Driving

The ST is an absolute hoot to drive, and makes even the Golf GTI feel tame. It has the best steering feel, body control and grip, not to mention stunning traction out of slow corners. In short, the Ford delivers the biggest adrenaline rush of any hot hatch, yet always feel trustworthy and secure. And despite Ford's fundamental changes to the Focus chassis - lowering the ride by 25mm, adding firmer springs, bigger roll bars and extra stiffening - refinement hasn't suffered unduly. There's a crucial compliancy and comfort to its damping that few rivals can match; the ride isn't unduly harsh, so it can offer comfort as well as entertainment. Tremendous brakes round the remarkable chassis off. It's all powered by a 2.5-litre turbo five-pot borrowed from Volvo, but with changes specified by Ford's engineers. Mid-range grunt is deeply impressive and acceleration is superb, despite a touch of low rev turbo lag. We hit 60mph in just 6.4 seconds. The five-cylinder growl is exceptional too.

Marketplace

The standard Focus may not be eye catching, but Ford's designers have done a good job of pepping up the ST. The lower front bumper, with its rally-style detailing, looks much more aggressive, and the beefy standard 18-inch wheels are superb, filling the arches nicely. Three- and five-door variants are available, in three trims levels; ST-1, ST-2 and ST-3. The base model is a price-led special, with ST-2 variants expected to take most sales. Competition comes from many sources - the hot hatch sector is booming. The Golf GTI, Vauxhall Astra VXR, Skoda Octavia vRS, Mazda3 MPS, Seat Leon FR and Citroen C4 VTS are all rivals.

Owning

A sloping rear window can make those in the back of the three-door feel hemmed-in, and passengers have to cope with slightly less legroom than regular Focus, due to the larger Recaros. The sculpted and supportive rear bench is supplied by the same firm, but only seats two; a three-seat version is also available. Up front, the driver's seat could do with being a touch lower to perfect the position, but the chair itself is fantastic, offering better back support and big side bolsters. The dash is well laid out too, with a delightful Sony stereo available. There's no off-clutch footrest, but the slick gearchange encourages you to make the most of the engine. However, the big five-pot engine proves thirsty when pressed, and a decent warranty and service schedule is spoiled by a mean one-year recovery deal. Retained values that can't quite match rivals such as the Golf also push up overall running costs, and insurance is a heady (if class competitive) group 17. But the wide, practical boot opening reveals a class-leading load capacity of 385 litres.