It seems Ford have spotted that the market can support another powerful diesel hot (ok warm) hatchback and will be putting a 183 bhp motor into the revised Focus ST that will be available early in 2015. For normal motorists like me, that like cars that look good, go and ride well but want reasonable economy these make excellent choices:

 

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/diesel-focus-st-2014-6-26

 

It seems daft for Skoda not to drop the 170 bhp diesel into the Fabia Mk 3, and maybe tweak it for a little more power. 

Mk2 Fabia Replacements are going to be around £10,000 less than the Ford,  currently Skoda only bother to do a 105 ps Diesel in that class size.

 & the VWG have Seat for Sporty Diesels in the Budget Brand below VW,

 the Leon at least gets some decent Suspension on some models.

 

Decent Sport orientated Suspension on sub £20,000 cars seems to be something the VWG do not allow Skoda to have.

as mentioned elsewhere, who'd want an STD

So we have the 'STD' lol!

Oh dear, not a fan of this. Tarnishes the ST name if it will wear that badge. Sorry but 183bhp isn't nearly enough.

So we have the 'STD' lol!

Oh dear, not a fan of this. Tarnishes the ST name if it will wear that badge. Sorry but 183bhp isn't nearly enough.

It's only one less than the much larger Octavia 'vRS', which also costs a lot more than the STD probably will

as mentioned elsewhere, who'd want an STD

Since most will be sold in Essex to the kind of people that want a car that looks like a training

shoe I'd imagine it's a bit too late for most of the target customer base. STD LOLOL

I reckon they would do that as well, after all there is a STI and did you ever hear about Bundh 

cook in sauces? I used to buy them and one day they were just gone with no explanation. 

 

Years later I said to the wife, whatever happened to those sauces we used to buy?

A bit of interwebz research discovered what happened. 

 

You couldn't make it up

So we have the 'STD' lol!

Oh dear, not a fan of this. Tarnishes the ST name if it will wear that badge. Sorry but 183bhp isn't nearly enough.

 

Really? Ford dropped a 155bhp diesel into the Mk 2 Mondeo ST TDCI and it sold very well.

 

Personally I think it's brilliant and as a Ford it will ride and handle with the best of them and running costs will be extremely sensible. I will certainly look at the sums when prices are announced and consider part ex-ing the Mondeo for a diesel ST Estate (is that even worse?).

Looks a bit like an angry fish. I want one

So we have the 'STD' lol!

Oh dear, not a fan of this. Tarnishes the ST name if it will wear that badge. Sorry but 183bhp isn't nearly enough.

 Why? plenty warm oil burners sell well - vRS, Golf GTD, Mondeo ST  to name only 3. Fabia created a market that others has followed.

 

Oil burners aint too posh to push

Edited 29 June, 201411 yr by slider

So we have the 'STD' lol!

Oh dear, not a fan of this. Tarnishes the ST name if it will wear that badge. Sorry but 183bhp isn't nearly enough.

well given the previous ST TDCi was an excellent drive and that only mustered 155ps I can't agree with that. So that's 1bhp less than the bigger Octavia vRS but far more importantly, 15lb/ft more peak torque available from 2000rpm and it'll be a nicer steer and offer more agile handling. I'm already convinced it'll be pretty successful.

To be fair, Ford very rarely make mistakes and usually get their market spot-on!   They do have a very loyal group of customers (yeah, Essex maybe!) who are willing to stump up the 25% above value price of their new cars (the retail customer pays 25% more so that the big Fleet customers get their huge discounts - Nat West bank allegedly get 40% discount from list).

As long as Ford and Vauxhall carry on making the retail customer subsidise their heavy discounting strategy, members of the Volkswagen Audi Group will score huge brownie points with the likes of me!   In fact, when I look at my Skoda Rapid 1.2 TSI Sport and compare it with the offerings from Dagenham Dustbins, I would say I am getting a lot more bang for my buck. 

Even if it's almost as good as the Fiesta ST it'll sell well.

Seems like a good idea to me, even if I wouldn't buy one.

 

Don't expect that people are daft enough to pay anything close to list on a Ford though.

Loads of people on the STOC have Ford discounts and everyone else is using internet brokers.

