A possible prototype for a new, yet-to-be-revealed Ford Focus ST has been spotted running around town in Nürburg and testing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Ford just pulled the wraps off of the all-new, fourth-generation Ford Focus compact car last week in Europe and China, showing off four different models: the up-scale Titanium, premium Vignale, crossover-inspired Active, and sporty-looking ST-Line. If Ford follows a similar timeline to its seventh-gen Fiesta reveals, a brand-new, performance-oriented Focus ST ought to be unveiled imminently.
We’re all but certain that the spied car isn’t a new iteration of the hotter, more capable RS model, as Ford has a tendency of releasing Focus RSes closer to the end of each Focus’ life cycle, typically a good while after the ST version has launched. This camouflage-wearing prototype also features a much smaller, tamer rear spoiler than we’d expect an RS to be fitted with, and a more modest-looking set of wheels.
This prototype looks similar to the new, 2019 Ford Focus ST-Line unveiled last week, featuring the same grille inserts and – as far as we can tell through the camouflage – the same lower fascia and foglamp inserts. There are some differences, however; the ST-Line was shown wearing a very different set of wheels than this spied car, and we don’t recall it having quite so much spoiler in the back.
It’s uncertain what we should expect from an all-new Ford Focus ST in terms of powertrain, but rumor has it that the current 2.0-liter EcoBoost I4 will be replaced by a 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-banger, producing somewhere around 275 horsepower thanks to higher boost. We expect that the six-speed stick will stick around, but there’s some possibility that Ford could make available its new 8-speed automatic as an option.
To see the recent spy shots of the all-new Ford Focus ST at the Nordschleife and around the town of Nürburg, visit Autoblog.
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