargers in the Ecoboost have been optimized to provide plenty of torque at low RPMs. It holds the PSIs at a high level so the power is there between shifts.
After meandering in 2nd gear for a while on side streets, I’m rewarded with an on-ramp with a long left bend, and the pedal drops. The balance of the focus platform does this vehicle justice as it adheres to the ground, giving us an exit speed that puts us well on our way rocketing south with the Freedom Tower growing rapidly in front of us. The aggressive denizens of NYC have their own way of getting about town, which usually amounts to “everyone is on my highway, and they’re in my way,” and the ST can handle this just fine, with plenty of power to overtake, and enough agility to switch lanes on the fly and come to a full stop all in the time it takes for a cabbie to shout colorful obscenities in his native tongue.
The Focus ST is a car for pure drivers, so no automatic option is offered. The 6-speed manual offers clean, short shifts but suffers no fools for the clumsy or unpracticed. Shift well and the car will reward you with smooth sailing through the revs. Don’t, and the Focus will let you know how it feels about that. Little shifting is really required actually as the Focus ST puts out a very adequate 250 ft. lbs of torque, giving it plenty of grunt in a single gear to power through maneuvers.
We’re enjoying our sprints up and down the highway. I say we because the test driver accompanying me knows the vehicle inside and out, and as I’m driving, he enthusiastically recants facts and performance details about the ST. I also think he’s pleased how well the car is performing under the control of a ham-fisted civilian. Encouraged by this, we scroll through SYNC to find some more curvy, out of the way roads to test the ST. It’s around this time that our good fortune punched out. It was lunch time. We’re in one of the sportiest looking cars to hit the streets next year with “performance academy” written across the brow, and now we’re buried in traffic.
It was a good as time as any to explore the interior features of the Focus ST. Much of which is standard Focus fare that doesn’t deviate too much from the basic design. Depending on which trim level you choose (ST1 through ST3), the Focus comes with cloth or partial/full leather Recaro racing seats badged with the ST logo. On the top of the dash, a boost gauge and oil temp/pressure cluster harkens back to the same hardware found in the original ST. ST2 trim nets you My Ford Touch, HD satellite radio, while ST3 takes that and adds ambient lighting and heated seats. ST3 also nets you some exterior functions like LED signature lighting and High density headlamps. Apart from that, it’s still the spacious Focus interior that can fit four people comfortably at high speeds or, indeed, just sitting in traffic.
The Focus ST shuffles us back to our pickup spot where it is returned, along with its gracious test driver. As happy as I am to have driven it at all, stop-and-go traffic isn’t the ideal testing ground for a sporty, nimble hatch that would be great on a track or autocross. As fortune would have it (just now returning from her lunch break), there happened to be an autocross not too far away.
I travel to the IZOD center in New Jersey where the ST performance academy kicks off its nationwide tour. The program will go to five major cities across the country for a sweet taste of the Focus ST’s capabilities. I’ve arrived the day before the actual event, and organizers are running through their preparations. The heat is sweltering, and it’s the final dress rehearsal before the company goes on tour. My test driver companion from the day before greets me and walks me through a cycle of events for the 500 or so people that will go through the program the next day. A quick chalk talk is given where the rules of the sessions are laid out, as well as a quick primer on taking a corner. One side of the tent has a short course mapped out where attendees get two laps to feel out the car at lower speeds, as well as familiarize themselves with hitting an apex. Once those are done, they proceed to the opposite end of the tent where a longer, higher speed autocross has been set up. It’s here that they take one hot lap to set their time.
I’ve been allowed a little more freedom to test out the car, so on the learning course, I get a better sense of the Focus ST’s agility than from my city jaunt. The suspension is made up of independent MacPherson struts in the front and an independent rear setup, all tuned to ST-specific standards. The vehicle rolls sturdily through the corners of the short course and I’m ready to take it to the next level. The larger autocross course isn’t the most challenging setup in the world, but it’s sufficient to get the Focus up to speed. It’s configured so that the car doesn’t need to leave 2nd gear. This is to not only demonstrate the torque as we experienced it in the city, but also to keep from having hundreds of people mash gears as little as possible throughout the tour. It is indeed all I need and I’m flying through the course at great step. The Focus ST delivers plenty of feedback as the front wheels power through corners, letting you know when it’s reached the threshold of tire grip enough to have a capable driver make adjustments. It’s a lot to ask of front wheels to power and steer, and the ST features torque vectoring control, breaking the inside wheels to reduce the understeer common in such vehicles.
At the time of this writing, the ST academy tour has wrapped up, and a couple thousand enthusiasts have had some hands-on time with the Focus ST, but will they become customers? We’ve lusted over the ST from afar over the years, but how will it compete with the other hot hatches as it muscles in to their territory? Ask the question “what hot hatch do we have in the U.S.?’ and the answer 9 times out of 10 will be the VW Golf GTI. The Focus ST and Volkswagen both start at $23,700, but this is for the VW 2-door (they exclude the hatch from the count). The 4-door demands $24,300, so the Ford takes the lead in price. The Golf’s 2.0 liter i4, with its 200 hp and 207 ft-lbs. of torque, lose out again to the ST’s 247 hp and 250 ft. lbs. of torque, leaving the Focus ST to walk away from the numbers duel victorious.
As it climbs the ladder, however, the next rung of competitors may be a little more of a challenge. The GTI’s older brother, the Golf R, has more competitive specs, but is priced significantly higher at $36,000, and the Focus ST could very well claim another victory there. The Subaru Impreza WRX boasts the most horsepower and torque of the lot, but also has AWD to factor in, plummeting fuel economy and is still at a very premium price. Oh and on the topic of fuel economy: 23 mpg City, 32 mpg Highway. 26 mpg combined. This is unmatched in a car of this caliber.
Seeing a hatchback like the Focus ST is like encountering an athlete: They started out made up of the same materials as you and me, and with training, transformed themselves into the highly capable being in front of you. With the ST, Ford took the very capable, normal every day Focus and took it through a rigorous training program. They gave it performance gear and now it’s ready to compete. I’ll certainly be on the sidelines cheering it on.
-Promiscuous Data-
Curb Appeal- High. Many pics snapped and necks craned on our NYC drive-through
Notable Rival Of The Week- City traffic, the limitations of the autocross, not being able to effectively steal one.
Price & Availability- expect to see it Fall 2012. MSRP $23,700, and can price as high as $28,900
Fuel Eco- 23 mpg City, 32 mpg Highway. 26 mpg combined
Bottom Line- The Focus you buy with your head and your heart.
Words By – Alex Kalogiannis
Photos By – Victor Kalogiannis
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