Ford Focus ST symposer is music to the ears

They share the engine, but the Focus ST will sound meaner than the Falcon Ecoboost
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The Ford Focus ST will make a lot of noise when it arrives in Australia during the third quarter of 2012, boasting a high-tech version of the 'sound symposer' that was used on its predecessor, the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo.

Powered by the same engine as the Ford Falcon EcoBoost, a 179kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled petrol unit, the European-designed Focus ST will emit a more aggressive sound than its Australian relative thanks to a special ingredient, a sound tube that amplifies the air induction noise.

Used on the Ford Mustang in the past, the special sound tube contains a paddle that vibrates with the intake of air and is attached directly to the intake manifold. The difference with this latest iteration is that it's electronically controlled, so the sound can be increased when driven hard, and reduced when cruising.

The system makes use of an electronically controlled valve that activates based on driver input, such as throttle input, engine speed and gear selection. In lower gears the valve has aggressive mapping, emitting more roar in first and second gears, but relaxing in fifth and sixth, says Christopher Myers, Air Induction System engineer at Ford.

"The turbo gives us great power across the rev range, but it presents a special challenge from a sound perspective as it absorbs much of the beautiful engine music. The symposer helps us bring the throaty sounds that drivers love," he said.

The same throaty sound is not present in the Ford Falcon EcoBoost however, as it's deemed more a premium, refined offering and is not targeted at enthusiasts.

Performance for the upcoming German-sourced hot hatch is claimed to be a brisk 6.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint, but we reckon that might be on the conservative side, as our own independent testing showed an average 6.9 second run in the Falcon EcoBoost (and even a 6.5 second run with a tail wind).

Power for the European Focus ST models has been bumped up from 166 to 180kW and torque rises from 320Nm to 360Nm, though the Falcon EcoBoost's 2.0-litre turbo engine has been detuned slightly to output 179kW/353Nm, and the same tune is likely for the go-fast Focus.

Pricing for the new Focus has not been released, but is expected to be slightly higher than the XR5 Turbo's $36,990.

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