The facelifted and expanded Ford Focus ST range has sent sales through the roof, with a 270 per cent increase in customers. Around 6,700 Focus STs have been sold in the UK so far in 2015, compared with just 2,460 in the whole of 2014.
One big reason for this jump is the introduction of the diesel Focus ST with 182bhp, but perhaps surprisingly, the sales split is still fairly even, with 45 per cent plumping for the oil burner, and 55 per cent for the 247bhp 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol model.
Of course, the recent facelift will also have reignited the flames of desire for many Ford fans. Neater looks, along with a much tidier interior design and touch-screen infotainment system has made the Focus ST better to look at and live with.
Soon, customers will also be able to get their hands on an additional model, the Focus ST diesel PowerShift, with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Benefitting from flappy paddles behind the steering wheel, drivers can quickly switch between automatic and manual modes to suit their mood.
It’s also faster than the manual model, by a whopping 0.4 seconds. This brings the 0-62mph acceleration down to 7.7 seconds, making it Ford’s fastest diesel car ever over this all-important performance benchmark.
Despite this turn of speed, emissions of 119g/km of CO2 and economy of 61.4mpg should make the fast Focus cheaper to run than many superminis. The PowerShift diesel ST is available to order now for delivery in early 2016.
Check out our video review of the Ford Focus hatchback:
