Ford has been working to dethrone the Volkswagen Golf GTI with the Focus ST for more than a decade now. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly successful at it, as the Golf GTI is still the best-selling hot hatch in nearly every market. But Ford Performance Europe boss Stefan Meunzinger thinks that the latest-generation Focus ST finally has what it takes to overtake its rival.

The Ford Focus ST was benchmarked against the best hot hatches out there

During the testing period, Ford pitted the Focus ST against the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Honda Civic Type R, and a newer entry on the market, the Hyundai i30 N}. “Yes we looked at Golf GTI but certainly that’s not what we targeted. We wanted a much sharper, crisper vehicle than a Golf GTI, which I think we delivered,” Meunzinger said.

The Ford Performance official also argues that the Focus ST features the best limited-slip differential available in a front-wheel-drive car. Although competitors from Volkswagen, Honda, and Hyundai also employ similar technology, Meunzinger argues that "they are just doing it by torque vectoring via brake usage and that’s a very different approach."

He claims that the Focus ST's differential is “the most advanced and expensive slip control you can do on a front-drive car."

“It is a mechanical device that is electronically controlled. It has a clutch inside and it can be locked anywhere between zero and 100 per cent.”

The Ford Focus ST is the second most powerful hot hatch you can buy

The latest Focus ST features an upgraded 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that cranks out 276 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of twist.

That's significantly more than the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which features a 2.0-liter four-banger rated at 242 horses and 273 pound-feet of torque. The Hyundai i30 N comes a bit closer in range-topping spec thanks to a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that generates 271 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The Honda Civic Type R is the only hatchback that raises above the Focus ST in terms of power at 306 horsepower. However, the Japanese hatchback falls behind in the torque department at 295 pound-feet of twist.