Just the Facts:
* Ford will debut its 2012 Focus ST at the Paris auto show later this month.
* The 247-horsepower Focus ST is slated to go on sale in early 2012.
* It will get a high-output version of Ford's 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine.
DEARBORN, Michigan — The new 2012 Ford Focus ST will be the centerpiece of the automaker's display at the upcoming 2010 Paris Auto Show. The 247-horsepower Focus ST is slated to go on sale in early 2012, about a year after its stablemates begin to reach dealers in North America and Europe.
The new Focus ST will get a high-output version of Ford's 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. Other details will be released at the show. The showcar is finished in Tangerine Scream.
Ford said the Focus ST is the first high-performance model developed under the company's new global Performance Vehicles strategy.
On display in Paris for the first time together are all three body styles of the new Focus — four-door sedan, five-door hatchback and four-door wagon. The new Focus was developed in Germany and built on Ford's new global C-segment platform. Ford says the platform will provide the base for at least 10 different variants in 120 markets around the world, accounting for around 2 million units of annual volume by 2012.
In Paris, Ford also plans to detail the technology that will drive its upcoming C-Max plug-in hybrid, which will be built in Valencia, Spain. The C-Max Hybrid will go on sale in Europe in 2012, with a version also slated for North America.
Inside Line says: A stunner. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent