Ford has introduced the facelifted 2015 Focus ST. Although far from an all-new model, the hot hatch gains a sharper design and additional tech features on the inside.
As expected, the ST features roughly the same front fascia as the standard 2015 Focus. The updates include angular headlights, a smaller radiator grille with faux mesh inserts and new-look fog lights neatly integrated into the bumper. The modifications continue out back with smaller tail lamps, and a new paint color named Magnetic Metallic rounds out the exterior updates.
Inside, the ST gains niceties such as a standard rear-view camera, a redesigned instrument panel and a flat-bottomed steering wheel that clears up extra legroom for the driver. Ford has also added a media bin with a USB port that charges two times faster than the one in the outgoing model.
The one area where Ford didn’t update the ST is under the hood. The upgrades for 2015 are mostly skin-deep, meaning the ST retains the 2014 model’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that generates 252 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Linked to a six-speed manual transmission, the ST can reach 60 mph from a stop in a little over six seconds and go on to a track-worthy top speed of 154 mph.
Interestingly, buyers in Europe have access to a new-for-2015 turbodiesel engine, marking a first in the Focus ST’s history. The oil-burning ST is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that generates 185 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It is about two seconds slower to sixty than its gas-burning counterpart, but that statistic matters little to U.S. buyers because the Blue Oval is not planning on offering the turbodiesel on these shores.
The facelifted 2015 Focus ST is scheduled to land in Ford showrooms across the nation in the coming months. Ford will publish pricing information in the weeks leading up to the hot hatch’s on-sale date.
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