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The improved version of Ford's fourth generation Focus ST launched in 2021 was smarter - and more sophisticated inside. In hatch or estate guise, with manual or paddleshift automatic transmission, this 'MK4.5'-era Focus ST is a car that's easy to get the most from. And a machine you can enjoy to the full on your favourite road without afterwards having to pay for it with the kind of over-firm ride you simply don't want in everyday traffic. Ultimately, so many quick cars can feel.... well, rather irrelevant. Here's one that's anything but....
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Detailed ratings
Family Hatch - GTi Hatchbacks
History
'ST' is a badge that, when it comes to Ford, stands for 'quick but not concussive', a performance level that sits just above the company's fast-but-family-friendly 'ST-Line' models. A badge applied to the kind of car a red-blooded racer could afford, enjoy and use every day. A car like this - the much improved version of the brand's fourth generation Focus ST that Ford launched in 2021.
The Focus ST is the kind of car that's always democratised performance, allowing you to approach the speed of a yesteryear supercar within the body - and the budget - of something much more ordinary. Other brands promise this kind of thing but in reality, often do little more than bolt a set of spoilers and a turbo onto something more ordinary. Ford though, has a different approach, the Blue Oval brand boasting a long history of developing proper performance versions of its mainstream models, designed by enthusiasts to be driven by enthusiasts. The very first Focus ST was the MK1 ST170 model of 2002, but the first properly quick one was the MK2 model of 2005. That car was rapid, both in speed and in the way that its 225PS 2.5-litre turbo engine drained its fuel tank in next to no time. Its replacement, a third generation model launched in 2012, then updated in 2015, was better. It primarily used a 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol powerplant and handled responsively, but arguably wasn't quite special enough.
The fourth generation Focus ST of 2018 though, got a powerplant that was, courtesy of an all-new engine, the 2.3-litre engine we'd previously seen both in the Focus RS and the Mustang, here delivering 280PS - 30PS more than the previous 2.0-litre EcoBoost unit. And that power was more usable thanks to a couple of Focus ST 'firsts'; selectable drive modes and, for the first time in a Ford front wheel drive model, an electronic limited slip differential to help get the power down through the bends, some compensation for the continuing lack of a 4WD option.
Despite all of that, that MK4 Focus ST didn't make quite as much of a market impact as the Blue Oval brand had hoped, even when the marque introduced a more dynamic ST Edition variant in August 2021 using the Ford Performance division's track-tuned adjustable coilover suspension system.
Lots of hope then, was pinned on a more significantly updated take on this 'C519'-series model, the facelifted version of the MK4 Focus ST that we're going to look at here, announced at the end of 2021. It got the smarter cabin and the upgraded connectivity that the original fourth generation Focus ST was lacking. And for the circuit crowd, the coilover suspension system once again reappeared as part of an optional 'ST Track Pack' that also included over-sized Brembo brakes and lighter low-mass wheels.
It all sounded quite promising. Which was just as well given that for the 2022 model year this car had to take on an all-new segment contenders like the sixth generation Honda Civic Type R and the CUPRA Leon. As well as this Focus model's continuing arch-rival, Volkswagen's Golf GTI and updated versions of strong segment contenders like the Hyundai i30N, the BMW M135i xDrive and the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC. This Focus ST sold until the end of 2025.
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What you get
Opinions differ wildly on what a hot hatch of this kind should look like. In this 2021-2025 era, this sector offered everything from the buttoned-down subtly of the German premium models to the wilder extremes of the Hyundai i30N and the Honda Civic Type-R. It fits with every other aspect of this Ford's character that it offers something in-between. Perhaps not as overtly 'hot hatch' in its pavement statement as some might like and without doubt a kind of compromise, but a decently dynamic-looking one - at least with the optional 'Mean Green' paintwork anyway.
Right: what's it like at the wheel? Well if your perspective is that Ford was a touch conservative here with the exterior styling, then you won't change that opinion once inside because at first glance, it doesn't feel all that much different from an ordinary 'ST-Line' variant in the standard range. The main change with this updated model over the earlier MK4 design came with a big improvement in cabin quality which mainly came courtesy of the new 13.2-inch central SYNC 4 landscape touchscreen and an accompanying 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that replaced the old analogue dials.
Less positively, the grippy Recaro seats that really lifted the cabin of the original MK4 Focus ST were, as part of this facelift, ditched in favour of rather less visually arresting in-house-designed 'Performance Seats'. Those chairs position you quite low, though you're still perfectly placed behind the thick-rimmed leather-stitched sports steering wheel, on which reside the all-important drive mode buttons. Alloy pedal covers, faux-carbon trim inlays, grey-stitched floor mats and branded scuff plates on the sills complete the ST embellishments. Plus, as you'd expect from a Focus, and all the cabin basics are well executed: so it's easy to find a comfortable driving position, the instruments are clear and there's plenty of interior storage.
