Performance versions of Fords latest creations are always hotly anticipated and the ST version of the new Focus is no different. Ford opened their display at the Frankfurt motorshow by unveiling the new ST pictured below. (pictures courtesy of EVO magazine).
A five-door hatchback and a five-door estate have been revealed. Ford have dropped the warbling 2.5 litre five pot in favour a 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ecoboost turbocharged petrol engine. Despite the smaller capacity, the new engine produces 246bhp, which is 24bhp more than the old car.
Apart from the colour, the styling is fairly tame but that just paves the way for the hardcore 'RS' version probably due next year. The estate version, available solely in Europe, in my opinion looks better than the hatch, partly due to that rear valence which could have been directly grafted straight off a Porsche 911.
The ST will be offered in Europe in three specification levels, ST1, ST2 and ST3. The ST1 has cloth seats, the ST2 gets part leather and dual-zone climate control plus automatic wipers. The full-on ST3 has leather Recaros with eight-way adjustment plus bi-xenon headlamps.
