Ford's hot hatch STar | Car Reviews

#01#Ford's Focus remains the most entertaining regular family hatch to drive but recent arrivals from VW, Vauxhall and latterly Honda have run it increasingly close. The ST battles for fast hatch class honours in a segment full of talent. Hot hatches now pack 200 plus bhp in their pseudo shopping-car body shells and levels of performance have never been higher in this price bracket.

The previous generation Focus RS was a belting car, but came at the end of the Focus' life and was a limited run car that Ford reputedly lost money on. This new-generation Focus has a range topper very quickly after launch. This ST boasts over 50 more horses than the previous model's 170bhp, although the omission of the RS moniker may be a key tell-tale for the future.

Styling is subtly reworked from the standard car. Lurid colours are available, but darker hues such as the black of our test car are a lot more discreet and less attention seeking. Spoilers, alloys and grilles aside this car doesn't stand out hugely from the crowd. I like that in a hot hatch, although the overt aggression of the Astra VXR is also appealing, as is the restraint and class of a Golf GTi. It's a matter of personal preference.

The ST borrows a selection of components from the huge Ford Group parts bin. Up front lurks a turbocharged Volvo 2.5-litre engine normally found in T5 models. Has Ford lost the plot? Well, no. Funnily enough the Editor and I discussed this very combination when we drove the V50 T5 a long while ago. We both mused as to what an excellent powerplant it would be in a lighter shell, like a hatch. Lo and behold someone else agreed and, increase in turning circle aside, we have been proven right.

Linear nature makes the T5 unit an excellent foil for a hot hatch; the added flexibility is a stark contrast to something like the outgoing Civic Type R and, whilst some of the fun of a hugely revvy unit is missed, the strength and breadth of the torque curve is excellent. The overboost facility can be watched on the boost gauge in the centre of the dash and on this same dial you can see how quickly the boost builds, even at low revs. The pull does increase at certain points, such as around the 4000rpm mark, but for the most part as long as there is more than 2000rpm on the tacho a strong response will greet a prod of the throttle.

#p##01# The noise the engine makes is also a treat. It's a heavy breather with lots of induction noise low down that takes on the characteristic offbeat five-pot thrum. As the revs increase, so the noise hardens and forms a nice wail towards the top end. Deadened at a cruise, it's nice that the engineers have seen fit to let the engine be heard when worked. This extra dimension of involvement is hard to over estimate. Where rivals possess some aural charm the ST makes them sound bland and featureless and this is a huge plus for the enthusiast.

Luckily all of this potency isn't wasted in such unseemly traits as wheelspin and torque steer; the ST retains its composure under all but the most severe of provocation - much more so than the wayward Astra VXR. It does lack the VXR's instantaneous turn in though, the steering lacking a little in feeling and perhaps just a little slow witted at first, the nose taking a fraction longer than you'd predicted to duck in to the apex. It's all relative though; the VXR is very twitchy whereas the ST feels firmly planted. It can be thrown into a bend and there is enough capability in the chassis to deal with the resultant effect.

Understeer is easily killed with backing off the throttle; a small amount of lift-off oversteer can be felt, or provoked if the conditions allow, but in most cases the car stays neutral and planted. The body control and damping is stunning; it shows rivals how it should be done. The suspension is stiff and there is very little roll, but it works with the road surface, absorbing rather than skipping over bumps. You'd swear this was the Lotus-tweaked chassis, not the Astra's. Compared to a GTi the ST offers a dynamic repertoire the GTi simply doesn't.

The optional Recaro bucket seats are great, if positioned a little too high and lacking the adjustment to put the driver low in the cabin. Other than that the driving position is spot on with the pedals well spaced and all the controls falling easily to hand. The gearshift is swift and direct, maybe a little light if being pedantic, but overall it's a treat to drive and be driven in.

#p##02# Inside though is a little bland and lacking in flair, but I'd personally prefer that to the lairy orange seats fitted in some cars. It's roomy and spacious with fit and finish of a similar standard to the Astra, but a lot lighter feel; it lags the Golf GTi in this respect. The equipment levels are good with sensibly priced options and the price is competitive with all of its rivals as well.

So what of the two main rivals, the Golf GTi and Astra VXR? This is a car that manages to straddle the middle ground of these cars almost perfectly. Not as lairy as a VXR - certainly in terms of straight line pace at any rate - the ST has the dynamic finesses to trump everything the Astra can offer in any context other than a drag race. The interior feels more spacious and the refinement is in a different class to that of the VXR. The Golf has the ST beaten for cabin ambience and quality, but the all-round package is found wanting in the face of the ST's onslaught of excellence.

