To give the ST more of an enthusiast feel-and something special, dynamically-Ford has made some serious changes to its suspension and steering. We've found the base-engine versions of the Focus to offer handling that's sharper and more engaging compared to ordinary compacts but nowhere close to performance-car caliber. During more relaxed driving or cruising, it's quiet and refined-and it can pass tight European exhaust-note regulations-while also inspiring during performance driving. Essentially, Ford designed a resonating chamber (meant to carry over some character from the raspy five-cylinder of the Euro-only last-generation ST) just below the intake flow when you press the accelerator to a particular level, in a particular rev range, a flap opens, allowing low-frequency sound from the chamber to be piped back within the instrument panel. Raspy, boomy engine notes can get very fatiguing for more than a short drive, so Ford opted for an innovative solution: the so-called Sound Symposer. The ST gets a stylish central-outlet exhaust that's visible from afar, but you can't hear the ST all that much from the outside. Ratios span a wide range, with fifth and sixth quite tall (we saw about 2,600 rpm at 70 mph). Drivability is a big plus, though the ST’s clutch takeup is about as smooth as it gets in a performance model. The only thing we noticed was that while BMW rations out the power delivery of its new turbo four in the 3-Series with a nice, linear pedal calibration, the Focus ST has a pretty aggressive, all-at-once tip-in that takes a little getting used to-and a little finesse.Īnother way that Ford is saving money with the ST is by offering it only with one transmission-a six-speed manual gearbox that's a little notchy, with throws that we thought were a little too long fore-aft but close and tight side-to-side. Unlike a number of other models with more expensive twin-scroll turbochargers, the Focus ST only has a single-scroll unit, but you'd probably never know the difference. No need to worry about peakiness or a narrow sweet spot here, either although less frenzied near the top of its rev range than you'd expect, it builds all the way up to its 6,500-rpm redline. Provided you're in second, third, or fourth gear and at 2,000 rpm or higher, a quick foot to the floor is met with an almost instantaneous rush of acceleration. On small French backroads, passing slow-moving Citroen Picassos and overloaded cargo trucks, the wallop of that overboost mode proved addictive for quick passing bursts. And thanks to a special overboost allowance in the ST, it can go into an 'overboost' mode for up to 20 seconds (depending on conditions), making a peak 270 pound feet at 2,500 rpm. Those technologies, combined with Ford's Ti-VCT variable cam timing system allow the engine to make 250 pound-feet of torque, with a remarkably flat, wide torque curve that makes it all available from about 2,000 rpm through to 4,500 rpm. Match that with the remarkably instant power delivery in the mid-range revs, and it's sometimes easy to forget that you're driving a significantly boosted (16 psi) turbocharged engine. It features direct injection but is lacking the clattery sounds at idle that usually call it out once underway, you'll also note that Ford has masked this turbocharged engine's telltale whistle of forced induction, and the rap of a wastegate (it points to very precise metering instead). The new 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine is superb, and we confess to wondering whether it was too quiet and refined at first. As we found in a drive of the Focus ST on a wide range of road types in Southern France this past week, this is one small performance car that you shouldn’t at all be afraid to drive on the commute, or take on the long-distance road trip. We say this because many of the smaller performance models make some sacrifices in ride and road/engine noise that can be pretty hard to live with daily. This is a vehicle you could drive daily, without annoyance, and without having to budget for a chiropractor. What is surprising on many levels is the suave execution. For this much-anticipated model, that’s pretty much exactly the performance package we’ve been primed to expect in this true enthusiast hot hatch. It’s not all that surprising that the 252-horsepower 2013 Ford Focus ST can dash to 60 mph in about 6.3 seconds (conservatively) and reach a top speed of nearly 155 mph.
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