2020 Ford Focus ST

Cruise around in Ford’s new Focus ST, and the experience is exhilarating.  You can easily cruise along the motorway with plenty of pep handy for overtaking and yet enjoy a great fuel economy of less than 7 litres/100 km.  The Focus ST has a nice set of long legs for touring as well as offering the practicality you’re going to need for getting the kids to school, catching the late Christmas shopping spree, or going for the well-earned break up at the family holiday spot with all the technology to keep in touch with family or obtain the best route for directions.

Ford’s new Focus ST is loaded with technology: LED headlights, ST graphics for the 8-inch touchscreen as standard, a multi-function steering wheel, satellite navigation, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, smartphone connection, 5-star safety kit, a sports-shift auto with paddle shifters, a track mode (optional), launch control (optional), adaptive cruise control, adaptive lighting, a hands free phone, electric power assisted steering and blind spot monitoring – to name a bit of what is offered.

On average a fuel consumption of around 8 litres/100 km is what you’d expect, but that’s quite an achievement with this much power on demand.  It’s definitely more powerful and a bit quicker than the ST before.  Boasting a 2.3-litre turbo four, the 206 kW of power and 420 Nm of torque has masses of gusto that the FWD system manages to handle with manly composure.  A very clever electronically controlled limited-slip differential sends the power through to the front wheels with care, so there is no shortage of muscle for all sorts of varying road surfaces.  The car sticks like glue on the road, delivering excellent feedback to the driver and a control that solidifies one’s confidence in the car’s handling ability.

The 2020 Ford Focus ST comes with active shock absorbers for ensuring a drive that’ll keep an enthusiast racer enthralled and smiling.  One of the notable advancements that the latest Focus ST has is that while it delivers on razor sharp handling in Sport mode, with the active shocks in unison with driver’s demands, you can hop back into city traffic and enjoy the nicely compliant ride in regular Normal mode and not get jiggled around once road surfaces get bumpy again.  Sit back in sixth gear, and motorway driving is comfortable, relaxed and quiet.  You can get the Focus ST in automatic or manual forms, by the way.  Normal, Sport and Track modes are provided.

Braking has the new Ford Focus ST stopping in spades thanks to the big 330 mm discs at the front and 302 mm discs on the rear.  Brake Assist as well as other active safety features ensures that the Focus bites hard and bites quickly.  The premium Michelin Pilot rubber grips tenaciously and confidently.

Compared with a standard Ford Focus the ride is stiffer and lower, while the continuous damping control monitors the road surface.  It only takes two turns of the steering wheel to get from steering lock to the left – to steering lock to the right.  The 0-100 km/h sprint takes just 5.7 seconds, which is really swift in the hot hatch fraternity.

As far as looks go the Ford Focus ST looks fantastic.  It looks serious enough without being garish like a Honda Civic Type R.  So, subtle but gorgeous is the way I’d describe the flowing, purposeful lines of a 2020 Ford Focus ST.  At the front is a nice large ST badge that sits on an intricate honeycomb grille.  The front air dam has big air intakes, the middle section continuing with the honeycomb grille, while the outer corners have big air scoops with inset driving lights.  The number plate sits on a thin strip of body-coloured bumper, and the complete picture really does look sharp.  18-inch alloys are standard, but you can opt for a larger set of 19-inch, Y-pattern alloys.  These fill out the wheel arches very sweetly.  Side skirts keep the ST looking nice, low and racy.  LED taillights and a boot spoiler, a set of twin exhaust outlets and a shark fin aerial aid the hot-hatch Ford ST’s fine looks.  I do like the Fury orange exterior colour, by-the-by.

2020 Ford Focus ST Interior

So, inside the new Ford Focus ST there is a bit of familiarity about the cabin, however the ST Recaro-made seats are simply gorgeous to look at and mighty comfy.  A multi-function leather steering wheel is ST-specific and boasts driver mode buttons for quick selection.  ST and various performance badging throughout the interior compliments the aluminium pedals and other chrome inserts.

In the back seats the Ford Focus ST is just as roomy as any of the other Focus models, which is great because the Focus delivers on space and comfort for rear seat passengers.  The continuation of well-padded seats and supportive cushioning for the back seat passengers is always a good sign that a manufacturer hasn’t skimped.  Luggage space holds plenty of gear, and the split-folding nature of the rear seats allows for some flexibility when it comes to carrying more luggage and a rear seat passenger, or two, or just more luggage.

On the money really, this new Ford Focus ST is an enjoyable drive and tackles the likes of Honda’s Civic Type R and Hyundai’s i30 N.  I like it!

2020 Ford Focus ST

The 2020 Ford Focus ST models include the:

• Ford Focus ST manual
• Ford Focus ST auto

For any more information on the new Ford Focus ST or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Ford dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!