Ford Focus ST Review 2024

There are hordes of fast Ford fans out there who will take no convincing of the brilliance of the Focus ST, and rightly so. For anyone else, the Focus puts itself in contention for your attention thanks to its brilliant driving ability, performance, and its surprisingly comfortable ride. This is a hot hatch you can really use for any occasion yet will rise to the challenge of a twisty road or track session with relish.

Ford dropped the diesel version of the Focus ST in 2022, so there is no longer the option of the 190PS 2.0-litre diesel model. It was not the most entertaining car to drive, so it’s not a great loss in our view and Ford has retained the petrol model.

The 2.3-litre turbo petrol engine makes 280PS, which is enough for 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds in the hatch or 5.8 in the estate. Either fits the bill as a brilliant all-rounder, so it comes down to whether or not you need the extra space offered by the wagon.

One other key choice you will need to decide on is the transmission for the ST. The standard set-up is a six-speed manual gearbox with a superbly quick, accurate shift. This is what we’d have every time.

However, if you spend a lot of time in heavy traffic, the seven-speed automatic gearbox could take some of the strain out of daily driving and ST.

One last thing to bear in mind is should you tick the ST Track Pack option with its larger Brembo brakes, and uprated suspension and tyres. For us, it would be a resounding yes, even though it adds £3000 to the final bill.

The hot hatch segment is still very much alive and if a Ford Focus ST doesn’t press your buttons, how about the Honda Civic Type R? The Honda is a rawer driving experience that needs more effort to get the best from it, and not all of its talents can be used on the road. The Cupra Leon is more in line with the Focus ST, as are the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Skoda Octavia vRS. However, it’s the Hyundai i30N that gives the Ford the most pause for thought with its brilliant all-round ability. And don’t forget the MG4 XPower if you’re looking for an EV alternative.

Ford made a big stride forward with the Focus ST’s cabin when the whole Focus range was facelifted in 2022. By moving the heater controls to the infotainment screen, it tidied up the centre console, though we still prefer physical buttons for this in most cars.

Every surface you touch while driving feels solid and well fitted, and the controls work with a pleasingly well weighted sensation.

However, there are some hard and scratchy plastics still to be found inside the Focus ST. As a result, the Ford Focus ST doesn’t quite have the premium feel of a Golf GTI.

A key element in the 2022 facelift for the Ford Focus was its new infotainment system. It uses a huge 13.2-inch touchscreen for the latest Ford SYNC 4 system and works a treat.

The screen is placed high on the dash for ease of reach and, when you start the car, it fires right up rather than some set-ups that can take what seems like an age to boot up.

Ford has designed SYNC 4 in such a way that you don’t have to scroll through as many menu pages as in some rivals to the ST to arrive at what you need.

Add in sharp and colourful graphics and a super-responsive screen, and the Ford Focus ST has one of the best infotainment systems you will find in any car.

Features of the system include sat-nav, DAB radio and Bluetooth. You can also connect your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and it even reads out text messages. If you’d rather not tap away at the screen, the system responds to voice commands.

The driver also gets a 12.3-inch digital display that you can configure to show the information you are most interested in.

The Ford Focus is a very practical car in hatch or estate shapes no matter which engine or model you choose of this popular family car. In ST trim, it retains all of those versatile attributes, so it is a hot hatch you can use every day without cursing it when you need to load up the boot.

In the hatch, you have a 375-litre boot space, which is smaller than a VW Golf GTI’s and a good bit less than a Skoda Octavia vRS load bay. However, you won’t struggle to pack it with luggage or shopping as the floor is flat and a perfect rectangle.

There’s a small drop from load sill to boot floor in the hatch that is absent in the estate, which has a flush floor and sill. The estate rustles up 575-litres of cargo space and it can be extended to a very useful 1650-litres with the 60-40 split and fold rear seats tipped flat.

There is a single engine used in the Ford Focus ST now as the company dropped the diesel option when it facelifted the whole Focus range in 2022. This leaves the 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol motor to uphold the ST’s hot hatch honours.

This is not a hardship as the engine provides 280PS to deliver 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds for the hatch and 5.8 seconds with the estate version. That puts the Focus ST firmly towards the head of the queue for acceleration in this segment, with only the Honda Civic Type R asserting any real advantage in this department.

