UK Drive: The ST Edition is the last hurrah of the Ford Focus

Fast Fords have become a pillar of the British car community and are icons for those who love cars.

However, the rise of SUVs and electrified powertrains means that performance vehicles from the Blue Oval are slowly being phased out.

The Focus has been around since 1998 and is one of Britain’s most popular cars, but Ford has decided to pull the plug on its beloved family hatchback. So, in its honour, the firm has produced a limited run-out model – introducing the ST Edition.

To make the ST Edition stand out, the car features lightweight black alloy wheels, red Brembo brake calipers, black door mirrors, roof and bespoke ‘Azura Blue’ paintwork.

Inside, there are a few extra toys, including a premium Bang and Olufsen audio system and heated seats.

The suspension has been stiffened, with the option of adjustable dampers and there is a lower ride height.

But, apart from those tweaks, the rest of the car remains the same as the standard ST with identical running gear, engine and performance as well as featuring a more practical five-door body style.

Just 300 examples of the ST Edition are destined for the UK, making them an exclusive offering.

There is just one engine option – a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol unit.

In terms of power, it develops 276bhp and 420Nm of torque, while it gets the ST to 60mph in just 5.7 seconds and onwards to a top speed of 155mph. Ford claims that the car can achieve 34.9 mpg and has CO2 emissions of 185g/km.

All cars come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, with no automatic option available.

As soon as you get behind the wheel, you can sense the DNA from fast Fords of yesteryear has blended into this ST Edition.

The handling is quick and responsive, the limited-slip differential does an excellent job of controlling the power through the corners, and the manual gearbox is slick and precise.

There are a variety of driving modes, but ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ sharpen the throttle response, and you even get a few pops and bangs from the exhaust.

However, the car’s ride is very firm and the bland engine sound does spoil the driving experience somewhat, and it doesn’t feel as quick on an open road as some of its rivals.

The regular Focus is a handsome looking car with its low stance and sloping roofline.

The ST Edition takes things one step further with its larger alloy wheels, red brake calipers and lowered suspension, all giving it a meaner and racier presence.

As standard, the car comes in the eye-catching ‘Azura Blue’ paint work, which is the biggest differentiation over the standard ST.

Meanwhile, the twin-exit exhaust tips, lower rear diffuser, ‘ST’ badging and black roof spoiler complete the ‘Edition’ makeover.

Inside, it’s all typical Focus with the same 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and 13.2-inch infotainment screen.

There are big bucket sports seats, a sports steering wheel with ‘ST’ logo, carbon fibre-effect trim on the dashboard and door cards, as well as blue stitching.

The cabin up front feels premium with lots of soft-touch plastics on the dashboard; however look further down and there are some scratchy materials around the centre console.

Also, the lack of physical buttons for the climate control can make it difficult to adjust the temperature and fan speed when on the move, too.

Att least it’s a practical interior with a decent glove box, large door bins, a centre armrest with underneath storage and two cup holders.

In the back, there is sufficient head and legroom for average-sized adults, and there are seat pocket nets on the back of the front seats – increasing practicality even further.

The boot space is good too, with a total of 273 litres or 1,250 litres with the rear seats folded. The overall room is square and boxy, and the relatively low load lip makes loading heavier items that little bit easier.

The ST Edition is the flagship model in the Focus model lineup, offering lots of toys and performance upgrades.

All cars come with 19-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, a limited-slip differential, heated front seats and steering wheel, a Bang and Olufsen premium sound system as well as keyless entry and a reversing camera.

The basic price starts at £42,905, making it just over £5,000 more than the standard ST and  £3,000 more than a basic Volkswagen Golf GTi. However, the car does bump up standard equipment, and it should hold its residual values well, too.

It’s a sad moment for car enthusiasts as the Focus ST Edition bids farewell to one of the best small family hatchbacks on the market.

This limited run-out model is great to drive, looks good and comes with a lot of character.

There may be hot hatchbacks that are faster, sound better and have more premium-feeling interiors, but the ST Edition comes with a lot of pedigree and with its limited production run, it should be a great investment for the future. For that reason, try and buy one while you can.