Ford Focus ST diesel to start at £22,195

Ford has announced the first ever diesel Focus ST. The diesel hot hatch arrives alongside a general refresh of the current Focus ST, which is now priced from £22,195 in basic ST1 trim. That price applies to both the petrol and diesel versions.

There’s a power chasm tough, with the diesel ST’s 185PS power output significantly lower than the petrol’s 250PS. The 2.0-litre TDCi engine in the diesel produces 400Nm torque, however, which makes up the deficit – the 250PS EcoBoost turbo petrol develops 360Nm.

Diesel ST owners will enjoy a significantly augmented fuel economy figure too, with its 67.3mpg average rating comparing very favourably on paper to the EcoBoost ST’s 41.5mpg. The two cars emit 110g/km and 159g/km CO2 respectively.

On matters of straight-line performance, the petrol ST hits 62mph from zero in 6.5 seconds, while the diesel takes 8.1 seconds. Both versions are available in Estate body styles too, the premium for which is £1100, regardless of trim.

The Focus ST update sticks with the traditional ST1, ST2 and ST3 trim levels, with the range bookended by the ST3 Estate, at £27,095; the premium for an ST2 over an ST1 is £1500, and it's £2300 to leap from ST2 to ST3.

Every Focus ST gets 18-inch wheels, keyless start, air conditioning and Recaro sports seats, while ST2 adds part-leather upholstery, LED daytime running lights, automatic wipers and lights, and dual-zone climate control. An ST3 car includes heated full-leather Recaro sports seats, xenon headlamps, tinted windows, cruise control, parking sensors and Ford’s SYNC DAB media system including a touchscreen.

Ford claims that the interior is improved in the new ST, including higher quality materials throughout, while more importantly in a car like this, the dynamics have been improved by way of new front suspension and fettled settings for the steering and damping. The result is improved cornering and “better overall balance,” says Ford.