This year’s Festival of Speed was a busy one for Ford, who brought a variety of cars to Goodwood, among which the new Focus ST.
Since this is a performance model that wants to make a statement in the compact segment, it was set loose on the Hill Climb, with the automaker recording the run and sharing it online.
For a four-banger, the new Focus ST sounds very good. However, there’s a catch here, because it has an artificial noise generator, something that has been embraced by other carmakers in recent years, and doesn’t really do justice to what is, in essence, a very good front-wheel drive hot hatch.
Also Watch: 2019 Ford Focus ST: Is The New Hot Hatch As Good As The Specs Suggest?
The new ST does 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in under 6 seconds and has a 250 km/h (155 mph) top speed. That’s in the petrol-powered version, which uses a 2.3-liter EcoBoost, making 280 PS (276 hp / 206 kW) and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque and was the one chosen by Ford for the run up the hill.
The diesel version is slower, as it needs 7.6 seconds to get to 100 km/h (62 mph), while its top speed drops to 220 km/h (137 mph). That’s because it is considerably less powerful, since its 2.0-liter EcoBlue four produces 190 PS (187 hp / 140 kW) and has a peak torque of 400 Nm (295 lb-ft). But it’s good to have the option of getting (basically) the same chassis in a performance or more fuel-economy oriented flavor.