The engine is a keen worker, picking up revs smoothly and briskly whenever asked to. It’s also refined when driving through town or on the motorway, while selectable driving modes can sharpen its responses when you’re in the mood for some fun.

Drive the ST hard and you get a hard-edged not to the engine and some crackle from the exhaust in Sport mode. There is also the optional Track Pack with a dedicated mode for track use that reduces the influence of the traction control and provides even grippier Pirelli tyres.

Ford offers a seven-speed automatic gearbox in place of the standard six-speed manual. We’d stick with the manual for its precise shifts and light action, but at least the auto is there as an alternative for anyone who needs it.

Given the Ford Focus ST comes on 19-inch alloy wheels with performance oriented tyres, you could be forgiven for thinking this will be a rowdy car to drive. Think again.

Ford has pulled off a great balance between the ST allowing a little more engine noise into the cabin to give that essential hot hatch ambience without it every becoming too loud. Nor is there any drone or vibration at any speed to upset its long distance credentials.

A little whoosh can be heard form the broad tyres as they pass along the road, but it’s not excessive, and wind noise is kept to a low rustle too.

The Ford Focus performed extremely well when assessed by safety experts Euro NCAP, gaining a five-star rating. It scored 96 percent for protecting adult occupants in a crash, and 87 percent for protecting children. It also gained strong marks for protecting vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, and for its active safety features.

The latter include automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist. In addition, the Ford Focus ST has adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and a system that keeps the car in the centre of a driving lane.

In the latest HonestJohn Satisfaction Survey, Ford ranked an unimpressive 23rd out of 29 car makers listed. However, a lot of that was due to certain models displaying more issues than others and the Focus is generally a very reliable car.

The ST has proven to be a trusty companion and the engine has not shown any of the electric problems that blighted the RS that used a similar engine.

Whichever Ford Focus ST model you choose – estate or hatch, manual or auto – it will sit in Group 27 for insurance.

That puts the Ford mid-table for insurance costs compared to its nearest rivals. A Honda Civic Type R is notably more expensive to get cover for as it sits in Group 43, while the VW Golf GTI is in Group 28 to be on a par with the Ford when it comes to the cost of your premium.

The carbon dioxide emissions of the Ford Focus ST are 183g/km with a manual gearbox, or 182g/km with the automatic. That applies to both the hatch and estate models.

Private owners will pay £1040 for the first year of road tax because of these emissions, but that falls back to £180 in the following years.

Spec your Focus up with enough options to push the price beyond £40,000, however, and you’ll be landed with a much bigger first-year VED bill, plus an extra £390 charge from years two through six.

Ford used to offer its Focus ST model in a range of trims, but this one only comes in a single, high grade package. As the flagship of the Focus range, it also comes loaded with standard features.

These start with a body kit that consists of deeper front and rear bumpers, Crystalline Grey inserts and a huge rear spoiler. It also comes with 19-inch Y-Spoke alloy wheels finished in Magnetite grey, lowered sports suspension, red brake callipers and Matrix LED headlights.

Moving inside, you’ll find magnificently comfy and supportive heated front Performance sports seats with six-way power adjustment. All the seats are trimmed in suede and leatherette upholstery, too, and the front pair are heated. There’s also a heated sports steering wheel, aluminium gear knob and ST-branded scuff plates.

As for gadgets, you get a 13.2-inch touchscreen display running Ford’s latest SYNC 4 infotainment system, which includes sat-nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto phone connectivity. It’ll even read out your text messages. Add to that a thumping Bang & Olufsen surround-sound stereo system, 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, wireless phone charging pad, dual-zone air conditioning and LED interior lighting.

Driver assistance features include adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist. It’s a comprehensive package.

However, there are options you can add and among the most desirable are the Driver Assist and ST Track Pack. With Driver Assist, you get a driver alert fatigue warning, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and auto high beam function. This lot adds £550 to the price tag

The ST Track Pack costs £3000 and adds details such as a black-painted roof, door mirrors, spoiler, and rear diffuser. However, what you are really paying for is the uprated and adjustable suspension, larger Brembo brakes, stickier Pirelli tyres, shift light for perfect gear changes, and the Track Mode.