With the oft-postponed RS now promised for later this year, the ST170 is our first taste of a quick Focus.

Praised from launch for its brilliant dynamics, the base Focus has always frustrated keen drivers thanks to an almost total lack of genuine performance. Hopefully that abundant, latent talent is about to be realised.

In an effort to unravel the confused knot of performance branding, Ford has redefined the Sport Technologies or ST brand, slotting it beneath the soon-to-be revitalised RS brand, but above all the other more mainstream models. The result, according to Martin Leach and Jost Capito (Ford of Europe's vice-president for product development, and director of Special Vehicle Engineering respectively), will complement both the base level product and the more specialised RS models.

'Our philosophy for the Sport Technologies vehicles is to add a spark of enthusiast passion into vehicles that already excel in their respective categories,' says Leach. 'Vehicles with ST badges will first and foremost build on the DNA of the primary model. It will be clear that in creating ST models, we're not re-engineering the vehicles but rather building on their strengths. We expect the RS brand to appeal to real performance purists, while the ST cars should appeal to a broader group of enthusiasts who want to enjoy spirited driving but with all the practicality and dependability of the primary brand.'

Despite being a deliberately softer and more rounded package than the forthcoming RS, the ST170 still needs an impressive level of performance and ability to challenge cars like the the Civic Type-R and Renault Sport Clio 172. Though competitively priced in standard trim, the ST170 is far from cheap once you take into account the ί¿½2750 you'll want to spend on Recaros, Xenons, high-grade audio system and other must-have goodies. Clearly if the ST170 is to steal any ground on the hot hatch class leaders it needs to be seriously good.
Perhaps because we've been staring longingly at official pictures of the Focus RS for what feels like years, to actually see a low-slung Focus in the metal wearing bold multi-spoke alloys and a fetching coat of Imperial Blue paint is quite a special moment. Forerunner of the tall, MPV-style hatch, the Focus still looks by far the sharpest in its class, and with those 15-spoke, 17-in alloys, aggressive honeycomb mesh grille, subtle spoilers and effective colour-coding, the ST170 has the looks to seduce in the showroom.

Our test car's optional Recaros, Xenon lamps, audio and so on make it considerably more expensive than its main rivals, but once you're strapped inside it looks and feels like it's worth the money. There's a solid, tactile quality to the whole interior that you can't help but be impressed by, especially if you're more used to the confines of a Clio 172. On paper the ST's hardware looks equally impressive. At its heart is a 171bhp version of the familiar 2-litre Zetec engine, while the new six-speed Getrag-developed gearbox, huge 300mm front and 280mm rear discs and 215/45 tyres underline its sporting credentials.

The first few metres of driving tell you an awful lot about Ford's command of chassis tuning. The damping feels fabulous, the low-speed ride displaying an almost oily suppleness, belying the stiff-sidewalled tyres that barely smear themselves around the 17in rims. The steering also has fine feel, with precise response and keen weighting. The end result is that the ST170 has a taut, controlled and perfectly rounded chassis that delivers a real sense of involvement.

True to Leach's ST mission statement, the ST170's chassis benefits from a few modest but extremely well executed changes. Obviously the larger tyres play a major part in the ST's increased road-holding and sharper handling, but so too do ten per cent stiffer springs and larger diameter dampers. Amazingly the anti-roll bars remain unchanged from the stock Focus, save for some rear bushing tweaks, whilst the steering benefits from special gearing and a new pump that provides less assistance at higher revs.

Our test route in the South of France takes in many old evo haunts, including the spectacular Col de Braus and Col de Vence, just north of Monte Carlo. The combination of steep inclines, hair-raising descents, savage hairpins and a mixture of surfaces are a stern test of the ST's ability. While the chassis shines the engine never quite feels its equal. Those tight uphill hairpins make all but the most powerful cars feel breathless, forcing you to come to a near standstill before calling on every last drop of low-rev torque to lug you out of the turn against the acceleration-sapping forces of gravity. I've driven a Boxster, S2000, Elise, Griffith 500 and Clio V6 on this very road, and the only one to beat the Col into submission was the grunty Griff.

Don't be too disappointed, though, for on a less extreme road I suspect the ST would feel more muscular. The tweaked Zetec motor, complete with forged pistons, dual-length inlet tracts, a new cylinder head incorporating bigger inlet valves, stiffer valve springs, variable intake cam timing and free-flow stainless steel exhaust, makes a healthy 144lb ft of torque and delivers it early too. In fact if anything it is this linear, unfussed delivery (coupled with a faintly uninspiring note) that fools you into thinking it's not pulling that hard. It revs keenly too, giving all 171bhp at an impressive 7000rpm. There's a further 200rpm to play with, but to be honest you're better served shifting up and mining the seam of torque. A bigger disappointment is the gearshift, which lacks the brilliantly wristy shift quality of the standard-setting Puma's 'box, or indeed that of the Civic Type-R.

Ford claims the ST170 will hit 60mph from rest in 7.9sec, which sounds about right. It's a shame the Civic and Clio comprehensively pull its trousers down in a straight sprint, for the Focus undoubtedly has the most accomplished chassis of any current hot hatch, and is the classier and more involving car as a result. Unfortunately in a class increasingly dominated by the biggest bang for your buck, this less immediate, slow-burning appeal may not be enough to guarantee the excellent ST170 the success it deserves.