New Ford Focus ST Edition Is ‘The Most Complete Ford Hot Hatch Ever’, Costs £42,905

We expected the Ford Focus ST would be going out with a whimper. After all, the Fiesta ST died last year without much noise, and Ford seems hellbent on burying the two-letter badge as little more than a trim level - as evidenced by the new Puma ST Powershift. However, there’s a version of the Focus being described as ‘The most complete Ford hot hatch ever’.

That’s a very bold claim to make from a manufacturer which has a trio of Focus RS’ and the Fiesta ST200 in its back catalogue, and that’s before we go as far back as the Escort RS Cosworth.

So, presumably, this new Focus ST Edition has had some gigantic technical overhaul and now produces 300+ bhp, right? Well, not quite.

It has had some chassis tweaks, with a Ford Performance-tuned adjustable coilover suspension setup now included which can be manually adjusted should you wish. New Brembo front brake discs measuring 363mm are fitted, along with a new set of 19-inch alloy wheels which are said to reduce 10 per cent of unsprung mass at each corner. Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres come as standard.

That’s about it, really. You do get a bit more equipment as standard - including a B&O audio system plus the usually-optional Driver Assist and Winter Packs - but not much else otherwise.

Performance figures from the 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder stay the same at 276bhp and 310lb-ft of torque, sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual. 0-62mph sprint of 5.7 seconds remains as a result, as does a 155mph top speed.

There’s a price hike, though, with the Focus ST Edition costing £42,905 - a £5,200 increase on the base car. Punchy, but still £1,500 cheaper than a Toyota GR Yaris and £7,000 less than a Honda Civic Type R.

We’re sceptical on ‘the most complete Ford hot hatch ever’, though we’ll reserve full judgment until we’ve had a go. If nothing else, it’s good to see the Focus ST still has some life left in it.