The ST version of the Focus was meant to be a king among hot-hatches, but somehow it fell short behind its competitors.
Nevertheless, it was a quick, maneuverable hatchback.

After several sports cars, rally cars, and hot-hatches, Ford was one of the companies that knew how to build them. The Focus had all the necessary technical underpinnings to evolve into a successful street-performance vehicle, affordable enough to blast some of its competitors.

While the first hot-hatches were based exclusively on 3-doors bodyworks, Ford dared to offer its performance version with a three- and five-door version. But the favorite for the young and the restless teenagers was the three-door version, which looked more aggressive.

From the outside, the Focus ST featured a modified front bumper when compared to its regular siblings. The wider lower grille and the silver rims around the side-scoops, plus a specific radiator grille in the upper bumper area, made a difference between the ST and the regular version at the front. From the sides, the specific 18” light-alloy wheels helped the car handle better on the road. The arched roofline was ended in a tailgate-mounted roof-spoiler.

Inside, the Focus ST featured high-bolstered seats at the front to provide better support for its occupants. In the back, a split-folding seatback made room for more trunk space. For the dashboard, Ford installed a three-dials cluster with information regarding the boost, oil temperature, and oil pressure on top of the dashboard.

Under the hood, the Focus ST featured a 5-cylinder Volvo engine. Its 2.5-liter displacement with 20 valves and turbocharging provided 225 hp. It was mated as standard to a 6-speed manual gearbox.