280hp Ford Focus ST Wagon revealed

All-new fast estate will be priced from £33,095 – or £30,595 for the 190hp oil-burner

Who doesn’t love a fast estate? Or a fast Ford? Praise be then for the debut of the new Focus ST Wagon (yep, Wagon) which gets a 280hp 2.3-litre Ecoboost motor and a-l-o-t of boot space. Swallowing up to 1,620 litres of stuff with the seats down (or 575 with them up), the ST estate rivals the Leon Cupra ST R for performance and practicality, but at £33,095, it’s £4,880 cheaper than the Spaniard. And compared to the slightly cheaper Skoda Octavia vRS Estate Challenge, the Ford has 35hp more on tap.

Unsurprisingly it gets the same kit as its £1,100 cheaper hatch equivalent, including an electronic limited-slip differential, rev-matching technology and ST drive modes – while both six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes are offered. Moreover, the Wagon wears ST bodywork and black detailing – to remind us all that no comparable performance SUV comes close – and is offered in only one trim variant, so there’s no more worrying about the ST-2 or -3 designation come resale time.

For anyone who prefers their fast wagon to be slower and worse, there’s also a 190hp 2.0-litre diesel version which is apparently good for a dreary 59mpg combined. Prices for this version, which comes exclusively with the six-speed manual, start at £30,595, meaning that it is also £1,100 pricier than the hatch equivalent as well. Want one? Sales for both kick off in the summer.

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