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Farewell to the Ford Focus ST

 

For more than two decades, the Ford Focus ST has been a hero of the hot hatch world — fast, affordable, and practical enough for everyday use. But that era is now coming to a close. Ford has confirmed that the Focus will end production in November 2025, and with it, the legendary Focus ST bows out for good.
















The End of the Line

  • The final Focus ST rolled off the production line in September 2025 at Ford’s Saarlouis plant in Germany.

  • UK order books for the ST closed months earlier, with only a handful of dealer stock cars now remaining.

  • Ford’s decision comes as part of a wider shift towards electrification, with the company scaling back traditional petrol performance cars.

  • Emissions rules, shrinking demand for hot hatches, and higher development costs all played a role in the ST’s demise.

A Legacy of Performance

Since 2002, the Focus ST has built a reputation as one of the most entertaining hot hatches on the road. Across four generations, it offered drivers different engines, body styles, and trim levels — but always with a mix of speed, handling, and everyday practicality.

Focus ST Generations at a Glance:

  • Mk1 ST170 (2002–2004): 2.0-litre NA, 170 PS — the first sporty Focus.

  • Mk2 ST (2005–2010): 2.5-litre turbocharged 5-cylinder, 222 bhp — famous for its unique sound.

  • Mk3 ST (2012–2018): 2.0-litre EcoBoost, ~252 bhp — plus a rare 2.0 TDCi diesel version in Europe.

  • Mk4 ST (2019–2025): 2.3-litre EcoBoost, 276 bhp — the most powerful ST yet, available in hatch or estate.

Special trims included ST1, ST2, and ST3 (varying in spec), while the ST Edition (2024) gave enthusiasts a final “track-ready” model with uprated suspension and Brembo brakes.

How Many Were Made?

Exact production totals are hard to pin down, but Ford confirmed that by the mid-2010s, over 140,000 Focus ST models had been sold globally.

  • In 2013 alone, around 13,500 STs were built for North America.

  • Across 20+ years and multiple generations, the ST’s production run stretches well into the hundreds of thousands.

This makes it one of the most successful performance cars in Ford’s European lineup.

What’s Next for Fast Fords?

While the Focus ST is gone, Ford still offers the Puma ST in some markets — and the ST badge is expected to live on with electrified performance models in the future. But for many enthusiasts, the Focus ST was the perfect blend of fun and function. Its absence leaves a big gap in the hot hatch scene.

Verdict

The Focus ST wasn’t just a car — it was a community favourite, a tuner’s dream, and an everyman’s hot hatch. With its production now at an end, the ST enters the history books as one of the great performance bargains of its era.

Hot hatch fans will miss it, but its legacy will live on in the driveways, track days, and car meets of the UK and beyond.

Blogger Labels:

Ford Focus ST, Hot Hatch, Fast Ford, Ford News, Car Reviews, UK Motoring News

Call to Action:

What’s your favourite memory of the Focus ST? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to follow UKMotoring on Instagram and Facebook for more daily car news and updates.


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