The Ford Focus is a sensibly-sized and practical hatchback, suitable for ferrying around children and picking up the week's groceries.
Wait. What's with the rallystripes?
Ah, but this is the Focus ST, an overboosted hooligan with big wheels, big brakes, punchy turbocharged acceleration, and a face like a disgruntled catfish. It's a genuine hot hatch, complete with seats that wouldn't be out of place in the Shelby Mustangs.
Ford has a long history of quick compacts overseas, but its North American audience is still getting used to these. When we think "fast Ford," we usually think "Mustang," but something with four doors and a usable hatchback is sometimes far more practical.
With the incoming all-wheel-drive Focus RS currently stealing the headlines for its STIbeating power output and hoonish "Drift Mode," here's a look at the regular strength fast Ford. It's quick, but how does it work as an all-rounder?
Design
Building on the standard Focus is good news for the ST - already a sharp and stylish design, the Focus recently benefitted from a refresh including a new front end and restyled 18-inch wheels. The ST's headlights now include standard LED daytime running lights, and a power bulge in the hood.
Many hot hatchback rivals to the ST are pretty tame - the VW GTI, for instance, is a relatively genteel machine. Ford's version is no wallflower, shouting its intentions to the world with a huge front grille, Lamborghini-ish centre-exit exhaust, and available rally-stripes.
On the plus side, people see you coming. On the negative side, people with badges see you coming. That centre-exit exhaust is also a pain for anyone who would wish to upgrade their muffler, as most aftermarket offerings look completely silly when bolted on.
Despite the big grille and obvious wheels, the ST can still manage to fly under the radar in a neutral colour.
Environment
Here again the ST benefits from its regular Focus roots, with a usable four-doored hatchback body. The trunk is a little on the small side for some duties, and strapping in a rear car seat gets a bit onerous as the rear parcel shelf is tricky to remove.
Apart from that, it's a regular little hatch, and that means holding seats for a hockey practice, or room enough to pick up three friends from the airport. Let whomever is your best friend ride up front.
The front Recaros for both driver and passenger are some of the most aggressive seats ever fitted to a mainstream car. The side-bolstering is huge, to the point that some everyday users might actually find it a tad uncomfortable. If you hit the twisty bits, though, they're wonderful, keeping you firmly strapped in place.
MyFord Touch continues to improve, but can still be considered to be the Achilles' heel of the Focus. Screen fonts are small, and a bit of a reach while on the move. However, voice commands work far better than on the system's original rollout, and while the learning curve is a bit steep, the system works well with familiarity.
Performance
Under the Focus' new hood is the familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, punching out 252 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque. Much more than what's on offer from rivals at VW or Honda, the ST's straight-line performance is strong, punctuated by more than a hint of torque steer scrabble.
As a highway car, the no-shift passing response is very good. Lots of lowend torque means you can just leave the manual-only shifter in top gear and just let your left foot get you up to speed. Road noise from the 18-inch alloys and performance tires is less intrusive than in a Subaru WRX.
However, the ST doesn't really wake up until the road gets twisty.
The advantage of having a dedicated European performance arm for decades is that Ford's hatchback offerings have been fighting off a much larger competitive segment than we experience in North America. Here, we contrast the ST against the GTI. There, they've got Peugeots and Renaults to contend with as well.
The closest rival for power-on thrust might be the Mazdaspeed3, a car on borrowed time, but unlike Mazda, Ford doesn't tame the torque steer inherent in front-wheel-drive cars by cutting turbo boost.
Instead, a trick front suspension and brake-based torque vectoring give the ST a chance to really bite into the corner and then scrabble out the other side. The more aggressive you are, the happier it gets - and the bigger the tire bill.
That's not all. Most hot hatchbacks display nice safe understeer if you push them a bit hard. Ford, on the other hand, has engineered in lift-off oversteer into their little hooligan. Pop off the accelerator sharply mid-corner, and the back end comes around like it's on casters. This behaviour feels tamed compared to the first editions of the ST, but is still present and still something you won't find elsewhere.
Overall, it's a faster and more thrilling driving experience than you get from the more buttoned-down Germanic competition. Fly under the radar in the latter, or by the seat of your pants in this thing: it's your choice.
Features
The optional go-faster stripes from Ford add 100 h.p. each. Proven fact.
Besides that, the ST is very well-equipped standard, with the only real options being navigation and a package containing dual-zone climate control and a 10-speaker audio upgrade. The latter is as punchy as the ST's turbocharged engine, but subtracts trunk space with a rear-mounted subwoofer.
Official fuel economy figures for the ST are quite good at 7.3 litres/100 kilometres on the highway, and 10.2 l/100 km in the city. Observed real-world economy is really going to depend on how often you ignore the upshift indicator and just floor it, but the ST can handle a gentle commute without being too painful at the pump.
Green light
Characterful, engaging drive; usable passenger and cargo space; and grippy seats.
Stop sign
Seats maybe a little too grippy; occasionally frustrating infotainment; and polarizing looks.
The checkered flag A hot hatch hooligan that stands out. It's biggest true rival might actually be the Fiesta ST.
Competitors
Volkswagen GTI ($27,995) When you think hot hatches, this is the yardstick. In the same way that everyone measures their new entry-level luxury sedan against the BMW 3-series, the VW GTI is the one to beat.
As an all-rounder, it's more reserved than the Focus, better at flying under the radar in a neutral colour. As a device for producing plenty of fun, the ST's added power and tendency to lift-throttle oversteer is way more American hooliganism than reserved Teutonic precision. Pick your poison!
