Jumping into the thick of the hot hatchback wars was the SVT Focus, a 3-door 170-bhp rocket that debuted in 2002. The styling cues of the SVT model were subtle; a honeycomb grille and a slightly more pronounced air dam with integral driving lights. Five-spoke alloy wheels shod with 17-in P215/45ZR-17 Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, a new rocker treatment and another honeycomb grille below the rear bumper rounded out the package.
In addition to the bump in horsepower from the 2.0-liter Zetec four, the SVT Focus offered an extra gear in the Getrag 6-speed box developed for this package. The thin-spoke alloys revealed larger brakes and there was a stiffer suspension to improve handling. Inside, the car was fitted with deeply bolstered sport seats, aluminum accents adorned the shift knob and heater controls, while the instrument panel received the traditional SVT white-faced gauges, including readouts for water temperature and oil pressure.
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