2012 Focus ST final testing

Ford are busy shaking down the 2012 Focus ST around the world ahead of a launch in early 2012.

Ford has got the 2011 Focus out in to the real world, and if the number that fly round the roads near here is anything to go by it’s selling very well. Of course, we’re in the heart of Ford Exec country here so they could all be Ford cars for ‘er indoors.

But with the hard work out of the way on the bread and butter stuff, it’s time for Ford to pay more attention to a Focus with a bit more get up and go. Sadly, that’s not the 2013 Focus RS, but it is the next best thing – the 2012 Focus ST.

A little oddly – considering we saw the ST at Paris last year – Ford are running the 2012 ST in camouflage that looks like they’ve painted black sperm on a white car. The logic we fail to grasp.

But even if the logic for the camouflage may seem flawed, the logic on the shakedown seems pretty flawless. Ford’s SVT has a fleet of 60 pre-production STs going through their paces around the world, from California to the Nurburgring to the back roads on our doorstep (note to self – take camera at all times). If there are wrinkles to be ironed and tweaks that need doing they will be done before the ST hits showrooms early in 2012.

And actually, the 2012 ST looks like it could deliver almost as much as the old Focus RS. With 250bhp coming from its 2.0 litre EcoBoost lump we should see a 0-6omph of around 6 seconds and 20% less fuel and 20% less Co2 coming out than the old ST. And that’s despite an increase of 10% in power and torque. Which is an appealing prospect.

What’s even more appealing is that if the 2012 Focus ST promises to be this good, just how good will the 2013 Focus RS be?

Very good, we suspect.