Test drive Ford Focus 5 doors since 2010 hatchback

Orange threat

The main autopilot of the sixth part of the planet Nikolai Fomenko invites readers of the magazine to solve a simple marketing problem. Given: the Ford Focus model, the sales of which in Russia have reached 34,000 and Ford Focus St 170 in Russia, which reached a dozen. Task: to increase the sales of sports Ford Focus by at least ten times. Solution: Add a car of extra fifty horses, paint it in a fashionable unnecessary color and ... create such a queue for the basic version so that motorists are forced to make a choice in favor of an expensive sports car. Then the Ford Focus ST in Russia is waiting for a happy rolling fate - for example, 100 pieces will be dismantled in the shortest possible time.
Morning Pomeranian. This statement probably sounds somewhat in a way. But the color, of course, is the most important advantage of the car that I got to the test. This color is so attractive, so exciting that I am sure that a car with this color can replace ... breakfast. This is the color of a real orange. This is the color of a real Ecuador orange with its inherent reddish tint.
The morning of the owner of Ford Focus ST is the morning of a happy and carefree person. He wakes up, looks out of the window of his beautiful, at least 4-story, and sees this car in the yard. As colorful as a dream, the remnants of which flies from a carefree motorist faster than snowflakes falling outside the window. He breaks out of the arms of the best friend and goes to the wardrobe.
 
He dreamed about it for a long time. But today, in this lesson Monday, I decided firmly. Today is the day of sports. He puts on a tight -fitting cocoon and a jacket in his shoulders, bought for 4,500 euros in Milan on occasion. He lowers his legs into special shoes of manual assembly worth a thousand euros, donated by friends three years ago for an anniversary. He famously wringes the bassball cap with the Ford World Rally Championship logo.
Having equipped, he goes down. Slowly. He goes through the garage past all his Bentley, Ferrari, BMW and Lamborghini. They are abandoned. Today they are not destined to growl with motors and scresh brakes. He goes past them to Ford Focus St. A stunning orange fruit. Focus ST attracts the driver with his fantastic sports. Fantastic in the sense that it seems extremely difficult to realize it in real life.
 
The Ford Focus ST model is designed by the Ford Team RS department specializing in the brand racing cars. The abbreviation ST is deciphered as Sports Technologies. Production has been established at the Ford factory in the German city of Saarluis. The sports version is assembled on the same conveyor with the usual Ford Focus and Focus C-Max. True, specifically for ST to the conveyor, I had to stretch an additional line for the delivery of the Recaro seats. The plans for the current year include the release of more than 3600 new 225-horsepower Focus ST. The exceptional orange color of the new car is the result of using a new technology for applying Electric Orange. In addition to an orange, which has a fluorescent property, the Focus ST model can be painted in other, more familiar to the eye of the color.
Spite of records. Although Focus ST enthusiasm and renunciation compared to another car from a fleet of one and a half to two million euros cost the owner into mere trifles-some sluggish $ 30,000. And for this money, the motorist receives almost cosmic sensations. In principle, two dozen (according to the sensations, there should be no less there) turbines that are hidden under the hood of Focus ST, are able to disperse it to 350 km/h. Or maybe even more. And in just 2-3 seconds. Or maybe even faster. Wings are the only thing that is missing this car. So, the owner of Focus St, packing his strong and voluminous body in the recaro chair, must be thought. He must also think: well, why the hell I spent so much money on all these Ferarry, Mazerati and Porsche, when there is such a car as Focus ST.
 
Partly I understand this person. In my opinion, Focus ST is a breakthrough. But a breakthrough of such a properties and scale, which is organized on a dispute anywhere, anywhere and from anyone. When the designer is haunted by young years, he is able to even turn a wooden horse into something similar to a car.
I understand that during my own driving in sports cars, I do not leave normal cars any chance to even seem like that and make the impression of an old bore. But listen to the old bore a little more.
 
I believe that Ford Focus S has no frenzy sports. I have great doubts about the body aerodynamics. It is practically not changed in any way compared to the usual focus. Well, a small spoiler has been added on top. The stroke of the lever of a six -speed box with aluminum knob is short, but this is not the course of combat mechanics. The steering wheel is three -spitz, but in terms of the size of the steering wheel and the thickness of the spokes for the role of the racing, it does not quite pull. Still, bring the steering to mind. It clearly remains standard. The blinding brilliance of metal with pedal overlays and armrests is more appropriate to drive the girls crazy who will be able to lure into the salon.
 
