Ford has provided us with more details of the updated Focus ST, developed by Ford Performance. It has been facelifted body and there are new alloy wheel designs. It has what Ford Oz says is a, “head-turning Mean Green paint option”. Inside are in-house developed Performance Seats.
The updated Focus ST introduces Ford’s next-generation SYNC 4 technology. It has embedded connected navigation and connected voice control with natural language understanding. It has a 13.2-inch landscape centre screen.
Driver assistance technologies fitted to the Focus ST for the first time include Blind Spot Assist. This works with in conjunction with the Blind Spot Information System by monitoring the driver’s blind spot for vehicles approaching from behind and beside. It can apply counter-steering to warn the driver and discourage a lane change manoeuvre if a potential collision is detected.
Ford also announced that from the updated 2022 model, the Focus line-up in Australia will consist only of the Focus ST hot hatch range, including the ST and premium ST X. Demand for the Focus ST continues to grow, and with the addition of ST X, means hot hatch customers can choose the variant that best suits their needs.
The company explains that the small car segment in Australia has declined significantly over the past seven years, from 21 per cent of the total industry in 2014 to 12 per cent in 2020. Over the same period, the percentage of hot hatch sales in that segment more than tripled.
“As we focus our efforts in areas of future growth for Ford and the industry, we’re freshening and expanding our line-up across performance, commercial and family vehicles, including plans for at least five new electrified vehicles by the end of 2024,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO, Ford Australia.
