Ford Focus ST 170 2003 Review

Some days driving becomes more important than breathing. Some days you just don't want to come back. Some days the road less traveled is the only road worth taking. Some days 14 years for grand theft auto seems worth it.

Because some days the car, the road - the experience - is beyond good. And today, in the Ford Focus ST170, is one of those days.

You're probably surprised to hear how impressed we are with Ford's hot hatch Focus, but you shouldn't be. There's never been any doubt the Focus is dynamically sound; its surgically precise chassis and surefooted suspension endow even the least powerful model with a level of ability beyond the norm.

We pointed the finger loud and long at the uninspiring engines fitted to the volume models. We branded the 85kiloWatt 1.8-litre and 96kW 2.0-litre power-plants as "the biggest letdown" of the entire Focus package. We lamented their lethargic low-rpm power delivery and a breathless top end. ST170 has neither of those problems. ST170 is the engine Focus should have had in the first place.

No, that's not right. What we meant is that this engine's characteristics should be a trademark of the entire Focus range, not just reserved for the go-faster model. All Focus engines should pull enthusiastically from low revs and accelerate cleanly to redline. All engine variants should make clean, seamless use of every kiloWatt allocated them.

According to Wheels magazine's independent testing, the 1.8-litre Ford Focus LX accelerates from rest to 100km/h in 10.9 seconds. The 1.8-litre Corolla does the same trick two seconds quicker. Corolla accelerates from 80-120km/h 1.5 seconds faster than the Focus.

Why are we reminding you of this? Put simply Focus, launched in Europe five years ago (1998), is a car that's behind the game. The higher performance ST170 puts Ford Australia back in front, but only for a short time as two more powerful opponents from Holden and Toyota will once again place the Focus at a straightline performance disadvantage.

Ford Australia responded to our power deficit questions with the 'chassis' advantage - a line they must be as tired of using as we are of hearing it. Remember Tickford?

That said, they're right. This Focus has a incredibly good chassis with an insatiable appetite for twisting roads. An appetite that matches, outstrips even, our own. A combination of supple, fluid ride and tightly controlled handling delivers razor sharp response in every corner.

Turn in is quick and committed, impressively so when you realise how safely planted the rear end remains, even through repeating switchbacks. The ST's 17inch wheel and tyre package exhibits prodigious grip on surfaces ranging from dry bitumen to wet, patchy tarmac and even dirt. Mid corner grip is almost mind-altering stuff, causing you to reassess entry speeds almost every time.

Focus ST170's throttle and engine is again somewhat of a weakness, but not for want of power. It's certainly not a ball-tearer, (0-100km/h in 8.2sec) but is sufficiently quick to reward in most circumstances. No, the throttle is a bit doughy and slow to respond, making blipped downchanges hard to muster and heel toeing a slower, more deliberate affair.

This is a hot hatch, after all. Its reason for existence is to deliver a rewarding driving experience. And it does, in spades. Every time. It's always preferable to have more chassis than power, but the ST170's chassis feels capable of handling more - enough to put it on a level playing field with the 141kW Corolla Sportivo and 147kW turbo Astra, at least.

In Europe, Ford sells a Focus RS with a turbocharged version of this same engine, producing 160kW. Ford Australia has made no decision on the Focus RS at this stage. We can only hope.

Until such a time, Australian hot hatch fans with a Blue Oval bent will have to settle for the ST170. And you'd better like blue, because the ST170 is only available in Imperial Blue. Launch price in May 2003 is $37,000, and for that you get one of the best handling three-door hatches under $50,000.

There's little to rival the Focus at launch, Renault's equally quick Clio RS is smaller in size, as is the Peugeot 206GTi. At $37,000 Focus is getting perilously close to WRX, but it's a fundamentally different machine, and will appeal to a different mindset. But, as we said before, Focus ST170's two big challenges arrive just weeks after we write this article.

Up front is a 2.0-litre Duratec four cylinder engine, using high flow cylinder head, larger valves with variable timing, high-compression alloy pistons and a dual stage manifold to produce 127kW of power at 7000rpm and 196Nm of torque at 5500rpm.

Drive is delivered to the front wheels through a nifty six speed manual gearbox which actually has only four gear ratios. It calls in a second layshaft on fifth and sixth for a lower final drive ratio, a trick which allows a more compact, lightweight overall package. Fuel economy testing carried out to Australian Standards AS2877 suggest a combined city/highway figure of 8.1 litres/100km.

Focus ST170 is not short on stopping power. Brakes are disc all round, anti-lock equipped, and - Ford claims - are capable of hauling the 1208kg hatch from 100m to rest in just 36.3 metres.

Along with the integrated and very attractive body kit, which includes striking 15-spoke alloy wheels, the Focus ST170 comes equipped with sports seats, sports instrument cluster and drilled alloy pedals. Electric windows and mirrors are standard, along with CD player, air conditioning and remote central locking.

We're a big fan of the Focus, both for its on-road abilities, and its solid value for money argument. Our intro to this story was no indulgence; this baby drives like a dream. But it really could handle more power - and against the opposition it's likely to need more... or be left behind. Again.