Item: Ford Focus ST
Rating: 4.5

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It has been just over a year since the loss of the Ford Fiesta ST, one of the all-time great hot hatches, but its big brother, the Ford Focus ST, is still going strong.

For now, at least. The Ford Focus will go out of production in 2025 to make room for the Blue Oval's electrification efforts, but the firm has been hard at work to make sure the hot version goes out with a bang.

Available as a hatchback or an estate, the Focus ST has been a part of the Ford model range since 1998. It's now in its fourth generation, having first gone on sale in 2018 before receiving a mid-life update in 2021.

Since the rally-tuned Focus RS was axed after the model's third generation, the ST has been the pinnacle of Ford's hot hatch armoury, and the Edition, a sportier, more dynamic variant, has newly arrived for 2024.

It's good timing: the Volkswagen Golf GTI got an update in 2024, while the more hardcore Honda Civic Type R received a new look and a power hike earlier in the year.

But can the Focus ST still hold its own? Read on as we find out...

Ford Focus ST range at a glance

As of 2024, there are two variants: the regular ST and the special ST Edition. Both are powered by the 2.3-litre petrol engine producing 276bhp, as the diesel ST is no longer available.

Version	Power
Focus ST	276bhp
Focus ST Edition	276bhp

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 9

Ford Focus ST

Track-bred performance enhancements make the Focus ST even more gratifying in Edition guise

Good

Intoxicating performance

Engaging to drive

Bad

Irritated ride quality

Track Pack equipment won't suit everybody

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Looks sporty

Available in estate and hatchback form

Cons

Diesel is out, if you're bothered

No limited-slip diff on estate models

The Focus ST carries a similar design to its predecessor, with bespoke, sportier styling compared with the standard Focus.

It gets more rounded styling for improved aerodynamics, plus a new LED headlight design.

The more serious ST Edition, which we're driving here, gets 363mm Brembo brakes at the front with adjustable coilover suspension derived from German firm KW Automotive, which also supplied systems for various hardcore Mercedes-AMG Black cars, Mini’s John Cooper Works models and the BMW M4 GTS.

It lowers the car by 10mm, with an additional 20mm adjustable by the driver, with spring rates 50% higher than the standard Focus ST.

The hatchback, driven here, also gets a limited-slip differential, while the estate does not. Unspring mass is also reduced by 10% on each corner thanks to new 19in alloy wheels.

INTERIOR

Pros

Clear infotainment

Excellent driving position

Cons

Digital dials are confusing to customise

Sports seats won't suit everybody

The Focus ST gets Ford’s latest Sync4 13.2in touchscreen infotainment system as standard (wireless smartphone mirroring and charging included), as well as premium audio by Bang & Olufsen, adaptive LED headlights and a torque-vectoring e-differential at the front.

The major addition to the cabin otherwise is a pair of new front sports seats, which have been accredited by Germany’s Campaign for Healthier Backs.

They have 14-way power adjustment and four-way-adjustable lumbar support and are alleged to provide an ideal driving position for a variety of builds.

The Focus’s driving position has good lower back support and plenty of effective lateral bolstering, but it lacks enough under-thigh support for really comfortable longer journeys (you can adjust the seat base for height but not inclination angle), and due to the integrated headrest design, it isn’t ideally comfortable for the upper back and shoulders either.

The boot is a practical size, measuring 375 litres for the hatchback and 575 litres for the estate. That's a decent size for a family holiday, shopping, or, as Ford claims to intend, a trip to Nurburgring.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Engaging manual gearbox

Potent power delivery

Cons

Automatic is fine but not all that fun

Power wanes beyond 5000rpm

The ST is powered by Ford's 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine. Output stands at 276bhp, giving a 0-62mph time of 5.7sec, meaning it’s still a match for the new Golf GTI but not quite as powerful as the Civic Type R. Ford opted to leave the Edition unchanged in terms of power.

With 310lb ft available, the ST Edition feels particularly torquey under harder acceleration, which is great fun when paired with the model’s slick six-speed manual gearbox. Mid-range thrust is outstanding, but as has generally been the case with the fourth generation ST, power begins to wane beyond 5000rpm.

Thankfully, Ford’s ultimate desire for the Edition to be taken on track hasn’t held it back on the road. The hot hatch is certainly punchy enough for most UK roads.

If a manual isn't your style anymore, you can select the ST with a seven-speed torque-converter automatic.

Sadly, it isn’t one of those two-pedal autos that can add everyday commuting versatility to a hot hatchback’s all-around appeal, as quicker-shifting dual-clutchers often do.

It does well enough when just mooching around in D, but it’s a little too given to shift unnecessarily when you’re at a more engaged pace; it doesn’t shift quite quickly or positively enough for a true driver’s car when you’re using the paddle-shift manual mode; and it’s also sometimes guilty of slurring shifts at low speed and making you feel less in control of the driving experience than you would like to be.

We'd choose the manual.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Direct, accurate steering

Tenacious handling

Cons

Ride can feel a bit lumpy

Noisy cabin

The Focus ST chassis is excellent, allowing the hot hatch to excel in handling dynamism and truly entertain.

Its weighty, keenly paced steering, its incisive and balanced handling and its body control at speed remain as compelling as anything you might access at the more affordable end of the full-size hot hatch market - and they’re more than a match for most rivals.

This is a car that you can flick around roundabouts so intuitively and immediately, with a flash of your wrists and a couple of well-timed pedal inputs. Even in automatic form, it has a grip level of real mid-corner tenacity and plenty of traction when you’re making a speedy exit from a tighter bend.

The Edition adds tenacity to inspire confidence in corners. On the extra grippy Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres fitted to our test car, you exit each corner grinning ear-to-ear.

There are some compromises for these enhancements. The Edition’s secondary ride isn’t a strong point, with jolts and vibrations making their way into the cabin on most road surfaces. There's also a large amount of road noise.

Thanks to supportive sports seats, though, it’s not entirely uncomfortable.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Still starts at less than £40,000

Acceptable fuel economy for day-to-day driving

Cons

ST Edition creeps into Golf R territory

It will drink fuel if you want to enjoy it

While the basic Focus ST is priced at £37,705, the Edition comes in at £42,905. That makes it more expensive than the Golf GTI and pushes it into the same price bracket as the new Golf R.

It achieved a day-to-day economy rating of 35.3mpg on the WLTP test, which we found to be about right in the real world. Don't expect it to stay that high if you're driving it exuberantly, though.

Premium equipment on our Edition test car included a premium audio system, a reversing camera, wireless phone charging and Ford’s up-to-date 13.2in infotainment system, paired with a 12.3in digital driver's display.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 9

Ford Focus ST

Track-bred performance enhancements make the Focus ST even more gratifying in Edition guise

Good

Intoxicating performance

Engaging to drive

Bad

Irritated ride quality

Track Pack equipment won't suit everybody

The Focus ST offers outright performance and chassis composure blended so skillfully with accessible entertainment value that it remains a true benchmark among its competitors.

Some rivals are quicker but more serious-feeling and sometimes less fun. Others are miles more powerful, with four-wheel drive, but manage to make such small marginal gains as a result. The ST remains an enduringly appealing hot-hatch sweet spot.

The range-topping Edition further strengthens the ST's position as one of the class’s most enjoyable hot hatches. Its dynamic and mechanical changes are all excellent additions to what is already an excellent hot hatch.

You had better make the most of it while you still can. The days of the Focus are numbered, and we’re all the worse off for it.