Ford Focus ST Order Books Open

Order books open this week for Ford's eagerly-awaited Focus ST with news that Glass's Motoring Guide is forecasting a residual value that places Focus ST-2 ahead of key rivals VW Golf GTi and Vauxhall Astra VXR.

Focus ST has already impressed with its competitive pricing and generous specification, now customers will be delighted to hear that it also has a low insurance rating of 17E and comes with a Thatcham Category 1 alarm as standard.

"For most owners, depreciation is the biggest single cost associated with running a new car," said Steve Hood, marketing director, Ford of Britain. "We're delighted that Europe's leading car valuation authority, Glass's Motoring Guide, is forecasting a residual value which places the Focus ST-2 one point ahead of VW Golf GTi and three points clear of Vauxhall Astra VXR at the three-year 60,000 mile point.

"It's great news for customers who now know they can buy a highly-equipped Focus ST-2 for less than a GTi or VXR and they won't lose out on residual values," he added.

The first 1,500 customers placing an order will get the chance to test their vehicle at the exclusive Prodrive facility in Warwickshire in a unique ST experience day. Putting their vehicle through its paces on both road and track, customers will undertake a host of driver training activities designed to demonstrate Focus ST's dynamic performance in a safe and controlled environment.

Focus ST-2 and ST-3 neatly combine sports technologies with practicality including features such as ESP stability control, quickclear heated front windscreen, Xenon headlamps and a Sony MP3-compatible audio sound system. Full Recaro leather seats and a Sony six-CD auto-changer complete the specification of the range topping ST-3.

Affordable technology such as Bluetooth voice control, adaptive front lighting, key-free entry, solar reflective windscreen, rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps, DVD navigation, and ST stripes are all available to order as options.

The new Focus ST is set to arrive in UK showrooms in January 2006.