The Ford Focus ST will cost from £21,995 when it goes on sale next month, while the estate version will cost from £23,095.
Both versions of the Focus ST are powered by a 247bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
The ST will be sold in three trim options: ST1, ST2 and ST3.
Standard kit includes 18-inch alloys, keyless start, Bluetooth and DAB radio.
ST2 adds kit including part-leather trim, rain-sensitive wipers, ST floor mats and an upgraded radio, while ST3 offers full leather trim, heated front seats, bi-xenon headlamps and keyless entry.
The Focus ST will be sold in 40 countries, and has been developed jointly by Ford's specialist Team RS in Europe and America's Special Vehicles Team.
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Why are we waiting?
Ford first hinted at this ST eons ago and yet we're still waiting... How long does it take to drop a powerful engine into a Focus?
ST2 price?
This is the entry price, but I've always considered the ST2 to be the choice. It's got the right bits that you'd want to live with in the car, but without the extras you can live without. Full leather seats only make your bum slide off them!
However, given my brother's experience of his ST2 don't buy it from Arnold Clark. He waited to get one with Bluetooth, but Arnold Clark deleted it from his order and tried to give him a third party bit of junk instead. Plus they early registered the car so he never got use out of two months of his road tax. And even trying to get a test drive was laughable!
Don't buy from Arnold Clark.
ST-2 price
The ST-2 costs £23,495 (+£1,100 for the estate).
Tell your brother not to worry about Bluetooth, all Focus ST versions have it as standard (the new Ford Sync set-up). Various options & packs are available for ST-2 and ST-3 but only paint options are available for the base version.
All early build will be ST-2 and ST-3.
Dull
I love the previous generation ST, and I'm passionate about hot hatches in general. But this generation of ST, it just looks so plain and dull. In fact, the front bumper of other Focus models actually look more sporty and aggresive than the one on this one. A hot hatch needs to look good as well as drive well, and on that basis I'd rather pick up a used previous-gen ST. Or the new Astra VXR. Or the Megane RS250.