Back in February, when the new Ford Focus ST was revealed, the Blue Oval brand failed to provide a claimed 0-100 km/h time for the hot hatch. Now, however, that’s changed…

According to Ford, the new Focus ST (in manual guise) will sprint from standstill to three figures in just 5,7 seconds, which makes it some eight-tenths quicker to the mark than its predecessor.

In addition, the Dearborn-based automaker claims the new model achieves “even faster in-gear acceleration” than the previous-generation Focus RS, darting from 50 km/h to 100 km/h (in fourth gear) in a claimed 4,0 seconds.

As a reminder, power comes from the latest version of Ford's turbocharged 2,3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, linked to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a new seven-speed automatic transmission (sprint figures for the latter have yet to be confirmed). In new Focus ST guise, the 2,3-litre EcoBoost mill makes 206 kW and 420 N.m and facilitates a top speed of 250 km/h.

“The all-new Focus ST is about more than just straight-line speed, but the ability to go toe-to-toe with the now legendary Focus RS over a quartermile sprint shows just how much the Ford Performance team has moved the game on in the last four years,” said Leo Roeks, Ford Performance director for Europe.

“We’ve drawn inspiration from the Ford GT supercar, F‑150 Raptor pick-up, Ford Mustang and Fiesta ST to develop a Focus ST capable of punching you in the back the moment you hit the throttle,” he added.

So, will the new Focus ST come to South Africa (considering the new Fiesta ST is not destined for local shores)? Well, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa refused to confirm or deny back in February, so we’ll just have to wait and see…

Original article from Car