Ford's Unleashes 5-Cylinder Turbo Hatch

By Feann Torr - 15/9/05

Sitting on aggressively styled 18-inch alloy wheels and demanding attention with its blazing orange paintjob, Ford Europe's new Focus ST is on track to upstage a number of performance hatches.

The Ford Focus has always been an outstanding car to drive, with a chassis that just won't quit, but outside of Europe (and the turbocharged 2.0-litre mill from the RS model) there were few engine choices to really excite enthusiasts.

With the advent of the Ford Focus ST, this horsepower drought appears to be coming to an end.

Jost Capito, director of the Ford Team RS rally outfit, said that the new Focus ST is quicker to market than previous ST models.

"Faster delivery time is one of the synergies that have resulted from combining Ford of Europe's motorsport and performance car engineering teams," Capito said.

"In the past, ST models came in the middle of a product cycle. Now we're aligned with the design, vehicle dynamics and powertrain functions to better integrate performance derivative development and take fuller advantage of the vast array of resources made possible by Ford's global shared technologies approach."

This shared technologies approach meant that the Ford small car engineers could pinch one of Volvo's best performers, in this instance a 2.5-litre 5-cylinder inline motor.

Like the range-topping Volvo S40 T5, the new ST outputs 220ps, which equates to about 162kW.

The all alloy 2521cc engine is far from archaic, with dual overhead camshafts, 4-valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, a turbocharger and air-to-air intercooler.

With a 9.0:1 compression ratio, the 5-cylinder force-fed engine makes 162kW @ 5000rpm and 320Nm of torque @ 1600rpm.

While peak power can't match the likes of Alfa Romeo's 147 GTA or BMW's new 190kW 130i hatch, peak torque is right up there with the larger 6-cylinder lads, and if everything runs smoothly, the Focus ST equipped with a 6-speed manual should make the 0-100km/h sprint in around 7.0 seconds.

"We created the Focus ST using the same principles as the Fiesta ST, delivering sporting credentials with full family capability," Capito continued.

"It will have performance and handling attributes like those we delivered in the original Focus RS, but will be a truly civilised all-rounder. Our test drivers are having a lot of fun with it at the Nürburgring -- Focus ST should appeal to everybody who loves cars."

Ford sees the Focus ST as "toned, taut and balanced", which is a fair approximation of its sporty look. It's loud and quite eye-catching, but not a in a tacky way - the Ford Team RS has thought through the exterior upgrades, and end result is very pleasing.

A deeper bodykit all round gives the ST a road-hugging look, and the new front apron is reminiscent of the Ford Fiesta ST, complete with larger air dam, a taller and narrower upper grille and chrome highlights around the fog lamps

"Focus is ideally suited to performance derivatives," said Chris Clements, the chief designer at Ford Team RS. "With its fast silhouette as a starting point, we added distinctive design cues to communicate its more overt sporting characteristics. The result is a design that begs to be driven."

Head around to the rear of the all-new Focus ST and you'll find the rear foglamp openings are trimmed in brushed aluminium - just like the front foggies - which give the car a technical appearance, while twin exhaust pipes give the rear end a wider aesthetic, and a wide roof mounted spoiler tops it off. "We needed extra width for increased aerodynamic functionality, so we floated the spoiler over the lamps," mentioned Clements.

Ford Team RS has also outfitted the ST with a rather intense interior in addition to the sports bodykit and high torque turbo mill. As well as supportive leather bucket seats, drilled alloy pedals perfect the sporty look, plus the driver can check on the car's critical engine parameters thanks to an additional instrument pod that displays turbocharger boost pressure, oil temperature and oil pressure.

Of course the traditional tachometer or rev counter is still there, as is a 160mph (255km/h) speedometer, each of which are ringed in an aluminium-opal colour to that matches the various other brushed aluminium accents in the car's cabin.

There's also a leather-wrapped steering wheel with an ST emblem and three aluminium-finished spokes, giving the interior a technical, motor sports-inspired look and feel.

The new ST made its debut at the '05 Geneva Motor Show and has now been green-lit for sale as the production version was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, and it will certainly keep things interesting between its arch nemesis, the GM/Opel Astra and in particular the turbo Astra GTC.

Geoff Polites, the former head of Ford Australia, and now Ford of Europe's vice prez of marketing, sales and service, linked the new performance model with the Blue Oval's increasing success in the World Rally Championship: "We're serious about extending the ST family under the halo effect of our renewed commitment with Focus in the World Rally Championship," Polites said.

And you know what they say: Win on Sunday, sell on Monday...