Nother CarGuy

Following several test prototype sightings and no teasers whatsoever, Ford has lifted the veil off its all-new Focus ST hot hatch. Just like its predecessor, the new Focus ST is available with two engine and two body style flavors. The big news is the gasoline version ditches the 2.0-liter turbo-four for a larger, more powerful 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit that makes 280 PS (276 hp) at 5,500 rpm and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque from 3,000 rpm to 4,000 rpm. That’s 12 percent more power and 17 percent more torque compared with the previous Focus ST’s 2.0-liter gasoline unit. According to Ford, that results in a 0‑100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint of under 6 seconds. For the first time, the Focus ST benefits from an electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD) that improves traction and stability, as well as Selectable Drive Modes. The all-aluminum 2.3-liter unit benefits from lessons learned with the Ford GT supercar and F-150 Raptor pickup as it features anti-lag t...

The all-new Ford Focus is lighter, sleeker and more advanced than its predecessor, offering excellent safety and connectivity features, as well as a new range of petrol and diesel engines. Pricing has already been announced for the UK, where the all-new Focus range (5-door and estate body styles) will start at £17,930, some £2,000 less than the outgoing model. European deliveries are set for September as orders can already be placed. Sales in the U.S. will start in the second half of 2019, with details on available body-styles and powertrains to be announced closer to the launch date, though don’t expect to see the wagon come over there. Ford is calling the 2019 Focus their most “accomplished and technically-competent Focus ever”, with the car boasting a new human-centric design philosophy meant to unite exterior styling with class-leading aerodynamics and a more spacious and well-built interior. “We wanted our all-new Focus to be a product customers fall in love...

What you’re looking at is the latest-generation Ford Focus without a hint of camouflage and looking very attractive indeed. The new Ford Focus will premiere at an event in April but recently, a reader of Vezess snapped the hatchback during an official photo shoot of the car in Cascais, Portugal. It appears as if the blue Focus pictured is an ST Line model due to the presence of a small badge on the front fender and a set of silver and black alloy wheels. An aggressive roof spoiler also makes the car look especially appealing. Compared to the outgoing Focus, the exterior design of the new car is dramatically different. In fact, we think it looks quite similar to a number of South Korean hatchbacks, including the latest Hyundai i30 and Kia Rio. That’s certainly no bad thing. Last year, Ford’s head of global markets, Jim Farley, revealed that the all-new Focus will move upmarket and sell in lower numbers than the current car. As part of this change, the hatchback will be availa...

Ford’s killing three birds with one stone by launching the new Focus RS Heritage Edition in the United Kingdom. Priced from £39,895 ($55,341), and limited to 50 examples, it celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Escort, pays homage to the introduction of the RS brand in Britain, and serves as a swan song to the Focus RS, whose production will end on April 6. The limited edition hot hatch comes a couple of months after the ‘RS Red Edition‘, and sports a Tief (Deep) Orangebody color, grey brake calipers, forged alloy wheels, and contrasting black side mirror casings and rear spoiler on the outside. In the cabin, the Ford Focus RS Heritage Edition gets part-leather Recaro seats, a sunroof, heated steering wheel, cruise control with speed limiter, and rear privacy windows. The power folding mirrors and rear parking sensors are offered at no extra cost. All units get a front mechanical Quaife limited-slip differential, for improved traction, and the Mountune upgrade. The latt...

Ford Performance revealed the all-new Drift Stick, the first-ever rally-inspired electronic handbrake, developed and designed for the Focus RS with the seal of approval by tire-smoke master Ken Block. The new Drift Stick was created by the same team responsible for the Focus RS’s infamous Drift mode. It’s basically an aluminum lever between the driver’s seat and manual transmission which opens the rear-drive unit’s clutches and applies hydraulic pressure to lock the rear wheels with a simple pull, just like a real rally car. “The passionate engineers at Ford Performance are also enthusiasts,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “Everyone here is encouraged to think outside the box, so project ‘Wicked Stick’ was born. Our engineers will leverage the learnings from its development for many future products for Ford Performance and, ultimately, take back even more of an innovative spirit when they rejoin our mainstream engineering teams.” For the final sign-off, ...

While Ford is believed to have scrapped its Focus RS500 project, the automaker has unveiled a slightly more capable version of the highly-regarded hot hatch, dubbed the new RS Limited Edition. The most significant upgrade enjoyed by the Focus RS Limited Edition is the inclusion of a Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential for the front wheels. This will inevitably make the car handle corners even better and allow it to accelerate out of turns with minimal traction loss. Additionally, the Limited Edition model, created as a send-off to the current car, is available in a shade of Race Red and gets black mirror caps, a black spoiler, black roof and 19-inch forged black wheels as standard. The usually-optional RS2 package with heated mirrors, a heated steering wheel, voice-activated navigation and heated power Recaro seats also comes standard. The car will also be offered in the familiar Nitrous Blue and be limited to just 1,000 units in the United States and 500 in Canada. ...