New Car: 2012 Ford Focus ST

We’d been promised a high-performance version of the new global Focus, and Ford has now given it a name (Focus ST) and a face (above). By sharing more than 80 percent of Focus components worldwide, Ford is able to keep costs under control and bring us more interesting stuff like this. The fact that this new strategy yields a turbocharged variant for the U.S. is more than acceptable in our book.

With a 247-hp version of the turbocharged and direct-injected EcoBoost four-cylinder, the 2012 Focus ST stands to be no slouch. If Ford’s promise of a taut suspension, crisp handling, and an affordable price tag come true, we may be looking at the new low-cost enthusiast standard. The particular model shown here is slathered in “Tangerine Scream” paint, and how about those gold wheels? The interior reveals carbon-fiber-look trim, orange-y accents and stitching, a trio of gauges atop the dash, and a proper six-speed manual. (Recall that the recently discontinued Focus ST used a 2.5-liter inline-five that developed 225 hp, and that that car also came in silly colors.)

We’ll be at a preview event in Dearborn today where we’ll receive the rest of the details pertaining to the Focus ST and other Ford offerings to be unveiled at the 2010 Paris show. Tune in this afternoon to catch the full report.
Thanks to: Car and Driver