Ford announced the most complete Ford Performance-developed Focus yet, with the introduction of the road- and track-ready Focus ST Edition.
Designed to reward enthusiast drivers with racecar responses at the circuit, while delivering the creature comforts of a high-specification family car for the school run or commute, Focus ST Edition represents the ultimate in usable and practical performance.
The Ford Focus ST Edition earns its Sports Technologies badge with advanced features including:
- A Ford Performance-tuned adjustable coilover suspension system that allows enthusiast owners to fine-tune driving dynamics to their personal preferences
- Alloy wheels made using a flow-forming process also used to make aerospace components
- Brembo front brakes that ensure powerful and consistent braking lap after lap
- Ford’s 280 PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine for 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 5.7 seconds, and 420 Nm of torque for potent in-gear acceleration
Ford Focus ST Edition is as comfortable getting owners to a track day as it is capable when it gets there, with the most popular option packs from the Focus ST range included as standard for quick getaways on frozen winter mornings, effortless highway cruising and premium audio for road trip soundtracks.
A unique Azura Blue exterior with High Gloss Black details, as well as Motion Blue interior highlights, add unmistakeable exclusivity.
“The new Focus ST Edition represents the best of Ford Performance in a usable, everyday package,” said Stefan Muenzinger, Ford Performance manager, Europe. “Sports Technologies mean drivers don’t have to compromise on versatility but can still enjoy the thrill of a track day.”
Control and confidence
The Focus ST Edition’s adjustable suspension is delivered with a Ford Performance-developed setup, tested extensively across Europe including at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The two-way adjustable coilover suspension system, produced by motorsport specialists KW Automotive, features twin tube stainless steel damper housings and powder-coated springs. Lowered 10 mm front and rear compared with the standard Focus ST for greater balance and control, a further adjustment of 20 mm is available to the customer. Spring rates are increased by more than 50 per cent compared with the standard Focus ST.
Twelve jounce settings – the degree of upward damper movement allowed as the wheel contacts a bump in the road, and 16 rebound settings – the speed at which the damper returns to position after an upward movement, give Focus ST Edition drivers an even greater degree of control over cornering responses.
The Ford Focus ST Edition is also supplied with a technical document providing recommended suspension settings for a variety of driving conditions – including specific settings for the Nordschleife – to help performance driving enthusiasts fine-tune their driving experiences.
The lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels reduce unsprung mass by 10 per cent at each corner of the vehicle. The wheels are constructed using a flow forming process, which compacts the aluminium alloy to retain tensile strength and increase shock resistance while using less material. The wheels’ reduced mass means they can change direction faster to hug the road or track surface profile and help high performance Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres grip for optimised acceleration, braking and cornering.
Available exclusively in five-door hatchback and six-speed manual gearbox configuration, the Ford Focus ST Edition features a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine with a low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger to deliver 280 PS at 5,500rpm and 420 Nm of torque from 3,000 rpm, resulting in 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
Ready for the road
Being an enthusiast driver shouldn’t mean suffering a lack of creature comforts day to day. The Focus ST Edition features as standard the option packs that Focus ST customers opt for most often, including sophisticated driver assistance systems.
The Driver Assist Pack includes Adaptive Cruise Control with Speed Sign Recognition and Lane Centring, which is designed to make highway driving in particular less demanding, plus Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert which supports the driver when manoeuvring.
Focus ST Edition also features a 675 W B&O Premium Sound System with ten speakers and a subwoofer, while the standard Winter Pack includes a heated steering wheel and a Quickclear heated windscreen for rapid defrosting in icy conditions.
Every Ford Focus ST Edition is finished in Azura Blue – exclusive to the model within the Focus ST range – complemented with High Gloss Black alloy wheels, roof, rear spoiler and diffuser, door mirrors and ST badge surrounds. Inside there is Motion Blue stitching for the Ford Performance seats, steering wheel, gear shift gaiter, centre console knee pads and floor mats.
The Focus ST Edition joins the existing Focus ST line-up that offers five-door and wagon body styles with the option of a seven-speed automatic transmission.
