RE: Aggressive pricing for new Ford Focus ST

[otolith]

Redlake27 said:

I think this will be a winner. Everything that was good about the old ST, but with some decent fuel efficiency.

Everything except the soundtrack - which is the only thing that would have swung it for me.

[Penneth]

Let's wait and see what the standard model spec list is like, I have a feeling it won't even be close to what you get from a Megane 265 cup. Very clever marketing this is.

For starters, does the base model Focus ST have an LSD?

[the_hood]

Fast Fords should always be about value and this is a return to form!

[va1o]

Penneth said:

Let's wait and see what the standard model spec list is like, I have a feeling it won't even be close to what you get from a Megane 265 cup. Very clever marketing this is.

Um it's already been confirmed and isn't badly equipped at all, apart from nav everything is there:

ST-1 comes with cloth Recaro seats, keyless start, 18-inch alloy wheels, DAB radio and Bluetooth.

The Focus ST-2 costs from £23,495 and gets part-leather Recaro seats, dual-zone climate control, Quickclear heated windscreen, ST floor mats, automatic lights and wipers, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

The top-spec Focus ST-3 costs from £25,495 and gets electrically adjustable heated leather Recaro seats, keyless entry and bi-xenon headlamps.

Better value than all the 'cooking' models given the list of a 1.6 can easily get above £20k

Edited by va1o on Monday 28th May 19:57

[scholesy]

The last model ST was much prettier than this offering, why have ford ruined the new focus? Just to bring it in to line with some kinetic design ethic rubbish no doubt. Ahhh well, I am sure people will lap it up at that price for such a practical car with some decent toys. After my experiences with the last ST I wouldn't fancy another, especially not with this hideous facelift.

[anonymous-user]

cars seem to be aspiration tools, and i just can't see how anyone could aspire to own a ford even in st guise, this would therefore reflect in the price.

ford are the peoples car not a bad thing but will always struggle to compete with vw, bmw etc

[Repent]

Benefit of single global focus model; cheaper price to the customer. Negative of single global focus model; looks properly pants.

Didn't like the fiesta when it first came out to be fair, but I originally thought it was over styled which I no longer do. This however just has no potential for that, not pretty atall and estate wise the Mondeo is far too good looking to pick the Foci to my eyes.

That aside, good effort on the pricing Ford.

[HeatonNorris]

Wattsie said:

I remember the cries of great value when the Mk2 ST1 was offered for £17795, so it's good they've continued the theme

Some of my colleagues have recently had new Focus Zetecs delivered.

Having had a prod around one, I can see why an ST would be £3k cheaper than a Golf GTI.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Still going to buy the old one.... You can't make up for that 5 cylinder thrum, with anything really. And at 22k isn't that 5k more than the Old ST1 cost new?

Also mk2 face lift is a much better looking machine.... And you could have ASBO orange which, might I add, looks fantastic in summer.

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 28th May 21:22

[googleowl]

356Speedster said:

Cracking! Good to see Ford continue with thier sensible pricing policy on their cars, makes many rival machines look quite over priced.

I look forwards to seeing the final stats & trim levels, because there is every chance the turbo motor will fall within our company car policy CO2 rules. I've always been a 3-door fan when it comes to hatches, but this is probably the nicest looking 5-door around.... all options open, the ST definately makes the next-car-shortlist.

Here you go ved band H and co2 at 169

[0000]

That's quite impressive. Shame the 5 cylinder doesn't make much sense in comparison.

[356Speedster]

googleowl said:

Here you go ved band H and co2 at 169

Result, comes in under the 170 threshold.... mmmmm, need to try one now

billybob69 said:

cars seem to be aspiration tools, and i just can't see how anyone could aspire to own a ford even in st guise, this would therefore reflect in the price.

ford are the peoples car not a bad thing but will always struggle to compete with vw, bmw etc

Depends really. I had a Golf GTI.... then a Jaguar S-Type.... then a Focus ST2 and now it's paired with an RS MP350 (amongst other cars). Wouldn't go back to a Golf (it lost it's looks a long time ago), the 1-Series offends me (sorry, it does) and the A3, well, yaaaawn. I have no badge allegancies at all but could see me liking the ST and swapping wifey's ST2 for one of these shortly, making it 3 in a row (how sad!!). The afore mentioned Germans could all learn a thing or two from Ford if you ask me.

[Penneth]

va1o said:

Um it's already been confirmed and isn't badly equipped at all, apart from nav everything is there:

I'm waiting for the actual specifications, not just the few parts they want to market the car on.

