Want more from your Focus ST? This upgrade adds another 50bhp

Yep, that's 326 bhp from a front-wheel-drive Focus ST.

23 March 2020 at 11:20

Many cars might be in need of a power boost, but the new Ford Focus ST is not one of them. Nevertheless, British tuning company Mountune has done exactly that. The Essex-based firm is offering owners of the latest ST an upgrade that boosts the hot hatchback’s power to 326 bhp.

The new m330 package, so named because 326 bhp becomes 330 hp when converted to metric horsepower, effectively combines a new high-flow air filter with a ‘SmartFlash’ engine mapping system, which tweaks the settings to add 50 bhp to the standard car’s output. You get 70 lb-ft more torque, too, which Mountune claims will deliver “significant upgrades in usability and performance”.

As with the m225 and m235 kits offered on the current Fiesta ST, the m330 upgrade comes with a smartphone app that allows customers to make changes to the ECU programming with ease. The app offers drivers three modes, including a ‘Stock’ set-up that returns the car to factory settings, and an Anti-Theft mode that fully immobilises the car.

But the headline act is the Performance mode, which offers more than just extra power. The system tweaks the settings to turn Ford’s ‘Slippery’ mode into a “quiet sport mode”, while there’s a ‘no-lift shift’ system that allows drivers to change gear smoothly without backing off the throttle.

As well as acting as a control system, the app also helps customers with their ownership experience. The app can update the vehicle with the latest calibrations directly from Mountune and includes a convenient VIN and calibration ID reader.

The new upgrade, which also comes with Mountune badging and a zip-up shell case, is available to buy now, with a price tag of £599. Mountune hopes to reassure customers concerned about reliability by claiming that “all power upgrades developed by Mountune undergo a rigorous testing and development process, akin to that of [a car maker] and the m330 package is no different”.

Alec Pell-Johnson, the director of Mountune Performance, said the convenience of an app-based control system had made the company’s Fiesta ST upgrades especially popular, and he deemed it the “future” of calibration upgrades.

“We’re delighted to finally launch the m330 package, enhancing power and performance to what is an already great car,” he said. “Both the m225 and m235 kits have been hugely successful since they launched, with customers loving how easy it is to change the calibration of their car direct from their smartphone. SmartFlash is the future of calibration upgrades and we are looking forward to seeing how our customers receive our latest upgrade for the Mk4 Focus ST.”