Four reasons to be excited about the new Focus ST

The 2019 Focus ST is based on the fourth-generation Focus platform, and it won’t get headlines for being the fastest or having the wildest design, but if there were a headline for being the best to live with it would surely be in with a shout.

It sticks with front-wheel-drive, a manual gearbox and supportive Recaro seats. You can have it as a five-door hatch or as an estate, and the emphasis with either is as much on room, comfort and practicality as performance.

“Just enough” under the bonnet this time is 280PS (276bhp) and 311lb ft from a turbocharged, 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-pot engine. Plenty of go-faster hatchbacks have more power than that but it’s still 12 per cent up on the old ST, as well as offering 17 per cent more torque (the old ST had 247bhp and 266lb ft). The engine features a new low-inertia turbo and anti-lag technology from the Ford GT to be more responsive than before.

Like the old model there’s a diesel version, too – a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with 190PS (187bhp) and 296lb ft of torque, just 5PS more than before with an identical torque figure.

It’s a quicker ST than the last one, with 0-62mph down by half a second to “under six seconds” when equipped with the six-speed manual ‘box (there’s a new seven-speed automatic option as well).

Developed by Ford Performance and on sale in the summer, the new ST complements its sensible side with plenty of new tech said to make it the most dynamic ST yet. 

Here are four things that should make it more of a hoot to drive than ever before…

1. A new electronic differential

The big news in the handling department is the first electronic limited-slip differential for a front-drive Ford. Hydraulically activated clutches inside the transmission distribute torque to the wheel with the most traction, counteracting wheelspin on the way out of corners. Ford says the eLSD reacts quicker and more precisely than a mechanical LSD. We’ll find out when we get behind the wheel.

2. Auto blipping

Choose the manual ‘box (we would) and you not only get a shorter, faster throw but automatic engine blipping on down-changes, in case you haven’t yet perfected (or have forgotten!) your heel-and-toe technique. We know the system works well and keeps things smooth because the technology is tried and tested on the Mustang. You can deactivate it if you want to do your own fancy footwork.

3. Drive modes

The new ST gets selectable drive modes for the first time. You can choose between Slippery/Wet, Normal, Sport and – for models equipped with the optional Performance Pack – Track. Ford says the steering, brakes, throttle response, gear shifting, eLSD, stability control, engine noise – even climate control – are all among the variables tailored to suit mood or conditions with the drive modes. The steering sounds interesting: as well as weighting up in Sport mode, it’s already Ford’s most direct steering with just two turns lock-to-lock.

4. Reworked suspension

Suspension changes have made this the most agile, stable and intuitive handling Focus ST yet says Ford, a car that “blends B-road fun, legitimate track-day performance, and everyday usability better than any vehicle in its class”. Key changes are beefed up dampers, a reduced ride height and bigger brakes. STs have always handled sweetly, so big hopes for the new model here.

All that and a roomy five-person cabin, and up to 1,653 litres of load space in the estate. So who needs 400 horsepower and a wing the size of Texas?