The AutoWeek editorial staff has named Ford’s Focus ST the “Most Fun” vehicle of the 2010 Paris Motor Show. High praise indeed, considering the Focus ST beat out the Porsche 911 Speedster, Ferrari SA Aperta, Audi E-tron Spyder and Audi quattro concept at the biennial gathering in Paris.
“The choice for ‘Most Fun’ in Paris is based on the notion that you don’t need 500 horsepower or even rear-drive to build a boatload of grins into a practical, reasonably economical automobile,” said Wes Raynal, editor of AutoWeek. “This car will be the ultimate enthusiast expression of the new-generation Focus, centered on a 2.0-liter aluminum four with high-pressure direct injection, low-inertia turbocharging and twin independent variable camshaft timing.”
Boasting exhilarating performance and an addictive sound, the muscular Focus ST, along with the sporty five-door hatch, sleek four-door sedan and stylish wagon were revealed in full detail at the Paris show ahead of the car’s production start in Europe and North America in late 2010.
Packed with more affordable technologies and features than ever before, the new global Focus offers the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship along with outstanding fuel economy, and takes the car’s legendary driving dynamics to a new level of engagement.
“Recollections of the original SVT Focus linger,” Raynal added. “Developed jointly by Ford’s Team RS in Europe and SVT in the United States, the promise of the Focus ST is a ton of fun in a high-quality, high-feature compact with lots of utility, highway fuel economy in the 30s and a look that will turn heads.”
Jost Capito, Ford director of Global Performance Vehicles, said, “The ST is the result of painstaking tuning around the curves of the Nürburgring, along high-speed German autobahns and down classic British B-roads. For European drivers it will bring the same distinctive qualities of pure dynamics and performance that have created the unique appeal of our ST heritage, while for enthusiasts in North America and Asia who have asked why our compact performance models were not available to them – the wait is over! The new Focus ST will offer exactly the same exciting driving experience wherever it is on sale.”
The new Focus will be sold in more than 120 markets, with up to 80 percent parts commonality. Focus will be built on Ford’s new C-car platform, which will underpin up to 10 unique models and generate sales of 2 million units annually
