The Ford Focus ST has recently received an exterior makeover, a revised interior and, for the first time, a diesel option. However, it’s not the diesel we’re going to talk about, it’s the 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, which soldiers on with its 250PS (247hp) in Europe.
For the first time, the petrol Focus ST is offered with a stop-start system that improves fuel economy by 6 percent to 6.8 l/100km (41.5 mpg UK or 34.6 mpg US) and drops CO2 emissions from 169g/km to 158g/km. But you’re not here to read about fuel consumption, which is why you should know the Focus ST goes from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 6.5 seconds.
Not bad for a family hatch, especially if we think these sort of figures were only reserved to supercars in the early 1990s. Chassis updated also can be felt on how the car drives. XCar took the petrol Focus ST for a spin and found it felt really nimble, but the reviewer also pointed out the steering is not as sharp as it should be.