These are the first official pictures of the new Ford Focus ST, a facelifted version of Dagenham’s impressive hot hatchback due to go on sale in March 2008. The car has been cosmetically enhanced with all-new body panels, longer, sleeker headlights, a slightly wider lower front grille and a tidier rear end with smaller taillight clusters. The only carry-over part from the last car, says Ford, is the roof.Underneath, the technical specifications will remain the same as the current STs, so it still uses the excellent 2.5-litre turbo Duratec five-cylinder engine, developing the same 222bhp at 6100rpm and 236lb ft of torque from a low 1600rpm. Prices are slightly cheaper than the outgoing models, starting at £17,995 for the three-door and £18,595 for the five-door.
Better spec for cooking models
The rest of the Focus range will be updated earlier, in January 2008, with improved standard equipment levels, an all-new look and more competitive pricing. Next year’s facelifted Focus will get, as standard, electronic stability control, four airbags, a CD stereo and the Easyfuel filler from the Mondeo, which prevents the wrong fuel being used. There’ll also be a DSG-style, dual-clutch paddle-shift gearbox on the options list, and a green 1.8-litre Flex Fuel bio-ethanol engine. The newly restructured trim range for one of Britain’s biggest selling cars runs from Studio, through Style and Zetec, to Titanium and ST. Prices are, on average, £250 more expensive than the outgoing model, but base equipment is more generous. Entry to the Focus range will remain via the 1.4-litre three-door Focus Studio model, to be priced at £11,945. Traditionally the most popular model, the 1.6-litre TDCI Zetec, with 16 inch alloys and body-coloured bumpers, will cost £16,045. Environmentally-sound bioethanol versions come in at £16,545 in three-door Zetec trim. And the luxurious Titanium estate version, with a 2.0-litre TDCi engine, costs £19,145.
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