Ford has taken the wraps off the new Ford Focus ST and it has been scheduled to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Headline news includes the ditching of the old 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinder for a larger, more powerful 2.3-litre one. Making 276bhp and 420Nm of torque from 3,000 rpm to 4,000 rpm, it will allow the hot hatch to sprint to 100km/h from a standstill in under six seconds.

Lessons learnt from the Ford GT supercar and F-150 Raptor pickup will also enable the Focus ST to have an engine that has “immediate power delivery” in Sport and Track Drive Modes. According to Ford, the engine features anti-lag technology that keeps the throttle open when the driver lifts his foot off the accelerator pedal, maintaining compressor wheel speed and enabling boost pressure to build faster on demand.

Mated to a short-shift six-speed manual gearbox, the car also has a switchable rev-match function that the driver can switch off if he wants to. Owners who prefer to let the car do the gear shifting themselves can opt for the seven-speed automatic transmission. With its Adaptive Shift Scheduling feature, the gearbox evaluates individual driving styles to optimise gearshift timings.

Elsewhere, it will be the first time a Focus ST will be equipped with an electronic limited-slip differential to improve handling and traction. Compared to the standard Focus, the damping stiffness increased by 20% at the front and 13% at the rear, while the ride height is reduced by 10mm. The steering rack is also 15% faster than the standard Focus, requiring just two turns lock-to-lock.

To rein in the extra speed the new car has, Ford has given it larger disc brakes with dual-piston calipers at the front. It works with the Electric Brake Booster technology that will allow the system to build up brake pressure faster than a hydraulic system.

Like its predecessor, the new car will be available both as a five door hatch and five door wagon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqGiTaUWrto