BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

There's no doubt the camera loves Ford's brand new Focus ST. These sensational pictures reveal the car the firm was hoping to keep secret until the Geneva Motor Show in March. It's another exclusive for Auto Express - we brought you the first sight of a disguised ST prototype testing at the Nürburgring back in issue 830.

Our pictures of the bright orange show star were caught on a digital video camera, as the car was wheeled out for senior Ford employees. They show how the company has beefed up styling and performance to square up to VW's slick new Golf GTI and the wild Vauxhall Astra VXR before the three fight it out for hot hatch honours later this year.

The ST will give the conservatively designed Focus range a welcome injection of drama, thanks to aggressive body styling and upmarket detailing.

At the front, a deeper bumper sports a smaller grille, but a much larger air intake. At the top of the rear window a spoiler has been added for downforce, and features a high-level brake light. Meanwhile, the chunky rear bumper has twin exhausts underneath, hinting at the car's capability. Large alloys fill out the bulging wheelarches, while side skirts and an ST badge on the rear hatch complete the look.

The Focus has already won plaudits for its high-quality cabin, and the ST will be even better, thanks to special trim and high equipment levels. Alloy pedals, a shortened leather gearlever and racy instrument dials make the interior more driver-oriented. Recaro seats finished in leather or colour-coded cloth and a chunky leather steering wheel continue the sporty theme inside.

Under the bonnet, the ST features a 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, currently used by Volvo. With 220bhp and over 320Nm of torque, performance is likely to be on par with the first-generation Focus RS. That means the ST will go from 0-60mph in under seven seconds and on to over 140mph, making this the fastest model in the range by far.

Larger tyres and brakes provide outstanding grip and performance, while a switchable ESP system will allow keen drivers to explore the ST's limits.

The car in these pictures will make its public debut at the Geneva show. Production versions will reach UK showrooms in the summer, priced at around £20,000, to compete directly with its rivals from Vauxhall and VW.









But at the rate Ford do things we'll all be driving hoverboards.

saff_cossie

Where are the pictures?

BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

Dud-derrrr!!!

Fudgey

iTrader: (4)

pics pics pics pics pics!!!!!!!!!!

Dave Henshall

does have a look of a seat leon cupra R dont u think...?

Fudgey

iTrader: (4)

it does look a bit like the leon imo but that looks good!!

and with a 2.5 turbo engine, surely it can be made to run much more power than a poxy 220bhp?

TheBishMan

Finally an ST with a decent amount of power...looking good for the new RS

SeanT

Raaaaah.
Shame about not having a Duratec turbo though

D19 STE

Looking very good

Dave Henshall

yep - the leon is a good looker also - i agree -

but what config engine is giving us 225, the leon r is giving that witha 1.8T 4 pot.


eddited to say "READ THE WHOLE POST"

BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

Place your orders now in readyness for 2010 summer delivery just to be recalled because the turbo boost and super persuit buttons dont work.

Daveyraveygravy

U r right Billy, Fords really need to pull their finger out and push this through quicker, they always dilly dally and nearly miss out

Dave Henshall

true

they woouldn't have to even had a single advert for the focus cosworth and id have bought one over the evo a few year back - they must have lost a lot of guaranteed sales on that one imo. they have missed the boat on that market of car now i think - there will be another insurance boom on them type of cars cos they ar getting cheaper and scallies can aford them on benefit now with no insurance and sent the premiums sky high like in the 90's.

mattbibs

ooooooooh ive not seen the new focus before this! im liking the look of it! sounds like a good spec engine to go with it! dont forget its only the ST so if they make another RS model then they have to leave themselves room to improve over the ST!

Rob-ZetecS

another tame FWD car from ford.

Oranoco

I don't think it looks too bad myself.

Remember how long the Focus RS was in coming though

Wonder who will be the first to crack the 300bhp barrier with one

Does look a bit Cupra-esque though

Spax

But is it tho? Thought they were looking at using the Volvo Chassis? i.e Rear Wheel?

benporter

iTrader: (1)

Volvos front wheel drive

Spax

Is it only rthe older Volvos that are Rear?

benporter

iTrader: (1)

Yea now its ford,FWD is cheaper

Spax

bugger

BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

Lets face facts here, the new range of Fords - although pleasing to the eye are actually poo.

afireinside2k1

well i think i've decided this will be my next car now, so i got some saving to do!!! and the young scallies being able to afford them will push insurance up, me being a young scallie and all, i pay enough insurace at the mo to insure the ka, so i'm looking at biting the bullet when it comes to getting a 'proper' car.

till that time i'll stick with the 1300 for now!

It's Czech Mate

Whats poo about a 220 bhp TURBOCHARGED new focus that may not even be top of the range?

No doubt it will be pretty nice inside and handle very well.

Phil

iTrader: (1)

It looks very nice!

Using the Volvo lump as well, should be great for tuning!

slowpoke

will a 5cyl engine sound any better compared to 4cyl engines ?

will it have the big engine type bmw sound ?

if it dad that would be pretty cool but i know the bigger beemers are 6 cyl arent they ?

matt

Fez

Nice photoshop.

Stavros

Why the fuck you all complaining you spaccos

Its not even the top of the range model and its got a fookin TWO AND A HALF LITRE, 5cyl, TURBO ENGINE

Most well tuned turbo motas can push 250bhp per litre (ie 500bhp on 2litres), and be fairly useable still, many can do more, 250bhp per litre on 2.5litre is 625bhp

2.5litre means more exhaust gas to get huge turbos spinning up.
5 cyls mean twenty valves, ie more potential head flow.
5cyls also means a very distinctive (once you put your loud exhaust on there) warble like Audi Quattros

Who gives a fuck if it looks like a fucking leon you moaning coonts, and "only" 225bhp (Its just an "ST" FFS )

Its a 2.5litre turbo

SteveH

My boss used to have a 320i estate and that was 6cylinder, sounded MINT.
I must say it looks impressive, (with its fiesta ST wheels) but i cant help thinking that it should be more powerful. I AM a power junkie but it should be 250bhp IMO, and the new RS should be 320. Or maybe they should do an evolution version like mitsubishi's FQ400 or something. Then i'd have one.

afireinside2k1

i get the impression with ford that they make the cars with this amount of power possibly to get the insurance costs down a little. i can't remember what a standard cos puts out, but look at the tuning potential that you have on that. tuning companies will already be working on odds and sods to make the st focus that bit faster.

and another thought, think how well the frs was recieved (after making us wait long enough) and how much tuning has been acheived in a relatively short space of time? pehaps ford knows that us ford owners like to tinker with things, so start with a pretty low sounding spec that allows us ford nuts to fettle with it??

NathR

I really didn't like the new shape Focus at all, but it's REALLY growing on me, that looks fantastic!!

If Ford do ever make a 4X4 300BHP+ with tuning potential RS then I'm gonna have one!!!

I remember Auto Expresses sneak at the last 'phase 2 Focus RS' though and that was just a photoshopped Fiesta RS, so I'm not holding too much hope just yet!!

slowpoke

im with steve on this one that looks and sounds like its going to be a cool car

225 hp aint slow either same power as a std esc cos for an st badged car

matt