The space on offer in the rear can certainly be bettered by quite a number of class rivals, but it is at least competitive - certainly to a rival Volkswagen Golf GTI and better than a Hyundai i30N, helped by the decent foot space provided beneath the front seats. We also approve of the low centre transmission tunnel, though a centre-seated adult will still be as relatively uncomfortable on longer trips as he or she would normally be in such a position in a car of this class.
We'll finish by considering the boot, which offers up to 290-litres of capacity in the hatch model - or up to 1,250-litres (up to roof level) if you fold the rear bench. For the alternative ST estate, the respective figures are 525 and 1,576-litres. Compared to the earlier MK4 design, that estate model's luggage area includes easier-to-clean carpet, better lighting, an area for wet items and a vertical floor divider that locks into place at a 90-degree angle.
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What to look for
Most MK4.5-era Focus STs will have been reasonably well looked after but check in the engine bay for any signs of crash damage. Check that all the front end pieces are secure and not loose; the grilles, bumper, front panel, headlights etc. It is also worth getting an HPI report to see if there are records of the vehicle being damaged or written off. For a small fee it is well worth it, as the seller could be hiding something about the car and it's just not worth taking the risk of not checking. If the car has been written off or accident repaired, the front page of the V5-log book will show this at the bottom of the page. This means that the vehicle is recorded as such and will forever be on file for the car. This decreases the value of the car and you are best off going to find a non-damaged car, as there are plenty out there. Insist on a fully stamped-up service history.
Ensure on manual models that the clutch engages smoothly and that the car goes into gear easily. As usual with a family hatch, check the interior for child damage. And with top-spec versions, check the alloy wheels for scratches. Some owners have complained about poor paint quality, so check the panelwork. Check for loose front-end parts or bent structures in the engine bay. And obviously look for any dents, dings and scratches. There was a recall for the car's eCall service; make sure that was done. And we've heard reports of rattling in the door and dashboard areas.
And overall? Well if there are issues, then weigh up the hassle of rectifying them. If that's prohibitive, walk away. There are plenty of other examples of this model there. Good websites you could try for information include focusstoc.com (owners forum), profile-automotive.co.uk (a helpful specialist) and mountuneperformance.co.uk (if you want a power boost).
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2019 Focus ST 2.3 EcoBoost - Ex Vat) An air filter for a petrol MK4.5 Focus ST will set you back around £20-£32; and an oil filter will be around £13-£16. Genuine Ford front brake pads will be in the £139 bracket. Genuine Ford front brake discs will be in the £179 bracket. A water pump costs around £150-£170. A headlamp is around £186-£325; a rear lamp is around £222. A starter motor is in the £86-£177 bracket.
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On the road
Right from the get-go, this improved fourth generation Focus ST feels like a serious piece of hot hatch engineering, with sharp steering that makes it feel darty and alert, this character trait turning out to be an integral part of the vivacious handling that makes this car the accomplished shopping rocket it undoubtedly is. The faster you go through the bends, the better it feels. With this updated model, which gained two newly-installed dashboard screens for its various drive modes, there's just one engine option, the 2.3-litre four cylinder petrol unit used in the Mustang and the old Focus RS. Here, it develops 280PS, sprints to 62mph in 5.7s and offers a class-leading 420Nm of torque. Efficiency isn't quite as good as some 2.0-litre rivals, but remains class-competitive, the 6-speed manual model managing a combined cycle fuel figure of 35.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 183g/km. The alternative 7-speed auto gearbox returns 35.8mpg and 182g/km.
Whatever kind of Focus ST you go for, manual or auto, hatch or estate, there's lots to aid this car's prodigious cornering bite; a stiff C2 platform, grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres and a clever 'eLSD' Electronic Limited Slip Differential to help get traction down in the bends. Plus there's an SLA suspension set-up that lowers the car by 10mm, incorporates thicker anti-roll bars and features spring and damper units that are 20% stiffer at the front and 13% firmer at the rear. Driving modes feature of course, the three main ones being 'Normal', 'Slippery' and 'Sport', the latter setting delivering a far more alert feel. Most original Focus ST customers paid extra for the optional 'Performance Pack', which gives you an extra 'Race Track' drive mode and 'CCD' adaptive damping. With manual transmission, that 'Performance Pack' will also include shift lights and 'Rev-matching' (which relieves you of the need to lift off the throttle between upward gear changes), along with Launch Control for Grand Prix-style starts.
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Overall
Ford didn't set out here to make the fastest hot hatch in the Golf GTI segment. Or the most wild-looking. Or the most track-ready. If, in buying a car of this kind from this period, your over-riding priorities lie in any of these three areas, there are other rivals we'd point you towards. But if what you'd really like is a car that can combine all those virtues in one very complete package, we'd absolutely direct you to include this improved version of the MK4 Focus ST high up on your wish list.
This Focus ST is arguably the very definition of what a car of this kind should be, a guilt-free fast hatch with near-supercar performance and technology that's relatively affordable and perfectly practical. You get a class-leading ride and handling balance, estate versatility if you want it and the option of finding a version fitted with a 'Track Pack' that'll allow you to frighten far more exotic machinery in this ST on circuit days. All in a car that deserves to be remembered fondly in a fine tradition of fast Fords.
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