Ford Focus ST

1:41pm Friday 17th October 2008

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It had been 20 months since I had driven the Ford Focus ST, one of my favourite hot hatches.

So I greeted its arrival at the offices of The Press as I would that of an old friend. It’s had a facelift, like the rest of the Focus range, and it looks the better for it. And it still makes my heart beat that little bit faster.

This one was in Electric Orange paintwork, so loud and vibrant that no matter how big the car park, you could spot it within seconds. Settling into the driver’s seat, you might be forgiven for thinking you are the centrepiece on the set of a Tango advert.

Even though the Focus ST is in the hot hatch mould, it is one of the more conservative offerings of its type, and a very practical day-to-day vehicle for commuting if you can live with 30mpg fuel economy.

Alternative offerings will certainly provide more thrills and a harder, more involving drive, but the Focus ST has the knack of being able to switch from easy rider to full-blooded speed merchant better than any of its rivals.

You don’t have to look far to find the performance clues: the low profile, prominent roof spoiler, brash alloys, chrome-tipped dual exhaust pipes, ST badging and menacing grille on the outside; Recaro seats, more ST badging on the sills and steering wheel, metal pedals and (big clue here) an additional instrument pod containing a turbo boost pressure gauge, and oil temperature and pressure dials.

The ST might look as if it is capable of hanging out with hoodies on the block, but the reality is that your great-granny would enjoy being carried in it. That is, until you floor the accelerator and the turbocharger kicks in. The ride can get a little hectic at this point.

The 2.5-litre turbo-charged engine is borrowed from Ford’s Swedish partner, Volvo, while the already outstanding Focus chassis has been substantially modified and uprated for the ST. Additional stiffness at the front has been achieved by adding an extra cross-member across between the MacPherson struts by the bulkhead.

The front springs have been stiffened by 30 per cent and the dampers recalibrated to match. The rear springs also have been stiffened by 30 per cent and the ride height has been lowered by 25mm.

On opening the large door, the driver will be greeted by a warm and inviting ambience with bold and sporty cues throughout.

The ST comes with keyless entry, and the ignition is activated by the press of the Ford Power button tucjed behind the handbrake.

Those Recaro seats are extremely comfortable, the gear change is up to Ford’s usual high standards of slickness and ease-of-use and the ride is more pussy cat than hell cat.

But dig a little into the car’s capabilities and all that character is still there, just harder to find among the refinement.

You can still find yourself straining to hold it in low-gear acceleration, and if you choose to indulge in back road ballistics, then the ST will catapult you from 0 to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds to the accompaniment of a seductive growl.

That lack of permanent hardcore driving characteristics may be to the detriment of the ST, and why so many punters are putting their deposits down on the soon-to-be launched Focus RS.

Ford has made the ST available in three trim levels, but the ST-2 is the one that makes the most sense.

The ST-2 comes in at under £20,000 and for that price you get most of the essentials, and a lot of them are unique to the ST range: mesh radiator grille, 18-inch alloys, sports suspension, large rear spoiler, bumpers incorporating chrome foglight surrounds, xenon lighting system, Recaro sports seats, heated windscreen, air conditioning, leather-trimmed steering wheel, ESP with braking assist and traction control and Ford’s EasyFuel capless refuelling system.

Although you can buy an entry-level ST for several hundred pounds less, it’s reckoned that most people will pay the extra for the ST2 tested here, not least because the ST-2 has ESP to help cope with 225 bhp being channelled through the front wheels.

Step up to the ST-3 and you get the electric ten-way adjustable Recaro seats, full leather trim and a Sony six-CD changer.

If you really must have that Electric Orange bodywork, it will set you back £695. If you don’t want to stick out like a sore satsuma, the other available colours are Performance Blue, Panther Black and Colorado Red.

At a glance

Model: Ford Focus ST-2.

Price: £19,250.

Engine: 2.5-litre petrol turbo-charged.

Power: 225 bhp.

Performance: 0 to 62mph in 6.8 seconds; top speed 152 mph.

Transmission: Six-speed manual driving front wheels.

Fuel economy: 30.4mpg (combined).

Co2 emissions: 224 g/km