Ford Focus ST (2015 – 2018) Review
Ford Focus ST (2015 – 2018) At A Glance
Ford sought to make its 2015 Focus ST a hot hatch for all occasions and buyers. You could order hatch or estate bodies and choose from petrol or diesel engines. All are good, but there are some raw edges to the way it behaves in the wet. Where a Volkswagen Golf GTI is a polished alternative and the Honda Civic Type R slightly wild, the Ford sits somewhere in the middle. Read on for our full Ford Focus ST review.
It might not be the quickest or cheapest fast Ford money can buy, but the Focus ST has lots of universal appeal thanks to its ability to mix hot hatch performance with everyday usability. Indeed, when it comes to matching fun and value, the Focus ST is in a class of its own.
The Ford Focus ST could be specified as a hatchback or estate and there are two 2.0-litre engines to choose from – one petrol and one diesel. As you might expect, it’s the 250PS four-cylinder petrol that provides the most fun, with 0-62mph taking 6.5 seconds and 360Nm of torque flowing all the way to 5000rpm.
Claimed fuel economy is decent, too, with 41.5mpg and 159g/km of CO2. Admittedly, this is less than the Golf GTI of the same period, but it’s worth noting that the Ford packs 30PS more power than the Volkswagen.
The ST could also be ordered with a performance-biased 185PS diesel, which matches its Volkswagen Golf GTD rival on economy with 110g/km of CO2 and a claimed 67.3mpg. However, while the economy ratings impress on paper, the Focus ST diesel fails to excite on the road, with lacklustre performance and disappointing power delivery.
Indeed, unless you really want your diesel to look like a hot hatch, we’d recommend opting for the petrol.
While the front-wheel-drive set-up can provide some challenges in the wet, the Focus ST largely impresses with firm but rewarding handling. The steering is well weighted and the chassis feels light and nimble, with a keen turn-in and lots of feedback.
The only area of criticism we would level at the Ford is its lack of upmarket feel in the cabin. Compared to the Golf GTI, the Focus ST feels somewhat low-frills, with lots of cheap and flimsy plastics. Boot space is also disappointing and hatchback versions offer a meagre 316 litres.
That said, the Focus ST is perfectly comfortable for families and the Recaro front seats provide good levels of back and upper leg support for long-distance drives. Estate versions address this lack of storage, offering 476 litres.
However, the Focus ST cannot be faulted on value. What’s more, in estate form, the Focus ST is almost unrivalled aside from the Skoda Octavia vRS.