The Ford Focus ST is the best fast hatch on sale today and the sales figures back this up. It's hard to foresee a point at which a rival manufacturer will usurp it. Indeed, maybe the car to trump it could come from Ford themselves. One can't help feeling that the chassis could cope with more power, although there must be doubts as to whether the perfectionists at Ford would try and force more through the front wheels. Looking at the parts bin again though there are four-wheel drive transmissions available from Volvo, not to mention a 300bhp variant of the engine. A four-wheel drive, 300bhp Focus RS? I wouldn't bet against it.

In the meantime, enjoy the excellence of the ST; it truly is a car to savour. #p##04#

Ford Focus UK range overview

- Ford Focus Studio 1.4i Duratec 16V (80PS) 5 speed manual: £11,595
- Ford Focus Studio 1.6i 16V TDCi (90PS) 5 speed manual: £13,095
- Ford Focus LX 1.4i Duratec 16V (80PS) 5 speed manual: £13,145
- Ford Focus LX 1.6i Duratec 16V (100PS) 5 speed manual: £13,645
- Ford Focus LX 1.6i Duratec 16V (100PS) Durashift Automatic: £14,645
- Ford Focus LX 1.6i 16V Duratec Ti-VCT (115PS) 5 speed manual: £13,895
- Ford Focus LX 1.8i Duratec 16V (125PS) 5 speed manual: £14,145
- Ford Focus LX 1.6i 16V TDCi (90PS) 5 speed manual: £14,645
- Ford Focus LX 1.8 16V TDCi (115PS) 5 speed manual: £15,145
- Ford Focus Sport 1.4i Duratec 16V (80PS) 5 speed manual: £13,645
- Ford Focus Sport 1.6i Duratec 16V (100PS) 5 speed manual: £14,145
- Ford Focus Sport 1.6i Duratec 16V (100PS) Durashift Automatic: £15,145
- Ford Focus Sport 1.6i 16V Duratec Ti-VCT (115PS) 5 speed manual: £14,395
- Ford Focus Sport 1.8i Duratec 16V (125PS) 5 speed manual: £14,645
- Ford Focus Sport 1.6i 16V TDCi (90PS) 5 speed manual: £15,145
- Ford Focus Sport 1.8 16V TDCi (115PS) 5 speed manual: £15,645
- Ford Focus Sport 'S' 1.8i Duratec 16V (125PS) 5 speed manual: £14,745
- Ford Focus Sport 'S' 1.8 16V TDCi (115PS) 5 speed manual: £15,740
- Ford Focus Zetec Climate 1.6i Duratec 16V (100PS) 5 speed manual: £14,645
- Ford Focus Zetec Climate 1.6i Duratec 16V (100PS) Durashift Automatic: £15,645
- Ford Focus Zetec Climate 1.6i 16V Duratec Ti-VCT (115PS) 5 speed manual: £14,895
- Ford Focus Zetec Climate 1.8i Duratec 16V (125PS) 5 speed manual: £15,145
- Ford Focus Zetec Climate 2.0i Duratec 16V (145PS) 5 speed manual: £15,645
- Ford Focus Zetec Climate 1.8 16V TDCi (115PS) 5 speed manual: £16,145
- Ford Focus Zetec Climate 2.0i 16V TDCi (136PS) 6 speed manual: £16,890
- Ford Focus Ghia 1.6i Duratec 16V (100PS) 5 speed manual: £15,395
- Ford Focus Ghia 1.6i Duratec 16V (100PS) Durashift Automatic: £16,395
- Ford Focus Ghia 1.6i 16V Duratec Ti-VCT (115PS) 5 speed manual: £15,645
- Ford Focus Ghia 1.8i Duratec 16V (125PS) 5 speed manual: £15,895
- Ford Focus Ghia 2.0i Duratec 16V (145PS) 5 speed manual: £16,395
- Ford Focus Ghia 2.0i Duratec 16V (145PS) Durashift Automatic: £17,395
- Ford Focus Ghia 1.8 16V TDCi (115PS) 5 speed manual: £16,895
- Ford Focus Ghia 2.0i 16V TDCi (136PS) 6 speed manual: £17,640
- Ford Focus Titanium 1.6i 16V Duratec Ti-VCT (115PS) 5 speed manual: £15,645
- Ford Focus Titanium 1.8i Duratec 16V (125PS) 5 speed manual: £15,895
- Ford Focus Titanium 2.0i Duratec 16V (145PS) 5 speed manual: £16,395
- Ford Focus Titanium 2.0i Duratec 16V (145PS) Durashift Automatic: £17,395
- Ford Focus Titanium 1.8 16V TDCi (115PS) 5 speed manual: £16,895
- Ford Focus Titanium 2.0i 16V TDCi (136PS) 6 speed manual: £17,640
- Ford Focus ST: £18,120
- Ford Focus ST-2: £19,120
- Ford Focus ST-3: £20,120

Note: the above prices are for five-door models. In general, the three-door models are £600 cheaper, the four-door models are the same price and the estates are £850 more expensive, though not all variants are available across all body styles.