The New Focus 'STD' Gives You VW Golf GTD Poke For £4k Less

For the first time ever, you can now buy a Ford Focus ST of the oil-burning variety. As part of the model-wide refresh, we have an ever-so-slightly tweaked exterior for all STs, a much tidier interior (see below), and the option of diesel power, with the new range going on sale today. Under the bonnet of this new STD (don’t worry, Ford has avoided that potential naming faux pas and left it badged as just ST) is a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine kicking out 182bhp and 295lb ft of torque.

This gets the diesel ST from 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds, on to a top speed of 135mph. The combined claimed MPG figure, meanwhile, sits at 67mpg. Not bad. These are all rather similar figures to the VW Golf GTD, but with a starting price of £22,195, it’s £4000 cheaper, and still a wee bit less espensive than the Seat Leon FR TDi 184 which uses the GTD’s chassis and engine.

Other than the exterior and interior tweaks, model-wide changes include more responsive steering, a revised electronic stability programme, and improved torque vectoring to help quell torque steer.

The ST retains the same pricing structure as before, ranging from the base ST-1 to the top-spec ST-3. Prices for the diesel and the petrol are the exactly the same. You’ll need £22,195 for an ST-1, £23,695 for an ST-2, and £25,995 for the ST-3. Want an estate? That’s an extra £1100 across the range.

Which would you take, petrol or diesel, and as a hatch or estate?