Ford Focus ST 2013 Review

Ford has nailed the high performance experience with its new Ford Focus ST. Despite changing the badge from locally relevant XR5 Turbo to universal ST, dropping a cylinder and reducing engine displacement, the new flagship Focus is now more powerful, more nimble and arguably more fun.

From the moment you slot into the motorsport-inspired Recaro bucket seats, the car looks and feels the part -- from the alloy pedals to the 280km/h speedo and the ancillary turbo boost gauge mounted on the dash.

There's no denying the Focus ST's brawn -- 184kW and 340Nm of torque are big numbers for a small car. And while the vehicle is a bona fide hot hatch whose sights are set firmly on its benchmark-setting rival, the Renault Sport Megane RS 265, it was in everyday situations that the fast Focus first impressed.

There's a sense of refinement and maturity about the car that manifests in everyday situations, particularly when commuting. It's unfussed, relaxed and easy to drive, with enough compliance in the suspension to ensure your back won't need realigning every fortnight. Indeed, the car is a rarity in the hot hatch segment in terms of civility.

The seats are comfortable (despite looking wild) and Ford's potent hatch will appeal to buyers who want big ticket performance without sacrificing everyday usability. The only thing standing in its way of market leadership -- a title currently held by the VW Golf GTI -- could be the lack of availability. Ford Australia is still only able to import 100 cars per month.

The engine is easy to pedal along at low speeds, the six-speed manual gearbox and clutch are an intuitive match and a big wad of low-end torque means you don't have to change gears too often. Apart from average rearward vision, wonky-looking steering wheel buttons and a sub-par turning circle, it's smooth sailing for the fiery German-built Focus.

That the Focus ST is a five-door hatchback makes it a more practical choice than the Megane RS and other three-door contenders in the hot hatch category like the Opel Astra OPC.

Priced at $38,290, the ST represents an increase of almost $2000 over the XR5 Turbo, but considering the leap in performance, refinement and standard features, the premium is warranted.

The Focus ST comes standard with tonnes of features, such as a reversing camera and parking sensors, proximity key fob, xenon headlights, LED running lights, moody 18-inch alloy wheels, auto headlights, auto wipers, cruise control, voice control for some systems, the list goes on. Setting up Bluetooth devices wasn't too complicated and the Sony stereo system was decent.

With its leather trimmed seats, steering wheel, door inners and more, the car has a premium feel. The sleek, somewhat edgy motif inside and out suits the car. Of particular note was the angular dash design.

Driven with a gentle right foot it can be frugal too, which is good if you plan on travelling long distances on a regular basis. Ford claims average fuel use of 7.4L/100km (according to ADR 81/02) and while I achieved closer to 10L/100km, the car's big 62 litre fuel tank equates to a very good cruising range. The capless fuelling system is handy too.

Ford has done a terrific job with the basics of the Focus ST, but pedal-to-the-metal driving is where the car really shines.

Though it might not have the cornering nous of the Megane RS 265, it's not far off the pace and in terms of power delivery, the new engine that shares its basics with the Falcon EcoBoost is a winner.

Ford has replaced the outgoing XR5 Turbo's soulful 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine with a smaller 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, but what the engine's lost in capacity it's made up for in aggression, generating significantly more power and torque. Even better, the specially fettled 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine cranks up the afterburners for short periods of time (15 seconds) to max out at 360Nm thanks to an overboost feature.

The engine is eager right throughout its rev range, tractable at low revs and positively fiery at the upper reaches of the RPM band. Throttle response is ultra-crisp and there's virtually no turbo lag - just massive propulsion - making the claimed 6.5 second 0-100km/h sprint and 248km/h top speeds seem conservative.

Suffice to say the car's power output is not only satisfying but addictive in its deliverance, particularly when scything through corners.

An imposing point-to-point hottie, the Focus holds a tight line through a corner and can be blisteringly quick thanks to the uber-responsive engine, but I did experience mild resistance from the steering wheel a handful of times when hooked into a corner and requesting big throttle. Yep, torque steer.

A couple of times when I took my foot off the throttle mid-corner (and torque forces on the steering wheels fell) this lead to over corrections with the steering. It wasn't persistent or worrying, but it's the first time I've experienced it in a hot hatch.

The Recaro seats did a brilliant body hugging job and the deeply bolstered pews are a big improvement on the XR5's, and though the car has a firm ride, it delivers a stable attitude through corners with only mild body roll. There was enough 'give' in the suspension that during high speed corners on low quality roads you could hit bumps and not have the car shimmy sideways or change trajectory (as is sometimes the case with tightly sprung suspension).

Shod with Pirelli P Zero Nero tyres sized 235/40 ZR 18 at all four corners (spare wheel is a space saver) and riding lower than regular variants, the Focus ST showed a clean pair of heels and felt confident and planted in both wet and dry corners.

Pushing the car deeper into turns and nailing the powerful brakes later and later becomes second nature after a few hours behind the wheel because the car telegraphs a lot of what's going on below you.

Compelling is one way to describe the Focus ST, engaging is another. For mine, this is one of the best all-round hot hatches available in this price bracket today.