2023 Ford Focus hatchback

Months after it was axed from Australian showrooms – and as a cloud hangs over its future – the Ford Focus ST hot hatch has gained a new performance package in Europe.

The 2023 Ford Focus ST hot hatch has been axed in Australia, with a final run of 40 cars now arriving on local shores – but it lives on in Europe, with the option of a new Track Pack for weekend track-day fans.

Available on six-speed manual Focus ST hatchbacks, Europe's Track Pack adds styling, suspension, tyre and braking upgrades "developed by Ford Performance and extensively tested at Ford proving grounds and Germany’s famous Nürburgring Nordschleife [race track]".

The package is headlined by manually-adjustable coilover suspension from Germany's KW Automotive, with 50 per cent stiffer dampers, two main modes of adjustment, and a 10mm lower ride height standard – with a further 15mm drop available "where permitted by local legislation".

A set of "flow-formed" 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels are added – claimed to be 10 per cent lighter than the standard wheels – wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Corsa track-day tyres.

The front brake discs are 10 per cent larger at 363mm – up from 330mm – clamped by four-piston Brembo calipers, claimed to "improve grab and provide more area to dissipate heat faster", according to Ford.

A new braking distance figure is not quoted. Drive testing in 2020 found the Focus ST could slow from 100km/h to a standstill in 34.5m – compared to 38.5m for the smaller Fiesta ST, which is lighter, but has smaller brake discs.

It's unclear if Ford is preparing a similar brake upgrade package for the Fiesta ST; a prototype with larger discs and new calipers was spied in Germany last year, with stickers naming a key Ford supplier, and official Ford test vehicle licence plates.

Joining the performance upgrades are mild cosmetic tweaks, including gloss black finishes for the front and rear bumper inserts, air intakes, roof, mirror caps, wheels and rear spoiler, branded red brake calipers, and black outlines around the ST badges (instead of chrome).

The interior is unchanged, as is the engine, which remains a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder sending 206kW and 420Nm to the front wheels through an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential.

A six-speed manual is the only gearbox available with the Track Pack – though a seven-speed automatic is offered on standard models – while other performance highlights include multiple drive modes, and a 'flat shift' function allowing drivers to change gear without lifting off the accelerator.

Ford claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.7 seconds in Europe, shared with the standard petrol Focus ST manual hatch.

The 2023 Ford Focus ST Track Pack is now available to order in various European countries – including Germany where the Focus is built, and the right-hand-drive UK and Ireland markets – ahead of first deliveries in November.

However, it will not come to Australia, as the Focus ST has been cut from local showrooms. The last 40 cars are arriving imminently, with most or all believed to be allocated to a dealer, or sold to a customer.

The chances of a next-generation Focus ST with petrol power look slim, as production of the current Focus is set to end in 2025, and there is no news of a successor.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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