Super TestCar reviews - Ford - Focus - XR5 Turbo 5-dr hatchFord modelsOverviewThe Focus XR5 Turbo, Ford’s first hot hatch in decades, is nothing short of fabulous28 Apr 2006 By CHRIS HARRIS THINKING that settling for a Volkswagen Golf GTI is the answer to all your hot-hatchback needs? Well, don’t look now because the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo is blowing into town like a tornado, complete with a giant-killer reputation that it has earned the hard way – by tackling the German icon (as well as the flying Astra Turbo and Renault Megane 225) head-on – over the last few months in Europe. Model release date: 1 April 2006 to 1 May 2008 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelCompletely underrated, the three-door-only ST170 (for 170bhp) sold in few numbers but left its mark on those who appreciated the German-built Ford’s exquisite steering, handling, roadholding and ride qualities. In Australia the first Focus suffered from a reputation for being under-powered. And, yes, the ST170 did need a heavy right foot to extract all 127kW and 196Nm from its worked 2.0-litre twin-cam four-cylinder engine. But combined with a slick six-speed manual gearbox and extremely sharp styling, a well-driven ST170 rewarded its pilot like few small hot hatches at the time could. We predict this will be a future classic. |
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