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Garwin Beukes - Ford has always had that one factor advantage over its competitors - the control element.
Driving the Focus St gets you in touch with your inner child that giggles with delight when the speedometer goes up. With every little twist and turn you feel in control.
With their St Model, Ford truly considered the average Joe who loves going fast.
The manufacturer stocks three models: the ST1, ST2 and ST3 (although the ST2 is not common in Africa); with all three bragging the same power figures we took a day to experience the 2013 ST1 - the cheapest of the bunch. This may be the lowest priced of the three, but here’s what it has to offer: the 2.0 litre motor kicks out 184kW and 360Nm, reaching 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds flat and reaches a tried and tested top speed of 250 km/h.
Ford, through their Ecoboost system, managed to make their engine smaller but at the same time more powerful. The combination of direct injection infused with turbo charging got them the best of both worlds - better economy as well improved performance.
Like every hot hatch the St has a mode for sport.
As you drive on Normal, press the traction button and it goes to Sport. Easy as that. In sport mode the suspension tightens up. Hold down the button until it counts down and there’s no assistance. All driver control.
The St has an amazing handling setup and sits well around corners. We have to warn you though, going full throttle on every stretch isn’t advised, as the petrol needle drops really fast from full to empty. Fast cars sometimes have their drawbacks.