Really? Ford dropped a 155bhp diesel into the Mk 2 Mondeo ST TDCI and it sold very well.

 

Personally I think it's brilliant and as a Ford it will ride and handle with the best of them and running costs will be extremely sensible. I will certainly look at the sums when prices are announced and consider part ex-ing the Mondeo for a diesel ST Estate (is that even worse?).

 

 

Hmmm.

I'm no lover of Fords but it makes absolute sense in this day and age to make hot diesel hatches. I'm staggered that the mk2 Fabia was never offered with the option and even more surprised that having made the mistake with the mk2, they're making another one with the mk3 by dropping vRS altogether. I always smile at the mk1 knowing it broke the mold and just how capable it was- I even considered buying one before opting for the Mk5. Having picked up the Toldeo and hearing all about the forthcoming FR from the salesman, i'm not sure if Skoda is being backed into the a terminally dull (and overpriced) corner. 

so its a tarted up version of an engine already available in the Focus? the downside I see there is that leaves no room for any tuning of our own!

2014-2015 is going to have lots of interesting cars from Manufacturers before September 2015 & Euro 6 emissions only with New Type Approved cars.

 

The next 14 months models introduced might be the last hoorah and a period where there are cars worth holding onto for a good few years..

Dirty Diesels and the likes.

 

http://nextgreencar.com/caremissions.php#

 

george

Really? Ford dropped a 155bhp diesel into the Mk 2 Mondeo ST TDCI and it sold very well.

 

Personally I think it's brilliant and as a Ford it will ride and handle with the best of them and running costs will be extremely sensible. I will certainly look at the sums when prices are announced and consider part ex-ing the Mondeo for a diesel ST Estate (is that even worse?).

  

Why? plenty warm oil burners sell well - vRS, Golf GTD, Mondeo ST  to name only 3. Fabia created a market that others has followed.

 

Oil burners aint too posh to push

  

well given the previous ST TDCi was an excellent drive and that only mustered 155ps I can't agree with that. So that's 1bhp less than the bigger Octavia vRS but far more importantly, 15lb/ft more peak torque available from 2000rpm and it'll be a nicer steer and offer more agile handling. I'm already convinced it'll be pretty successful.

I never said it wouldn't be successful or sell well. Just that I wasn't keen on it. Only my personal view guys.....

I like performance cars to have a petrol engine and sound good. I'm sure it will ride and handle well. I've had a couple of Fords including the previous generation Focus ST and that was a great car.

I'm sure a car which has the looks of the hot-variant but with a frugal engine will appeal to lots of buyers I just would wish it had 200bhp+ :-)

    

I just would wish it had 200bhp+ :-)

 

Which it probably will when Mountune have finished with it, and still with a full Ford warranty!

Which it probably will when Mountune have finished with it, and still with a full Ford warranty!

Ahh yes forgot about Mountune, that will definitely help.

I should imagine it'll certainly give the Leon FR a run for its money and will probably take some Octavia vRS sales too as the price looks very competitive.

 

Problem for me is the current Ford interiors, I just don't like the 90's Nokia mobile phone look for the centre console and the rest isn't up to VAG design either. Pity too that they didn't put the 197hp 2.2 diesel with 310 torques used in the Mondeo.

This is brilliant news About time!

Agreed! This is a tempting prospect! I like the Focus ST, if they do it with the Focus Estate ST, they may well have a customer in me.

 Why? plenty warm oil burners sell well - vRS, Golf GTD, Mondeo ST  to name only 3. Fabia created a market that others has followed.

 

Oil burners aint too posh to push

 

 

the Fabia didn't create anything, there were hot/warm diesels long before it was released. it wasn't even the first time the PD130 went into the platform

The Ford Galaxy mk1 got fitted with a VWG 1.9 TDI PD i believe.   

The Ford Galaxy mk1 got fitted with a VWG 1.9 TDI PD i believe.   

It did indeed,my aunt had one.  :yes:

the Fabia didn't create anything, there were hot/warm diesels long before it was released. it wasn't even the first time the PD130 went into the platform

granted there were warm diesels before the furby but it was the first to create such a cult following.