NEW FORD FOCUS ST TO BE 5-DOOR ONLY

Focus ST is slowly coming into focus as Ford gears up for another boxing match against Volkswagen’s GTI and Renault’s Megane RS. Its new 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbo engine is a confirmed 184kW runner that replaces the old 2.5-litre turbo. Smaller but more effective is the motto.

Big news on ST front is that there will be no 3-door ST this time around, as opposed to the previous generation, because apparently the 3-door was a slow seller. Regardless, I have a feeling that South Africans prefer the practicality of a 5-door anyway.

A 6-speed manual tranny is mated to it and sends power and torque to the front wheels. Ford’s torque vectoring system – also in the normal, newly launched Focus – ensures adequate levels of grip and minimises understeer.