Ford Focus ST debuts, in five-door and estate forms

Ford Focus ST debuts, in five-door and estate forms

Ford has announced the market debut of its new Focus ST, which is set to be the Blue Oval’s first global performance model, going on sale in 40 countries around the world. Deliveries of the car, which made its debut in Paris last year, begin from September. It’ll be available in five-door hatchback and estate forms.

The ST is powered by a 2.0 litre Ti-VCT EcoBoost mill offering 250 PS and 360 Nm, and performance specs include a 0-100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 248 km/h. It’s paired to a six-speed manual transmission with specially-revised gearing.

The engine also emits a distinctive soundtrack, engineered to be appreciated regardless whether heard from inside or outside the car. For those in the car, a newly-enhanced sound symposer relays the engine sound directly from the intake into the cabin. The exhaust system, with a unique twin hexagonal centre exhaust tailpipe, has also been tuned to deliver a refined sound at lower RPMs and a purposeful growl as the revs rise.

The performance is complemented by enhanced dynamics and a comprehensive range of driver assistance features. A new Sport Steering System variable ratio steering rack reduces steering sensitivity when driving in a straight line and increases sensitivity when cornering, and the steering wheel can be turned to almost full lock through tight corners and hairpins without the driver needing to remove either hand to change position.

Ford Focus ST debuts, in five-door and estate forms

Meanwhile, the electronic power assisted steering system has been specially calibrated for the car, and detects and counters torque steer using a more aggressively pitched version of Ford’s Torque Steer Compensation (TSC). As for the ESP, there are three distinct modes – drivers can turn ESP on for a tuned version of the system found throughout the Focus range; a reduced or wide-slip mode disables traction control and activates ESP only when absolutely necessary; and finally, ESP can be switched off altogether.

There’s also Torque Vectoring Control (TVC), which applies brake torque to the inner wheel through a corner to reduce understeer, as well as Cornering Under Steer Control (CUSC), which applies torque to create yaw torque based on the vehicle’s understeer behaviour prior to ESP, both in power-on and power-off conditions.

The rear suspension has also been revised, with a number of new parts developed specially for the car, uprated suspension knuckles and an all-new anti-roll bar design among them. Uprated shock absorbers and springs ower the chassis by 10 mm compared to base Focus versions, and the car sits on specially-developed Goodyear Eagle rubbers.

Inside the car, unique bits include a specially-designed steering wheel, gearshift and pedals, as well as darker headlining and trim on the pillars, in keeping with the ST flavour. Customised Recaro seats are to be found in front, while an all-new bench made with special foam equips the back. Three trim levels are available, these being called ST1, ST2 and ST3. As for external shades, a new signature colour, Tangerine Scream, joins Spirit Blue, Race Red, Black, White and Silver on the palette list.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • Dato Seri on Jun 12, 2012 at 10:14 am

    Will it be on sale in Malaysia?

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  • Mr'Ib on Jun 12, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Woah…good looking…nice colour!

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  • droll on Jun 12, 2012 at 11:40 am

    launched….but at what price? take a country, say, UK…how much?

    and i don’t like the way ford is selling the TVC system. it’s not really torque vectoring. it feels more like brake assistance traction control. :)

    will it arrive in m’sia? if VW has proven that the golf gti can sell well, then ford might have a case to bring this in. price it at around the 200k mark and i think it will offer some interesting competition.

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    • laserfx on Jun 12, 2012 at 4:30 pm

      In UK prices start at £21,995. Against current Ringgit it’s about RM108,184. And it’s priced below Golf GTI by £3,655 or RM18,000. But of course you have to throw in taxes so go figure.

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      • Chris on Jun 12, 2012 at 7:46 pm

        I’m probably wrong… but I’ve seen more than one car priced in UK for any amount of money, and in Malaysia it’s roughly 10x that figure.

        Sounds like 210-220k car there, just a ballpark figure maybe.

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  • blackrythms on Jun 12, 2012 at 11:43 am

    love this car….does it have service centre in batu pahat?

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  • YeapyEvo on Jun 12, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Please priced it competitively, 160k

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  • encik boss on Jun 12, 2012 at 12:04 pm

    Ford Focus ST can smoke Golf GTI for sure!

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  • The Enthusiast on Jun 12, 2012 at 12:32 pm

    250PS, 360 Nm. Nice. This is one hot hatch. I hope it will come to our shores too. I will this in blue. If VW can bring in their R range to Malaysia, I don’t see why can’t SDAC do the same. I look forward to Fiesta ST too.

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  • Supa Hiro on Jun 12, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    Preve is better. Even F1 legend Jean Alesi agrees.

