► Ford Focus ST Edition version driven
► Track-ready kit additions included
► Driving it feels like the end of an era
Ford says that its new Focus ST Edition is quite possibly ‘the most complete Ford hot hatchback ever.’ On paper, it looks like there’s potential for that to be true.
But, as Ford’s entire portfolio of cars in Europe is overhauled for the electric (or, at least, profitable) age, it also feels like the last in a long line of combustion-powered Ford hot hatches. The Fiesta ST died at the same time the regular one did in 2023, and we know that the replacement for the Focus, due in 2025, will be electric.
The rest of the Ford range in the UK and Europe consists of the Mustang (hurrah), electric or hybrid SUVs and vans. It’s depressing, frankly, even if boss Jim Farley says the brand is no longer in the ‘boring car business.’
Are we witnessing the end of a glorious hot hatch era?
At a glance
Pros: Fizzy and potent powertrain, sharp handling, makes all the right (and real) exhaust noises
Cons: Interior and doors feel tinny, Edition is insufferably firm and noisy on a motorway cruise
What’s new?
The Focus ST was facelifted in 2022 to inject some more up-to-date tech, digital instruments and a larger central screen as well as a general nip and tuck for the whole car’s design. It’s still a hot hatch we very much enjoy, even as the segment shrinks or prices for them skyrocket.
As of April 2024, the Focus ST Edition has been part of the sales line-up. Ford describes this model as ‘track-ready’ and the ‘most complete’ hot hatch it’s ever made.
What are the specs?
The regular Ford Focus ST is still on sale, setting you back around £38,000 for a former Giant Test winner and all-round very good performance hatchback. For that, you get a 2.3-litre turbocharged engine developing 276bhp and 306lb ft, which is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic. Sprint times for the Focus ST are rated at 5.8 seconds for the manual, or six seconds for the auto.
Standard Focus STs benefit from performance seats, an ST bodykit, a limited-slip differential for the front wheels and ST-specific suspension. As well as that, Ford throws in all sorts of equipment like matrix LED headlights, a digital instrument cluster and massive central display running on Ford’s Sync4 operating system. Luxuries like heated and powered front seats and a heated steering wheel, a B&O audio system and a wireless charger are thrown in too. A £3,000 ‘Track Pack’ is on the options list (only available for the manual hatchback) that throws in lightweight performance wheels as well as what Ford describes as ‘oversized’ Brembo brakes to handle punishment on track and adjustable coilover suspension.
Or you could have the new Edition model we’ve tested here (pictured above). Every one is finished in Azure Blue (which looks an awful lot like the old Nitrous Blue seen on the long-deceased Focus RS), comes fitted with the aforementioned Track Pack as well as pretty much every available option for the Focus ST ticked. Think of it as a thinly-veiled run-out special.
What’s the interior like?
All of the bits you touch and prod regularly feel sold enough, with a thick rim to the steering wheel and soft leather on the metallic gear knob. But many of the larger panels look and feel cheap and hollow; merely opening the very lightweight door doesn’t give you much of a sense of quality here, which is only highlighted by the tinny clack of the optional door edge protectors that pop out.
And then your backside sinks into the thickly bolstered and tremendously supportive sports seats. The thiccer among us (yes, with two c’s) might feel a little hemmed in by the near-solid bolstering on the seat base and back but they’re there for a reason. There’s also plenty of adjustment even in rarer places like under your thighs, allowing even the taller among us to go full touring car-spec with their driving position.
The most recent Focus STs all come with a digital instrument display and large central screen running Ford’s latest software that’s also seen on the likes of the Explorer and Ranger. The displays are clear and easy to read, with the instruments offering a little bit of customisation. The colour schemes also change between drive modes, with normal mode being blue and Sport changing to orange with a set of shift lights appearing.
Part of the Focus’ latest update meant removing some of the physical controls, however, relegating many to the screen. This has been a trend of Ford for some time, with models like the updated Puma being exposed to similar decision making. The infotainment system itself is fine – not the worst but not the best to use – and comes with a fixed panel at the bottom for climate functions (see VW? Wasn’t that hard…). Menus are reasonably easy to navigate, there’s a quick-off function for the now-mandatory speed warning (hurrah) and the Focus features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Space inside is competitive if not class leading, much like the regular Focus. The rear seats can fit adults in well enough and has an armrest with cupholders in, while the boot is a reasonable 358 litres.
How does it drive?
This is where we get to the fun part. From the moment you press the starter, the Focus ST feels like an old school hot hatch. There’s a thrum of revs and a classic gargle from the exhaust as the engine warms up. The noise is digitally enhanced, yes, but thankfully not entirely.
And then another Ford stereotype once again comes to pass: fantastically tactile control weights. The manual gearbox’s clutch has a satisfying weight to it and bites early, as do the brakes. Shifting gears feels very rewarding, doing without the sometimes overly snickety shift actions seen in some other cars of its ilk and providing some comfort that it feels like a gearbox built to withstand some punishment.
We’ve only driven this one the road, but the Focus ST Edition feels like a neatly tied up hot hatch to throw around whenever you get the chance. The steering is super accurate with such eager turn-in, and body control is taut.
As the crescendo of that gargly EcoBoost engine builds, power delivery feels remarkably linear – a solid surge of power never really lets up as it almost encourages you towards the redline. And that’s all this car seemingly wants to do: encourage your hoonery. You want a bit of fun? A quick hoof of the throttle or a perfectly synced downshift? It’s right there with you, offering rev-matching in Sport mode. Want to chuck it into a corner with a seemingly-too-fast entry speed? ‘Again!’ It seems to say as you launch full throttle out of the other side. It’s an enabler for your less-than-mature thoughts, true, but that’s exactly what a hot hatch should be doing.
What’s a neat bonus is that exhaust system pops and bangs between gearshifts like the old Focus RS used to do. They’re random and sound unsequenced, almost as if you have to earn them; this doesn’t feel like some DSG fart you get from a Golf R, or a software-programmed choreography that happens with every throttle lift-off.
The trade-off of all this fun and eagerness is a car that’s constantly on edge. Even in its most docile mode, the ST Edition is firm and requires heavy-handed inputs. While you can adjust the coilover suspension towards a softer setup, motorway journeys will feel like a slog after a while; the short gearing means motorway speeds are met with a continuous 3000rpm drone from the engine and a matching one from the performance tyres. It’s noisy in the cabin, where passengers and the driver will struggle to hold a real conversation.
Before you buy
Is the Focus ST Edition the fastest out there? No. The similarly front-drive Honda Civic Type R will pip it under test conditions, and the new Golf GTI Clubsport offers more power for a similar price – but is auto only. Those looking at a Focus ST may also cross-shop against the more potent Golf R, where the new one is a second faster to 62mph. That said, the ST Edition is cheaper than both of those by some margin; the incoming new Golf R is a £44k car before any option is ticked, while the current Civic Type R has earned a notorious reputation for its eye-watering £50k price tag.
Given the Ford’s additional personality over the Golf and the significant price gulf between it and the Civic, the ST Edition sounds appealing. The additional draw of this potentially being the last of its kind will be enough to get some ordering pronto.
Verdict: Ford Focus ST Edition
Is this the last time I’ll have driven a traditional Ford hot hatch? All of the signs from Ford point to that being the case, which makes the Focus ST Edition a bittersweet experience from behind the wheel.
But what a fun car this is. True, the ST Edition is always ‘on’, making it one of the less liveable-with hot hatches out there. But what you get for your cash is a car that is always ready to play, with plenty of power and perfectly weighted controls that make any drive engaging from start to finish.