2017 Ford Focus ST diesel Review – Can a diesel hot hatch be fun?

If you don’t quite fancy the running costs and speeding fines that go along with a Focus
RS, then you might want to consider a Focus ST – a slightly tamer version of Ford’s
halo Focus, a hot hatch that aims to be a bit easier to live with. But unlike some hot
hatches, Ford gives you the choice of both a petrol and a diesel with the ST.
Both models get the typical sports make-up and accessories, the beefier bonnet, grille,
side skirts and spoiler. And our model’s actually got the optional Style Pack, which
adds bigger 19-inch wheels, privacy glass and red brake callipers, and I think it adds
a nice edge to it. Now, the diesel is a few hundred pound cheaper,
has less power, but is more fuel efficient. But can a diesel version offer similar levels
of entertainment to the petrol? Well, it worked for the Volkswagen Golf GTD, so why not?
So, the interior of the ST is a very nice place to spend time, and our ST-3 model ticks
lots of important boxes. There’s lovely comfortable heated recaro seats finished in
leather, an ST-styled gearshifter and flat-bottomed steering wheel, dual-zone climate control,
rear parking sensors and an easy to use SYNC2 touchscreen with DAB and sat-nav, which cost
£300, a good value option though. Build quality is really good too, not quite
to Golf standards, but even the slightly cheaper materials have a soft touch to them.
And, true to its hot hatch name, it is quite practical in here. Good sized door bins, and
a few handy cubbies for loose change, but my favourite feature is this cup holder…
looks normal doesn’t it, but wait a second, get out of town, boom.
The rear seats have impressive space all-round, there’s plenty of head and leg room, and
thankfully these recaro seats aren’t too chunky, so knee room is good. Now these rear
seats unfortunately don’t fold completely flat, but thankfully, the boot makes up for
this, with an easy to access, very usable 316 litres of storage space. I mean sure that’s
not as big as the Golf, the Octavia, or the Leon. But it’s still very handy.
So, before I get to the engines, I want to talk about how the Focus ST drives. Well,
it’s certainly worthy of wearing that ST badge. There’s no limited slip diff to speak
of, but the sporty suspension – and the likes of torque vectoring and cornering understeer
control – make sure it stays extremely sticky in the corners. And the overall body control
of the ST is excellent. Body roll? Ha. But even though its composure in the corners
is brilliant, the ST is still actually very comfortable to drive. It can feel a little
unsettled if you hit lots of little bumps in quick succession, but overall, you could
easily mistake it for a standard Focus. The steering is piano wire sharp too, a little
too sharp at first actually. I mean reach for the touchscreen or, adjust your undercarriage
while driving, and the steering is so sensitive, any slight movement can result in a bit of
a wobble. Great for intense cornering, but yeah, it takes some getting used to. Even
though it is incredibly sharp, the steering still does still lack feedback, but there’s
enough acuity to the ST to forgive that. But what about the diesel? Well, it’s a
2.0-litre unit that produces 182bhp – which is 64bhp less than the 2.0-litre petrol. It’s
also 1.6 seconds slower than the petrol. However, there’s more torque on offer, at 400Nm,
that’s 40Nm more than the petrol. And the main thing you’ll notice with the
diesel, is its performance low down the rev range. It takes a bit longer to get going,
but then you open up its torque and you’re away. In fact, once you get the revs up, I
think the diesel feels just as flexible as the petrol. It’s got smooth, seamless acceleration
like a petrol and it even sounds a bit like a petrol. And most importantly, it does feel
fast and sporty. If a petrol hot hatch is a nippy MMA fighter,
then a diesel hot hatch is a heavyweight boxer. It may take a little longer to swing a punch,
but when it lands, it’s just as effective, if not more so, due to that extra torque.
So why sacrifice a quicker sprint time? Well, because with the diesel, you are looking at
around 60mpg on the motorway, or when driving sensibly around town, 40-45mpg. From a hot
hatch! That’s quite a bit different to the petrol, where you’re looking at between
25-40mpg, max. The petrol and the diesel ST models are great
cars in their own right though. The petrol will favour those after out and out performance,
and the diesel will appeal to those after something a bit more sensible. I actually
think, if you’re going for the diesel, why not spend an extra £1,000 or so and go for
the estate, then you get better fuel economy
and greater practicality.

2017 Ford Focus ST diesel Review – Can a diesel hot hatch be fun? – Car Keys

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