Ford Focus ST review – performance and 0-60 time

With a useful shot of torque from the 2.3-litre unit the ST is capable of expectedly strong performance. Get a clean launch – something made easier with launch control – and the ST will scrabble to 62mph in 5.7sec.

The launch control system isn’t one of the more sophisticated around, as while it’ll hold the revs on full throttle until the clutch is slipped, it doesn't seem to manage wheelspin beyond take-off. Still, it’s quick and easy to use, and brings back an era of managing wheelspin like more old-fashioned hot hatchbacks. In Sport mode you get more of it sooner, and the same goes for throttle response. There is some lag low down, but when the boost does build it generates torque in one big lump, making it feel more powerful than it actually is. The issue is that the power and torque don’t hang around right the way to the red line, making the last 1500rpm up to the red line something of an arduous task. Best short-shift and surf the chunkier mid-range.

When up and running, traction is still good whether on a straight road or powering out of a corner, but the differential doesn’t feel quite as aggressive in its lock-up capability as the unit found in an i30 N. Top speed is quoted as 155mph for both transmissions.

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The seven-speed auto isn’t the sharpest in the class, lacking the bite of an i30 N and GTI Clubsport’s dual-clutch units, but its shifts are swift enough to match the manual’s 0-62mph time of 5.7sec. The side-effect is that in-gear acceleration does feel a tad blunted, lacking the impressive surge of the manual.

The standard brakes are sharp and have pretty good feedback, but they definitely aren’t a dynamic highlight like the middle pedal can be on rivals such as a Civic Type R. They're more progressive and resilient than the brakes on a Golf or Leon, but even the upgraded Brembo setup fitted to Track Pack models doesn't have the reassuring bite of the best hot hatches, despite offering strong outright power.