Ford Motor Company thinks more about the owner’s safety than the possibility of implementing his Schumacher ambitions. The ESP system with desperate maneuvers - I allowed myself some liberties - it turns on again. Even if before that you are by force and surely disabled it.
The motor is smooth. He is spinning everywhere, from top to bottom, equally twist. Turbine is an illusion. Because it is made to the standards of Euro 4 or even Euro 5. Well, there is no such that the turbine is silent up to 4,500 revolutions, and then how it opened - and the driver lost consciousness. A boost pressure sensor works almost in a mode synchronous with a tachometer. You want to see and feel when and how the turbine begins to act, but instead of a powerful jump, the boost of the boost slowly rises up. Probably, at high speeds and at high speeds, the motor behaves differently. Probably, somewhere at 6500, the car shows its entire character. I say probably because I did not happen to check this car on the ring or autobahn. I had a small part of the test drive to circle the ice of the Tushino airfield, and most of them to languish in the capital's traffic jams, hysterically gasping and wondering why such a machine is needed in the city.
Nikolai Fomenko is not the only representative of the motorsport who personally checked the Ford Focus St in the case. In October last year, the car was tested by the Roman of the Cross and Tony Chardemister, piloting the Ford Focus WRC at the World Rally Championship, as well as the head of the M-SPORT department, Malcolm Wilson. The latter was especially generous for compliments to Focus ST: in my opinion, this is one of the best cars ever created by Ford. It has the most modern dynamic characteristics and controllability and is suitable for drivers of all ages. The torque - one of the most important characteristics of the engine is simply magnificent. I was amazed at the stability of this car, its magnificent driving qualities, the dynamic characteristics of the suspension and controllability
FAN CLUB. I do not want to seem like a boring older. We must pay tribute to the Ford Motor Company - the car is assembled soundly. The design is bright. It is nice to go and be in it. The machine is controlled quite adequately. On ice and snow, Focus S is stable. Salon finishing - for all the requirements of today's fashion.
Of course, I would like to be in the place of designers, as they say, to a heap of sports accessories. Even fake. I would add a body kit. So that everyone at once and accurately understands that they have a combat apparatus and behind him is a man who is not used to leaving abandoned gloves unanswered.
I would stick the car with stupid things in the form of, for example, a Chinese nozzle on a muffler for $ 15. In the XXI century, Chinese nozzles are no longer ashamed. I would replace the seat belts in the cabin, putting wide straps in three girths. So that the front passenger wanted to put on a helmet. So that he thinks that he was going at least with a veteran instructor, who was awarded Focus S for length of service. Then exactly all Mazerati, Bentley and other supercars would have died under the pressure of Focus ST.
 
And so I do not understand its meaning. I think this is a joke of genius.
Maybe I fell out of youth life forever, but I don’t know where you can go on it. On the races of street raisers-stupid. You will come last. On survival races - a little expensive. For fishing - absurdity. Bright orange glow scares all ichthyology.
Ford Focus ST, in my opinion, is a car out of the rules. And this is his concept, like any sweet, but not very practical, like a diamond in the kitchen, tachuli.
An ordinary focus without any ST in the same chic color will be much more convenient in everyday life. Focus St is like a foreign magazine. He smell him - he smells abroad. But to sell, in my opinion, it is difficult - few people understand the inner meaning.
 
Girls do not need such a car. It is too fast, you cannot paint the lips on the go. His target audience is a handful of students. Students to whom the dads will undoubtedly eat this car in the city of Moscow. They cannot but be. But how many of them, I do not know. An increase in their number could be a special advertising campaign - I give the idea of \u200b\u200bFord - find a sticker under the gas tank cover and get an awesome car.
This is also a car for collectors. Because you need to selflessly love Fords in general and tricks in particular, you need to collect the entire Ford Focus lineup to buy a variety ST. Prefer it to some other car-Lotus, for example.
In general, I think that this car is released in the wake of the success of Ford in the WRC championship. The shadow of Carlos Sains stands in front of the owner of this car, when, sitting behind the wheel, he suddenly declares a beauty sitting nearby: I, baby, ended his career in motorsport the day before yesterday. And I can’t come to terms with this. More or less like this.
But they will sell a hundredth!
The sports character of Focus ST is confirmed by the fact of creating Focus RS World Rally Car on its basis. This racing apparatus was presented in December last year at the Bologna motor show and became The full -time technical unit of the Ford team in the 2006 World Cup. Focus RS WRC 06 was developed and created for less than 11 months by a group of engineers under the leadership of Christian Lorio, Technical Director of the British company M-Sport. Tuning experts, of course, did not disregard the base itself - the German company Wolf established the release of an even more charged version of ST, increasing the engine power to 275 to 275 hp over 2750 euros. And the moment up to 360 nm. For 3950 euros, characteristics become even more impressive - 300 hp. and 386 Nm.
  
 
When the designer is haunted by young years, he is able to even turn a wooden horse into something similar to a car.
Focus St is like a foreign magazine. He smell him - he smells abroad. But to sell, in my opinion, it is difficult - few people understand the inner meaning.

Text Nikolay Fomenko, photo Tatyana Salyutova

We thank for help in organizing the shooting of CJSC Ford Motor Company, (495) 777-8500, and the Russian Automobile Association.

 
Ford Focus ST
 
Gasoline engine, with turbocharged
Working volume (cubic cub) 2522
Power (L.S. at rpm) 225 at 6000
Moment (Nm at rpm) 320 at 1800-4000
Front drive
Gearbox 6-speed, mechanical
Length/width/height (mm) 4362/1840/1447
Wheel base (mm) 2640
Equipped mass (kg) 1317
Maximum speed (km/h) 241
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 6.8
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 13.8/6.8
The cost of a car in Moscow from $ 29 950

 

Source: "Autopilot"