Back in the day, having in excess of 200 horsepower in a front-wheel drive, compact hatchback used to be the bomb. However, things have changed to the point where we now have such cars with of 300 hp, whereas the AWD ones are more powerful than some modern-classic supercars; yep, we’re talking about the new Mercedes-AMG A45 S and its 415 HP.
Still, this review is not about to the most powerful hot hatch ever, but to one that’s more affordable, and has to make do with FWD: the Ford Focus ST.
A challenger to the likes of the Renault Megane RS Trophy, Honda Civic Type R, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Hyundai i30 N, it brings the sportier look to the Focus Mk4, along with two powerful engines: a 187 HP, 2.0-liter diesel, and a 276 hp, 2.3-liter petrol four taken from the Mustang EcoBoost.
Also Watch: New Ford Focus ST Enjoys The Game Of Fast Driving
On paper, both sound like a good choice. The diesel has lots of grunt from low revs and is less thirsty, whereas the petrol is faster but will make you stop at the gas station more often. So, which one should you choose? If you won’t put many miles on the odo, then the petrol-burner should be your top priority. Not only it’s more powerful, but it provides the full-blown ST experience, with added gear, including adaptive damping and electronic limited-slip differential, among others. Sure, the ride is rather on the firm side, but this makes the car very grippy, and that’s what you want in a very agile hot hatch that uses the front wheels solely to control both the torque delivery and steering.
Should you know anything else about the two versions of the new Focus ST? Why, of course, but with Ford recently hosting the media launch of the car in the south of France, several motoring journalists responded to the call, including AutoTrader, whose video review you can view right below.