Hot hatch lovers that need more practicality than what a hatchback can offer now have one more excellent car to choose - the brand new 2019 Ford Focus ST wagon, based on the fourth-generation Focus. The new Focus ST wagon retains the sporty driving edge of the ST hatch but injects extra practicality for those who need it. Some may even say it’s cooler than the ST hatch since hot wagons always seem to have a glowing halo around them that just makes people go crazy.

This is the second ever Focus ST wagon and if Ford decided there was still a business case for it, then that means the first one did quite well. And, we have to admit it looks really good and we totally understand where the attraction for such cars stems from - hot sporty wagons are more akin to mind control devices than cars. It’s interesting how a practical car like this is one you actually buy with your heart because you want one - not just because you need one.

Why are people going crazy over it? Well, it packs a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that sends 273 horsepower to the front wheels. Ford will also sell you a diesel version of it that runs a 2.0-liter oil burner with 187 horsepower, but it’s nowhere near as good as the one that burns gasoline. The more powerful engine is mated to a six-speed stick shift as standard, as does the diesel, but it’s only the former that can be specced with a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

2019 Ford Focus ST - specifications

It also has the same electronically controlled limited slip differential, automatic rev-matching on downshifts so you no longer have to learn how to heel and toe, and selectable driving modes. The steering is also as good as on the hatch, in terms of feel and precision, and this makes the Focus ST wagon one of the best handling wagons at any price point.

There is some extra weight it has to contend with over the hatch, though, so its claimed sprint time to 100 km/h or 62 mph will probably increase by one or two tenths (Ford has yet to release the official claimed sprint time for it). But from the driver’s seat, you probably won’t notice the difference. Ford says the gasoline-powered Focus ST wagon returns 7.9 l/100km (just under 30 U.S. mpg) on the combined cycle, but as you’d expect, the diesel is far more frugal, with a claimed average figure o 4.8 l/100km (exactly 49 U.S. mpg).

In case you were wondering why you’re not getting this car in the U.S., even though you might be interested in buying one, is because Ford decided it wasn’t worth it to sell any version of the new Focus Stateside. The North American car buying public is so into SUVs right now that Blue Oval officials deemed it a bad business decision, one that would not have provided sufficient returns.

There were some talks of importing Chinese-made versions of the Ford Focus Active model last year, but the idea was dropped. Ford said at the time that it was due to high import tariffs, as well as the fact that the model would not have been a sufficiently good money maker to make the move seem worth it.

However, there definitely would have been a market for this Focus ST wagon, maybe even a bigger one than for the ST hatch, but we will never know just how successful it would have been. Besides, these market studies conducted by manufacturers aren’t always right.

The model will go on sale in Europe this summer but price and details have yet to be announced.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Focus ST.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Focus.

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford Focus ST.