Power from the 2.0-litre turbocharged Ecoboost four-banger remains unchanged at 252 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque (I’ll save you the trouble; that’s more than what’s made by the GTI or Civic Si), and you have to believe that Ford didn’t want the ST stepping on the RS’s toes too much when it arrives. Kind of like Porsche does with the Cayman and 911 Coupe, just on a slightly less exotic level.

Plus, when you start to get on the throttle in the ST, I don’t think you’ll be wanting that much more power, for a couple of reasons.

First of all, peak torque arrives at 2,500 rpm, which will have you blistering down your favorite B-road (or A-road… whatever) lickety split. I didn’t find myself asking for more power, really; not to mention that too much more torque would result in more torque steer, which you will feel as there’s no limited-slip differential to even things out under hard acceleration. It’s not even an option, and the wheel tends to get a mind of its own from time to time. It’s nothing so severe that I found myself inadvertently heading toward the hedgerows upon accelerating from stop, but beware during in-gear acceleration.

Leaving corners at speed is the most challenging part, my fighting with the wheel making me feel a little like the car was on rails, the steering wheel’s movements being governed by the front axle. However, while I’ve read reports that have the torque steer making the ST feel like the second coming of the original TS champion, the Euro-market first-gen Focus RS (there are those two letters again…), it’s not a deal-breaker by any means, unless you plan on taking your ST to the track on a regular basis. You just have to know what you’re dealing with, as you do with a RWD monster like the Dodge Challenger Hellcat or Shelby GT500.

Oh, and while the sound through the twin tailpipes may not be quite as apocalyptic as those two, the burble that is emitted is just right, considering the ST’s people-moving, five-door hatchback digs.

While the powertrain hasn’t been changed much, the chassis has been given a comprehensive once-over. There are new front springs, and newly tuned front and rear shocks do their best to keep the sticky 235-section P Zero Neros pressed firmly into the tarmac below. Ford says they’ve also given the electric power steering more feel, but I did find a little more of a dead zone than I’d like. It is responsive, though, providing a darty feel that stops just short of the go-kart attitude of the Fiesta ST.

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