The modernized Focus was first seen in March at the Geneva Motor Show , and it was actually only a matter of time before the sporty ST version was also presented. The blue oval made its premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed , and along with the classic gasoline version comes something for more frugal customers.
For the first time ever, a diesel unit will appear under the hood of a sporty Focus, and together with the Octavia RS and Golf GTD, these three cars will be the only ones in the C-segment to have a diesel engine under the hood in the sporty version. The one at Ford has a volume of two liters and the classic designation TDCi , with which comes a power of 185 hp at 3500 rpm and a torque of 400 Nm between 2000 – 2750 rpm. The maximum speed is 217 km/h and the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h will take place in 8.1 seconds , but the biggest advantage of the diesel ST should be flexible acceleration , when acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h takes only 9.7 seconds. The unrealistic consumption of 4.4 l/100 km and CO2 emissions of 114 g/km are also important.
In addition to the diesel, however, the 2.0 EcoBoost gasoline turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an output of 250 hp (252 hp in the USA) at 5500 rpm with a torque of 360 Nm (365 Nm in the USA) between 2000 and 4500 rpm is still on offer. Dynamic parameters, namely acceleration in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 248 km/h, are better than the diesel, but paper consumption at 6.8 l/100 km and CO2 emissions at 158 g/km look better for the diesel unit. The only change to this engine is the installation of a stop-start system , which reduced consumption by 6% and emissions by 11 g/km. Both engines have a six-speed manual and front-wheel drive.
Changes have also taken place under the surface, where we find a sports chassis , using all-new front springs and damper settings front and rear, combined with specially designed anti-roll bars and rear springs from the last generation ST. The electronic power steering and torque vectoring have been reconfigured, the electronic stabilization program with three modes and the electronic directional stability system are new. For better driving characteristics, the newcomer has specially developed Michelin tires on 19-inch wheels.
In terms of appearance, the changes made to the base hatchback carry over to the ST. In practice, this means a completely new front mask , narrower headlights, a new hood or rectangular fog lights. The specialty of the ST version is the optical bodykit , darker rear lights, the already mentioned 19-inch wheels, a pair of hexagonal exhaust tips and the ST logo. A new Stealth gray color was created exclusively for the Focus ST, and the paint offer also includes a new shade of Deep Impact Blue. For the first time ever, in the case of a sharp Focus, adaptive headlights can be used.
The cabin benefits mainly from the reduction of buttons in the classic Focus , as well as the new infotainment with an eight-inch touchscreen and the SYNC 2 system , which allows you to operate the audio system, navigation, air conditioning and a connected mobile phone via voice control . A new sports steering wheel covered in soft leather was specially designed for the ST, the chrome gear lever head or the three alarm clocks on the top of the center panel are not missing from the previous version. The Recaro sports seats were also retained.
Among the electronic assistants, there is the Cross Traffic Alert safe reversing system, the Ford Active City Stop safety system, which prepares the brakes for action as soon as it detects an impending collision, and can stop the car by itself up to 50 km/h, or automatically return to the lane. The first cars will reach customers at the beginning of 2015 , but the car can be ordered from this autumn.
Source: Ford
