Revised Ford Focus ST revealed

The facelifted Ford Focus ST has been revealed ahead of the car making its dynamic debut on the Goodwood Festival of Speed's hill climb.

The Blue Oval is promising "a more responsive, balanced and refined driving experience" from the car, which will also get a diesel engine option for the first time.

The diesel engine in the Focus ST 2.0-litre TDCi produces 182bhp at 3500rpm and 295lb ft from 2000-2750rpm. The maximum speed is 135mph and can sprint from 0-62mph in 8.1sec. It returns a claimed 64.2mpg on the combined cycle and emits 114g/km of CO2.

Ford’s 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine produces 247bhp at 5500rpm and 266lb ft from 2000-4500rpm. The maximum speed is 154mph and the car can cover 0-62mph in 6.5sec. Fuel efficiency is put at 41.5mpg by Ford and emits 158g/km of CO2.

Both engines use a six-speed manual transmission with a short-throw shift. The gear ratios are exclusive to the Focus ST and matched individually to each engine.

Available in five-door and estate body styles, the revised Ford Focus ST receives most of the updates made to the standard Focus derivatives earlier this year.

However, the Focus ST also gets a raft of extra tweaks made by Ford Team RS performance division aimed at improving the entire driving experience.

The sports suspension features new front springs and sportier new shock absorber tuning front and rear. The anti-roll bars and rear springs are carried over from the outgoing Focus ST. Ford says the changes deliver "an even sharper dynamic performance".

The calibration of the electronic power assisted steering (EPAS) has also been revised, which Ford claims provides "a quicker response from the variable ratio steering, improving turn-in and delivering better overall balance".

The three-stage electronic stability programme (ESP) has been tweaked, "to maintain optimal precision and control during rapid changes of direction at speed".

Another change is to the electronic torque vectoring control settings to "further optimise wheel torque distribution, maximising traction through corners and increasing agility" according to Ford.

The Focus ST's engine mounts have been engineered to to refine the power delivery under hard acceleration by improving front-wheel traction and gear-shift quality.

Additionally, Ford worked with Michelin to develop a new 19-inch tyre that complements the driving dynamics, especially maximising lateral grip.

Key cosmetic changes to the Ford Focus ST include a lower, wider stance, sculpted bonnet, reproportioned upper grille, slimmer headlamps and rectangular foglamps.

The sports bodykit also includes body‑coloured side skirts and diffuser elements either side of the exhaust, and a rear roof spoiler optimised for aerodynamic performance. All new Focus ST models feature twin-hexagonal centre tailpipes.

Inside, Ford has redesigned the Focus for a more intuitive dashboard layout, with significantly fewer buttons in the cabin. However, the ST retains the additional bank of three gauges – displaying turbocharger boost pressure, oil temperature and oil pressure – on the instrument binnacle.

The performance model gets a new, flat-base sports steering wheel with a soft-feel leather covered rim. The ST also features sports seats developed jointly by Ford and Recaro, a satin chrome-topped gear lever, sports pedals, satin chrome door grab handles and illuminated aluminium scuff plates.

As with the current car, the Focus ST will be available in three trim levels named ST1, ST2 and ST3. ST1 seats feature grey/charcoal/anthracite black fabric; ST2 adds partial leather with base and side bolsters available in four colours and ST3 seats have a full charcoal black leather finish.

The revised Focus ST comes with the Ford Sync 2 connectivity system, which offers access to audio, navigation, climate control and mobile phones via voice control and a high-definition, eight-inch colour touchscreen.

Adaptive front lighting is available for the first time on the Focus ST, while the car also gets Cross Traffic Alert – which warns drivers reversing from parking spaces if other vehicles are about to cross their path – Active City Stop collision avoidance and Lane Keeping Aid.

Ford has sold more than 140,000 Focus ST models in 40 countries worldwide since the first iteration of the car was launched in 2002.

Available to order in Europe from autumn 2014, the first new Focus ST models are scheduled to be in dealerships from early 2015. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.