SPY PICS: Ford to crank up its Focus ST

It's by no means certain, but if rumours are true and the next-gen Ford Focus ST is powered-up with a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine related to the hi-po version already employed in the brutal AWD Ford Focus RS, Ford's next-gen Focus ST will come with distinct improvements in road performance.

Although it will always play second fiddle to the barnstorming Focus RS as far as outright performance is concerned, the front-drive Ford Focus ST is sure to be more rewarding to drive and more potent than the current 184kW 2.0-litre version.

The figures tell a story: In the Ford Focus RS, the 2.3-litre engine cranks out no less than 257kW, but it's expected it will be throttled back to better suit the front-drive powertrain of the Ford Focus ST and bring it close to the 200kW Peugeot 308 GTi.

It's believed the new ST will also benefit from the weight-reducing program applied to the next-gen Focus range, which is said to shave something like 90kg off the car's weight.

At the same time, the Focus is expected to be more torsionally rigid, with an improvement of around 20 per cent in the base structure, and around 50 per cent in the suspension. Initially, the Focus ST will be available in six-speed manual transmission form only.

Although an earlier launch date was originally anticipated, the word now is that the Focus ST will make its first appearance at the Geneva motor show in March 2019 and will go on sale in Europe around mid-year. The RS version, using mild hybrid technology to electrically boost performance, will go on sale in the UK in 2020.

The mainstream fourth-generation Focus range will make its Australian debut later this year.