Reviews
Gallery 1
The year is 2002. Ford’s small-car entrant, the Laser, is so old it’s shaving each morning. Effective though the Laser concept had been, its glory days were back in the 1980s when leg warmers were cool, Bob Geldof was a singer, not a saint, and there was still some major differentiation between the Laser and its mechanical twin, the Mazda 323.
This feature was originally published in MOTOR’s June 2007 issue
So by the time the calendar flipped over to ’02, things were pretty slow on the Laser-selling front. But instead of creating a new Laser by simply re-badging the then-new Mazda 3, Ford turned its sights on Europe.
So when the Focus lobbed here in 2002, it wasn’t inflaming the passions of performance enthusiasts (that’d be you and me, then). Clearly, a hi-po version was needed and, by 2003, the ST170 had landed. It looked good in an understated way, and promised much.
The 170 thing derived from the fact that the engine was good for 170 horsepower, although in a metric Australia, this was probably lost on most folks. But even when metrificated, the output was still 127kW, and there was nearly 200Nm of torque to hustle things along. A six-speed manual gearbox was the only choice and the three-door hatch the only bodyshell. None of which made any difference, because that’s how you or I would probably have specced it anyway.
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Standard equipment was decent, with air-con, 17-inch alloys, a six-stacker, sporty front seats, leather-trimmed tiller and a body kit, but like so many Euro-packaging cock-ups, cruise control wasn’t part of the deal (as it isn’t with the otherwise brilliant XR5 Turbo, either).
The other thing that was a bit hard to fathom was why the thing didn’t feel a bit perkier than it did. Oh, it was quick enough if you flogged it along, but it never really felt like it was a free-revver or that it really wanted you to spank it.
The torque seemed to be stacked pretty high in the revs and even when you got there, there was less of a smack in the chops than there should have been.
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However, part of that feeling was down to just how good the chassis was. The cornering was fairly flat, but the stiff ride that comes with it just didn’t materialise. Overall, the ST170’s suspension gave the impression of being well thought-out, well-specced and based on a competent platform to begin with. Which is pretty much the story.
Like a lot of really stable, sorted chassis’, the ST170 always felt like it could use more grunt. Even with its perky turbomotor, the current XR5 feels a bit the same, so maybe it’s just a genetic thing blighting all performance Fords.
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With all that in mind, the ST170 can be shunted along a quiet road with a fair degree of accuracy and comfort. While the spine-tingling thrills may not be in abundance, the ST170 will get you to where you’re going quickly, with only a decent serve of understeer limiting things once entry speeds are really up there.
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Safety-wise, you’re looking at dual front air-bags, side bags, seat-belt pretensioners, ABS and even electronic brake-force distribution (ESP was an optional extra).
And when you look at that lot and remember that it really is a child of the 21st century and the thought-police that inhabit it, it’s a wonder the ST170 is any fun at all. And that blue oval badge? Well, that just makes it all the more remarkable.
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FAST FACTS 2003 Ford Focus ST170
BODY: 3-door, 5-seat hatchback DRIVE: front-wheel ENGINE: 1988cc 4cyl, DOHC, 16v POWER: 127kW @ 7000rpm TORQUE: 196Nm @ 5500rpm WEIGHT: 1208kg POWER-TO-WEIGHT: 105kW/tonne TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual SUSPENSION: struts, A-arms, anti-roll bar (f); control blade multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar (r) L/W/H: 4174/1702/1430mm WHEELBASE: 2615mm BRAKES: 300mm ventilated discs, single-piston calipers (f), 280mm ventilated discs (r), ABS, EBD, ESP WHEELS: 17 x 7.0-inch TYRES: Continental ContiSport Contact 215/45R17 87W PRICE: $37,000 (Aug ’03)
Used Alternatives
2003 Holden Astra SRi Turbo
2003 MINI Cooper S
2004 Mazda 3 SP23
