Although set for debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, Ford has lifted the covers of its facelifted 2015 Focus ST. The biggest news is the addition of a diesel Focus ST.
Added to the ST’s facelift is a revised facia with slimmer headlamps, a sculpted hood, rectangular fog lamps, and a simpler grille. At the rear, Ford integrated smaller taillamps and a bolder lower facia for the bumper that retains the trademark exhaust tips.
Two new exterior colours are available on the ST: a dark grey called Stealth, and Deep Impact Blue.
The interior of the ST acquires a redesigned centre stack with improved controls and finishes, a new heated, flat-bottomed steering wheel and updated front door cupholders.
Other options available to the car are an eight-way power driver’s seat and Satin Black and High Gloss Red exterior stripes with matching mirror skull caps.
On the engine front, the first-ever diesel Focus ST uses Ford’s 2,0-litre TDCi engine with Auto Start-Stop tuned to deliver 137 kW and 400 N.m of torque between 2 000 – 2 750 rpm, good enough for a 0 – 100 km/h run of 8.1 seconds. Fuel consumption is rated at 4.4 l/100 km with CO2 emissions of 114g/km.
The petrol powered ST uses a 190 kW version of Ford’s 2,0-litre turbocharged engine. The petrol ST will also, for the first time, be offered with stop-start technology that will improve fuel consumption to 6.8 l/100 km. CO2 emissions drop from 169 g/km to 158 g/km. The petrol ST will reach 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds.
Both cars are driven by a six-speed manual gearbox that sends drive to the front wheels.
Ford’s European Team RS helped to develop the chassis of the new ST and, according to Ford, the updated chassis delivers a quicker response, improved turn-in and overall balance, an advanced three-stage Electronic Stability Programme, and revised Electronic Torque Vectoring Control settings to further optimise wheel torque distribution.
The new ST benefits from 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in new tires specially developed by Michelin.
The new ST, and maybe the diesel variant too, should reach South African shores by 2015.
– Charlen Raymond