Ford up to speed with new hot-hatch Focus ST

LAST week, Ford had motoring hacks from all over Europe in Barcelona to test its new-generation ST models — including a diesel that is definitely not as exciting as the petrol, but which may account for 45% of sales. This week, in Cologne, they unveiled the new RS, which should shake up the high-performance hatch market.

Both these models represent the ‘fast and furious’ end of the Ford spectrum, but the ST is the more benign and will appeal to a much boarder community; the RS will appeal to drivers at the outer edge of the performance envelope.

Ahead of its official launch at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show, Ford gave the RS its ‘reveal’ at its European HQ in Cologne on Wednesday, and it will get the adrenaline flowing among enthusiasts.