We have been spoilt for choice since the EP3 CTR arrived in 2001, before that point a hatchback that could attain a 0-60 time between 7 and 8 seconds was considered a quick car, think williams clio, pug 205 etc etc
The ST170 is in good company and even the mighty new FRS with its sub 6 second times and mountains of torque can only go as fast as the car in front on a B-road (it will be mine).
The 170 is about being a Focus firstly and speed or percieved lack of it is secondary.
The Focus in any guise is a well engineered well balanced piece of kit to hustle along the road, I enjoy the other halfs 1.8 as much as any other variant ive driven. To put it in perspective my FRP wasnt fast, however the road holding and communicated info was excellent and for that reason it excelled as a drivers car, speed is for pub talks, Im interested in the way a car brings my senses to bear on a twisty bit of black stuff.
I have recently aquired a 170 in the unpopular capri blue colour, I really dont care how fast it is or whether I get overtaken by a chav in a saxo, my priorities are obviously different to the main opinions on here, my old CTR lost me my licence for a month and had awful steering feel