Ford Focus ST Edition 2021: enthusiast-focused special edition not coming to Australia

Ford has announced the 2021 Focus ST Edition which adds a multitude of suspension and styling tweaking to make the hot hatch even more appealing for keen drivers.

The special edition hatch, like similarly specified the Ford Fiesta ST Edition, will not be coming to Australia with Ford’s local arm focusing on the fully-loaded Focus ST-3 arriving later this year.

It’s a shame because the Focus ST Edition looks to be quite a package with adjustable suspension headlining the enthusiast-focused changes.

The suspension developed at the Nürburgring and produced by KW Automotive drops the overall ride height by 10mm and gives the driver 20mm of height flexibility to suit a range of road conditions.

When compared to the regular Focus ST, the special edition has a 50 per cent increase in spring rate matched with a tuneable rebound rate that Ford says keeps the hatch more planted over rough roads.

Ford has also fitted a set of 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres that reduced the overall unsprung mass by 10 per cent and likely enhance the driving dynamics, if only slightly.

Wrapped exclusive in Azura Blue paint with contrasting gloss black on the grille front bumper and spoiler the Focus ST Edition also looks more aggressive than before.

The interior of the Focus ST Edition remains largely unchanged but does receive some Recaro sports bucket seats trimmed in leather to hold the driver in place.

Under the bonnet remains the same 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 206kW of power and 420Nm of torque.

Ford pairs this engine with a six-speed manual exclusively inline with its enthusiast focus, but it can rip from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds before topping out at 250km/h.