Ford Focus ST review

The Focus ST hatchback is more expensive to buy than the rival Hyundai i30N and Renault Megane RS; in fact it’s more expensive than the entry-level version of the Honda Civic Type R, which is a car many would perceive as occupying the performance bracket above. As for the estate version, it’s priced above its Seat Leon ST Cupra and Skoda Octavia vRS Estate rivals.

So for performance-per-pound, this isn’t a cheap hot hatchback, but the ST comes well equipped. As standard you get 19in alloy wheels, climate control, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, power-folding door mirrors, a heated windscreen, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. That said, most of its rivals, including the Civic Type R and i30N, are very well equipped, too.

You don’t buy something this powerful if you’re after world record fuel economy, but the petrol versions can officially manage an average of around 34mpg, while the diesels push that to about 50mpg. In our tests, which include a mix of roads to give a real-world average, we managed 32.1mpg for a petrol ST, and for context, 34.8mpg for the more powerful Civic Type R.

As for safety, the Focus fared very well its Euro NCAP appraisal, scoring five stars overall. You get traffic sign recognition and automatic emergency braking (AEB) as standard, while blindspot monitoring is on the options list.

The regular Focus finished third from the bottom in its class in our 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey, a disappointing result that places the Focus ST behind the Civic Type R. And Ford as a brand finished a middling 14th out of 31 manufacturers, again putting it behind the likes of Honda and Hyundai.