The Ford Focus ST isn’t the newest or most refined hot hatch you can buy, but it’s still quick and fun to drive. And despite its relatively affordable $26,045 base price, it’s only available to a relatively small group of drivers in the U.S. That’s because the Focus ST is only available with a stick. From the sound of it, Ford has no plans to change that on the next-generation Focus ST, either.
Autocar reports that based on what it’s heard, the redesigned Focus ST will be manual-only. The report doesn’t cite a source or quote anyone from Ford, so it should be taken with a huge grain of salt. It it’s true, though, the Focus ST will be one of the only cars in America that doesn’t offer some sort of automatic transmission option.
The report also suggests that previous rumors of a three-cylinder Focus ST were inaccurate. Instead, the redesigned car is said to use a modified version of the 2.3-liter turbo-four used in the current Focus RS. The 1.5-liter three-cylinder was reportedly considered, but getting it to make the necessary power would have supposedly posed reliability risks.
As with the Focus ST’s transmission, Autocar didn’t cite a source for its engine claim. Still, it makes sense that Ford would use a four-cylinder instead of an inline-three. A 275-hp turbo-three sounds great in theory, but we’re not sure such a highly stressed engine would offer many real-world advantages. A detuned Focus RS engine would also probably come with a lot more tuning potential.
Ford hasn’t officially confirmed the next-gen Focus ST, but with the standard global Focus now revealed, look for the hotter ST version to debut sometime next year, perhaps ahead of the Geneva Motor Show.
Source: Autocar
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