FORD FOCUS ST
The hot hatch turned heads everywhere it went – but not always for the right reasons. Here’s our final report
OUR CARS
FEATURED THIS WEEK
BMW 128ti
FORD MONDEO
FORD FOCUS ST
KIA SORENTO
MINI CONVERTIBLE
FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 12,201
WHY WE RAN IT
In the absence of a new RS, is the latest Focus ST good enough to be considered a credible flagship fast Ford hatchback?
W hat is it about the colour orange? A recent Twitter poll seemed to suggest it’s a magnet for trafficlight Lewis Hamiltons and teen racers, whether the car in question is a supercar or a hot hatch. Having spent the past few months in the latter, I don’t disagree. Wherever I went in it, the Focus ST was never short on attention – not all of it good. Had our now-departed long-termer been delivered in a different hue, I’m convinced the otherwise subtl visual upgrades over the standard car would have let it fly under most people’s radars. The £800 expense is one I’d leave off the options list.
Admittedly, it’s up for debate whether the ability to drive incognito at times should be a prerequisite for a hot hatch, and in many respects the Focus is one of the more restrained cars in its class. Personally, I like that the larger alloys, tweaked bodykit and neatly integrated rear spoiler don’t demand constant attention, in the same way the uber-aggressive Honda Civic Type R or decal-laden BMW 128ti do. The twin exhausts might give the game away, but they aren’t the loudest pipes around.