Adjustable coilover suspension, lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels (that save 2kg a corner), Quaife slippery diff, direct-access Sport button on the steering wheel, switchable stability control and launch control all feature here, and all are suggestive more of supercar than shopping car.
Setting up your ST with unique damper rates – there are 12 bump settings and 16 rebound clicks – should certainly appeal to enthusiasts who thrive on handling experimentation. Adjusting the suspension in this way is a rarity in a new car at this end of the market, but nothing new to the custom car crowd where swapping the regular struts for coilover units is regarded as the best way to lower a car’s suspension.
The ST Edition’s coilovers, finished in fetching Ford Performance blue, lower the car by 15mm at the front and 10mm at the rear. Like the other changes, this is exactly as featured in last year’s Performance Edition – a car that road-testers at the time said was gilding the lily somewhat but none the worse for that.