First Drive: Does the Ford Focus ST Edition have what it takes to be the UK’s best hot hatch?

What is it?

When the Ford Focus ST rocked up in 2018 we were mighty impressed. Sure, it didn’t quite have enough to beat the best in the hot hatch business – namely the Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai i30 N – but it was leaps and bounds better than its predecessor and firmly secured its place as one of the best of the rest.

With the family hatchback getting a mid-life refresh earlier this year, Ford introduced a last hurrah for the ST, which is what we’re driving today. Called Focus ST Edition, it has seen the hot hatch given all the ingredients to be a world-beater…

What’s new?

Under the bonnet, the powertrain remains unchanged, though you’re limited to the five-door hatch body style with a six-speed manual gearbox ‘for maximum driver engagement’.

There are just a couple of key upgrades, with the headline being the adjustable coilover suspension, which lets those with the right knowledge tweak the setup to their personal preference. It makes the car sit lower to the ground and comes with recommendations for settings depending on the driving conditions (including a specific setup for the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit) so you’re not totally in the dark.

There are also flow-formed alloy wheels that not only look greatest but reduce unsprung weight, too.

What’s under the bonnet?

The familiar 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine remains, meaning the output is 276bhp and a healthy 420Nm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through an electronic limited-slip differential, with the 0-60mph sprint taking 5.5 seconds and the top speed being 155mph. Economy? You’re looking at about 35mpg and CO2 emissions of 185g/km.

It’s less powerful than the Honda but well-matched with the Hyundai, and like the South Korean rival it makes up for the deficit with an aggressively boosty power delivery that makes it feel like you’re accelerating faster than you are. It’s let down a little bit by the sound, though – ‘fake’ noise pumped into the cabin is fine if it’s good, but here it sounds a bit too artificial.

What’s it like to drive?

The new suspension set-up dominates the driving experience, turning the standard car’s softer focus on its head. It’s a two-way adjustable coilover suspension from motorsport specialists KW Automotive, bringing a 10mm ride height drop as standard with a further 10mm available. Spring rates are increased 50 per cent over the standard car, and there are 12 jounce settings and 16 rebound settings.

Through fear of ruining all of Ford’s hard work we left the car in the settings it was delivered in, and boy is it stiff. If this is going to be your daily driver it could get tiresome, but if your commute takes in the best of British B-roads, or you regularly hit the track, you’ll appreciate the ST Edition’s considerably sharper turn-in. If the road gets really bumpy it’s more liable to be knocked off course, but once it’s in its groove it feels much more alive to your inputs.

Aside from the extra jiggly ride, the only other complaint would be the steering. The Focus ST has the weirdly elastic, annoyingly heavy feeling many Fords are burdened with. You get used to it with time, but it’s such a key part of the experience that it really could (and should?) be better.

How does it look?

The Focus ST is already a good looking hot hatch, offering an under the radar appearance more akin to a Volkswagen Golf GTI than the extroverted, angular Civic. In Edition form it’s largely a similar deal, but with some subtle upgrades that really enhance its appearance.

That lower ride height gives the ST a more aggressive stance, while the black alloy wheels and gloss black trim on the grille, door mirrors, roof spoiler and roof work perfectly with the blue exterior paint job. Okay, so that Azura Blue paint job is hardly subtle, but it works so perfectly with the car’s lines and black details that it doesn’t feel unnecessarily shouty.

What’s it like inside?

Ford cars don’t have the most inspiring interiors and the Focus ST Edition is no different. Having been on sale for a few years now its mid-life refresh was well-needed, with the Edition’s cabin looking rather dated and a little dull.

There are some ST-specific upgrades to spice things up, though, such as a leather steering wheel, gear lever gaiter and floor mats, while the start/stop button has red lettering to match the ST badges.

The key cabin upgrade is the seats, with the part-leather Recaro sports seats offering a more cosseting experience worthy of the sporty drive. They can be a little hard for longer journeys, while the side bolsters are quite prominent, but when you’re pressing on they’re fantastic for holding you in place.

What’s the spec like?

When the Focus ST Edition went on sale it cost £35,785, an increase of just £2,500 over the regular ST, making it pretty good value. It’s no longer available new, so you’ll have to contact your local dealer or search the classifieds to find one. At the time of writing, there were a couple available for just shy of £36,000.

Aside from the mechanical, aesthetic and interior upgrades listed above, equipment includes drive mode selection, an eight-inch infotainment display with Ford’s Sync 3 software, and extensive driver assistance technology that includes adaptive cruise control, adaptive headlights, parking assist and a head-up display.

Verdict

We were already big fans of the Ford Focus ST, which had managed to pull itself up to be a worthy competitor in the hot hatch market. In the ST Edition, Ford has done a fantastic job of making this a far more serious performance car.

It’s still a case of close, but not close enough, though. The upgrades have made noticeable improvements to its handling, but as usual, its biggest issue is just how good the Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai i30 N are.

Car enthusiasts will love the ability to tune the setup to their liking, but ultimately the two rivals above are simply better all-rounders.