While we are left scrabbling over a handful of last-gen Focus models, the new-generation Focus is already plying the streets of Europe. As has become common practice with most new model launches, the base and mid-spec variants have made it to market first. Once the stage has been set, the range-toppers arrive a few months later to keep the sales momentum going.
In this case, that range-topper will be the Focus ST, a hot hatch that has proven to be a characterful alternative to the benchmark Golf GTI in its current guise. Speculation on what the upcoming ST will look like has more or less been confirmed as we caught an undisguised model prowling around the Nurburgring back on October. We now have a few more images from an online forum which reveal what the interior looks like as well as a closer look at the subtle exterior changes.
The ST-Line is already on sale in the UK and it features a very similar front bumper (as can be seen in the white and blue ST-Line cars below) although the side skirts and rear bumper appear unique to the ST.
The interior also looks similar to the less-sporty Focus variants except for the trademark Recaro front sport seats. A welcome sight is the six-speed manual shifter sitting between the seats, however, there may also be an automatic option for the first time. The dashboard finish and leather-clad steering wheel are also not unique to the ST and can be optioned on other Focus variants too.
This subtle approach is more Golf GTI than Honda Civic Type-R and will probably appeal to a broader range of customers as a result, sadly there are no pictures of what is lurking under the hood.
The current Focus ST has a turbocharged inline-four which makes 252 horsepower and 270 lb ft of torque. Rumor has it that the new car will make use of Ford's 2.3-liter EcoBoost lump which makes 310 hp in the US-spec Mustang and can be tuned to produce a whole lot more. Something that Ford will undoubtedly take advantage of when the all-wheel-drive RS arrives, another awesome hot hatch that won't be coming to the US.