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  • consisering the ecoboost is a smaller mzr disi to mazda mps 2.3 disi tbo, why not the mps? Looks better too..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • You must be an MPS owner. But yes, MPS is definitely betta..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
    • The Mazda MPS is nice, but the roadtax is double!

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      • Shook on Jun 13, 2012 at 6:12 pm

        RM 600 road tax for Mps? You think that will be a problem for the owners?

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    • jaafar on Jul 12, 2012 at 5:38 pm

      jojo

      The MPS externals & internals look cheapo…and the road tax plus fuel prices for the 2.3 engine…?

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  • ahmadfaris93 on Jun 12, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    Bla bla bla. Striking colour, bla bla vla nice wheels . I dont think think the ST model will get be here. I bet the normal model will be low specced and pricey. If the price strays far from the 308 turbo, Honda Civic , Altis, GG ah ~

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    • civictoda on Sep 11, 2012 at 12:36 pm

      rm160k???? i don’t think so..this car the power is around golf r. and golf r sells expensively…so maybe difference around rm5000 or more.vw is expensive….look at mondeo. rm200k.damn expensive…

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  • yngmll on Jun 12, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    wow what’s the price range?
    i’m just 24 and my salary is MYR240,000 annually, is it enough to buy this car?
    i like hothatch, how is it good compared with golf GTI?
    please don’t suggest me H.N and T because i’m still young, didn’t want to drive ‘unclish’ cars.

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  • niceone on Jun 12, 2012 at 10:16 pm

    one proper hot hatch!

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  • Has anyone paid RM200k for a Ford lately??

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  • RejimKejamGanas on Jun 13, 2012 at 3:11 am

    How come no complaints on the bonnet nipples?

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  • g-mey on Jun 13, 2012 at 11:21 am

    Estate is nice…i like it..

    http://www.evo.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_925/car_photo_462598_25.jpg

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  • ToyotaPJ on Jun 13, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    Ppl Toyota 86 better..la this car wouldnt make it here..la how much they going to price it ? RM300k ? 86 is here already bros !

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    • teelim on Jun 13, 2012 at 4:48 pm

      Toyota Salesman talk?

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    • Just a reminder, top up 6k, go for new Subaru WRX STI. This STI will tapao any 86 on road.

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    • jaafar on Jul 12, 2012 at 5:40 pm

      ive seen the Toyota 86, not suitable to double as a family car… seats are not practical.
      The Focus St is definitely more practical and nicer

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  • teelim on Jun 13, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    I really hope SDAC brings this to Malaysia

    and hopefully they don’t do like what they did with the Fiesta…

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  • kambinganas on Jun 13, 2012 at 6:01 pm

    Oh they will since they’ve done it before. Anything you hope they won’t do, they will most certainly do it.

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  • Hidup Proton on Jun 14, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Proton Preve is still the best..
    10000 units within 2 months..
    other(s) all lozers..
    talk big with car spec at the end no value also..
    Congrates to Proton; we show the Eu/JP/Kr what a car is really is “a car that sells!”

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    • soundfishy on Jun 14, 2012 at 2:00 pm

      balik2 preve… again, narrow minded conclusions on preve sales figures. preve can sells coz average malaysians are in low-mid income range and they can only afford p1 or p2. so boring seeing too many preve on the roads lahh.. tgk kiri preve..tgk kanan preve.. depan, belakang all preve…& u” get lost in ur own preve world bro!! kasihan…

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    • duuuuude i love proton as well but other brands do not deserve the looser title EXCEPT for perodua and toyota from UMW malaysia. show some respect =P

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    • Sarcasm to the max bro, if u meant cheap in ringgit for that 1.6 turbo that makes them a winner, yes, you’re right sir.

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    • jaafar on Jul 12, 2012 at 5:43 pm

      C’mon hidup Proton,

      Proton Preve sells because Malaysians, unlike Europeans are not savvy about cars…remember the old proton saga was the country best seller..does it make that car a great car….? No prizes for answering

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  • soundfishy on Jun 14, 2012 at 1:59 pm

    balik2 preve… again, narrow minded conclusions on preve sales figures. preve can sells coz average malaysians are in low-mid income range and they can only afford p1 or p2. so boring seeing too many preve on the roads lahh.. tgk kiri preve..tgk kanan preve.. depan, belakang all preve…& u” get lost in ur own preve world bro!! kasihan….

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  • wanmisixteen on Jun 19, 2012 at 8:27 pm

    nothing beats vatanen’s 405 :)

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  • calmforest on Jul 23, 2012 at 3:05 pm

    How unfortunate to be here. I hate it when I read news like these and I’m sitting in my Malaysian Cubicle.

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  • Jeff lim on Sep 13, 2012 at 8:43 pm

    it is here. 209k. But I wish they bring in the wagon. Yummy.

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