No LSD either from what I can gather?

[craigb84]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Still going to buy the old one.... You can't make up for that 5 cylinder thrum, with anything really. And at 22k isn't that 5k more than the Old ST1 cost new?

Car prices have gone up since then. As has vat.

The ST2 would seem to be the one to have but I think £2k more for the st3 is just a step too far.

If you could get an st3 for £22-23k after discount I feel that would be a great deal. A lot of car for that cash.

[0a]

I think the new Focus looks brilliant, and especially this model. Like the Mk1 it makes the Golf look like a very old car already (though I guess it is essentially a Mk5, right?).

[googleowl]

Penneth said:

I'm waiting for the actual specifications, not just the few parts they want to market the car on.

No LSD either from what I can gather?

Have a read of the pdf file on this post, it has all the options and extras listed.

http://www.focusstoc.com/forums/topic/110786-focus...

ETA: not sure if you have to be a member to read pdf, but I'm sure you can just join as member and don't need to be fully paid up member to view.

Edited by googleowl on Monday 28th May 22:32

[flatline84]

At some point, something broke inside me and I Would never look at a FWD car again.

Power. through. rear. wheels. please

[Zwolf]

telecat said:

Oh look. After every other car with the 2.0 litre Ecoboost has that awful "Powershift" box the ST gets a 6 speed manual. It would be nice to have it on the other cars too.

You can have the Volvo S60 & V60 T5 as a manual (the Powershift double-clutcher is an option) and that uses the 240PS 2.0 EcoBoost engine, as does the Evoque Si4 (although that one is also auto-only IIRC).

Penneth said:

I'm waiting for the actual specifications, not just the few parts they want to market the car on.

No LSD either from what I can gather?

Rendered "obsolete" by the standard fitment of torque vectoring control I expect...

That and if a mechanical LSD is part of a £7k upgrade package on a CLK63 AMG, I suspect such a thing is going to be absent from a warm hatch with half the power at a third of the price.

billybob69 said:

ford are the peoples car not a bad thing but will always struggle to compete with vw, bmw etc

Spec either a Golf GTi 5dr or 125i M Sport up to match the standard ST3 spec - or just compare the bases and you start to notice a difference. I love BMWs and also have a cooking 2012 Focus as a company car. Having also looked at the new One, there certainly feels very little in it in terms of build quality - there's a lot between them in price and standard equipment levels. Swings, roundabouts etc.

An M135i appeals hugely though. Interesting looking further at that one that the five door £27.5k M135i is £2.5k cheaper than the three door, in contrast to other like for like variants.

Edited by Zwolf on Tuesday 29th May 00:24

[nickfrog]

Zwolf said:

An M135i appeals hugely though. Interesting looking further at that one that the five door £27.5k M135i is £2.5k cheaper than the three door, in contrast to other like for like variants.

Edited by Zwolf on Tuesday 29th May 00:24

I know, I don't get it either. It must be a mistake as there is a £500 difference on all other models, the 3-dr being cheaper. Talking to my BMW dealer he doesn't understand either but he did show me an internal document showing that the 3-dr 135i will have leather, xenons and 4pot calipers as standard but I am not sure this will also apply to the 5-dr.

[Zwolf]

nickfrog said:

Zwolf said:

An M135i appeals hugely though. Interesting looking further at that one that the five door £27.5k M135i is £2.5k cheaper than the three door, in contrast to other like for like variants.

Edited by Zwolf on Tuesday 29th May 00:24

I know, I don't get it either. It must be a mistake as there is a £500 difference on all other models, the 3-dr being cheaper. Talking to my BMW dealer he doesn't understand either but he did show me an internal document showing that the 3-dr 135i will have leather, xenons and 4pot calipers as standard but I am not sure this will also apply to the 5-dr.

Interesting, just checked the spec lists on the BMW GB website and both are seemingly identical, Nevada leather, M Sport braking system and halogens in both cases. Guess they've worked out people will pay a chunk more for the 3 door version of the top performer. 10% uplift in price to go from a 250bhp four pot FWD Ford to a 300+ bhp RWD BMW seems a pretty small premium - smaller than I'd have expected prior to looking into it.

That said, I still much prefer the looks of the Focus to the new One (although the reverse applies when considering their predecessors) and I've yet to drive a post-Puma fast Ford that was anything less than very enjoyable. Either appeal vastly more than any of the VAG or French alternatives.