Ford Focus ST 2.0L 2012 review

The ST is Ford's first "global" performance car and will be sold in more than 40 countries. It's being delivered to showrooms as we speak and there will be no shortage of punters lining up to get their hands on the hot hatch, a long and eagerly awaited replacement for the XR5 Turbo.

Built in Germany the ST is up against some stiff competition, but it's got the right pedigree and commands plenty of respect.

The Look

If anything the styling is a bit understated. The car sits 10mm lower than a standard Focus, with ST tuned sports suspension, a body kit and rear wing, LEDs, bi-xenon lights and a Boxster style set of twin centrally mounted tailpipes.

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It rides on 18 inch wheels with 235/40 series Goodyear tyres, that protrude further than the rim providing some protection from gutter scrapes. Sadly, though, unlike the XR5, there's no GT stripes available - at least not for the time being (but we get the impression they're in the pipeline). 

Comes in a range of colours, but the standout is by far and away the hero Tangerine - "Learner plate" yellow from where we're standing.

The Engine

It's basically the same 2.0-litre Ecoboost turbocharged, direct injection engine that can be found in Mondeo and the Falcon, but in a different state of tune with some bits added and others replaced.

The end result is an engine that kicks out 184kW of power at 5500 revs and 360Nm of torque from 2000 revs, with drive to the front wheels through a trick diff that modulates the delivery of power so it doesn't just sit there and spin the wheels when you hit the gas.

The turbocharged four is paired with a short-shifting 6-speed manual with lockout reverse (there's no auto). The dash from 0-100km/h takes 6.5 seconds and it has a top speed of 248km/h, although the latter figure is not of much import. Fuel consumption from the 62-litre tank is 7.4 litres/100km and it takes premium unleaded. We got 10.6 litres/100km during the launch program.

The Cabin

It's eye catching with its colour-coded, part leather Recaro sports seats (front and back). But the multi-layered dash is perhaps a little bit too busy and be confusing until you become familiar with the position of various functions.

Satnav is standard but it's a small display and does not provide speed camera warnings, which you might think are something of a priority with the drivers of this sort of car. Given that the Falcon gets the warnings, that doesn't makes a lot of sense - there's nothing like consistency. There's no option to display the car's speed digitally either - another priority perhaps?

The Lineup

There's just the one model,  with the one engine, one transmission and one suspension tune, priced from $38,290. Overseas there's three of them: ST1, ST2 and ST3 - but ST1 doesn't even get air conditioning. In terms of performance and equipment levels ours sits somewhere between the 2 and 3 (thankfully with air).

Sync

Ford keeps making a big deal of the Microsoft based Sync system in this and others models. The problem is that's not fully functional in this country as yet and really provides only Bluetooth, with audio streaming and voice control. Overseas it's connected to the internet which opens up a whole world of possibilities. The Sony audio system boasts nine speakers.

Safety

Gets a full five stars for safety, with six airbags and a host of safety features including a reversing camera.

The Drive

The sports hatch segment is fiercely competitive and there will be plenty of people out there comparing the figures. Suffice to say the Focus ST looks the part and is a treat to drive, with a sporty, attention getting exhaust note - even at lower engine revs.

The ST sits securely on the road, with a low centre of gravity and that desirable "planted" feel. It features variable ratio electric power assisted steering and torque vectoring to provide added traction in corners. There's some squirm as the front wheels scrabble for traction on take off, but that's only to be expected.

The clutch and gear change are smooth and easy to use, but some drivers complained that the top of the centre console snagged their elbow. The ride is thankfully not too soft, nor too firm, even though it is engineered for global tastes and the more you drive the car the more confidence in its grip and cornering ability continues to grow rounding up nicely on the other side of corners.

The stability system has sport and off modes and the steering weights up as the car's speed increases,  easing off again at low speed, to make parking easier. Braking is strong and progressive too, with 320mm front stoppers that have been upgraded.

The Old One

Although known as the XR5 here, it was actually the ST overseas. Launched in 2006, Ford has sold almost 6000 of the cars here, priced at $35,990. The XR5's turbocharged 2.5-litre five cylinder engine was good for 166kW/320Nm and it did the dash from 0-100 in 6.8 seconds. The new one is 40kg lighter and is cheaper, faster and better equipped.