The fourth generation of the Focus was unveiled earlier this year, but as is the case with most manufacturers, Ford launched the plain vanilla version, which should also account for the majority of sales, and will lift the veil off the first sports variant, the all-new ST, in 2019.
Essentially a rival to the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the 2019 Focus ST is in the last stages of development, hence some bold appearances in the past few weeks.
The prototype depicted below was spied at the Nurburgring, where it underwent testing. Unlike the one caught in the wild by our spy photographers, it still makes use of the silver bumpers, but we already know what to expect in terms of styling.
That'll be aggressive front and rear bumpers, honeycomb grille with ST badging, a roof-mounted spoiler and a few adjustments made here and there that still leave room for the meaner looking Focus RS.
The new Focus ST benefits from stiffer suspension, lower ground clearance and larger brakes compared to the regular models. The turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine from the Mustang will replace the previous model's 2.0-liter four, and it will churn out between 250 PS (246 hp / 184 kW) and under 300 PS (296 hp / 221 kW). This approach makes sure that it won't cannibalize the upcoming AWD Focus RS.