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Enthusiasts bowed their heads for a minute when Ford stopped making the Ford Focus ST and the Fiesta ST. Those were two, fairly normal, little cars that once the ST badge was applied, turned into positively quick road cars. But now the ST badge is back and Ford is putting it (and hotter engines) on both the Edge ST and the Explorer ST SUVs. Are they worthy of carrying on the ST name?

What does Ford ST stand for?

Ford ST bade on an Edge ST
The ST door sill on an Edge ST | Ford

ST stands for Sport Technologies. Basically, it’s Ford’s in-house tuning team, much like Dodge has SRT, BMW has M and Hyundai makes N-Line. Overall, when you see an ST badge on a Ford Fiesta or Focus, you know that its driver is being punished by a harsh-riding performance suspension, but that at most stoplight races, it will be surprisingly quick.

The 2023 Ford Edge ST is expensive but quick (for an SUV)

Let’s get the price out of the way for the 2023 Ford Edge ST, because it’s high at about $47,000. But, for that, you get the top-of-the-line ST, with a 335-horsepower version of the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. That’s good for a 0-60 run of about 6.0 seconds. The Edge ST doesn’t punish passengers like the old Focus would with a harsh suspension. Instead, it has a more road-focused version of the regular SUV.

The Edge ST, though, has pretty much the same interior of other Edge SUVs, which means you get Ford SYNC, carbon trim, nice seats and a roomy passenger area. It also has all-wheel drive standard.

The Explorer ST is a seven-seat hot rod

a blue Ford Explorer ST
Ford Explorer ST | Ford

First off, the 2023 Ford Explorer ST is already a bomber. It’s the fastest version of the Ford Explorer with a 400-horsepower version of the 3.0-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 that makes an impressive 415 lb.-ft of torque. Depending on whose figures you trust, it will hit 60 miles per hour in less than 5.5 seconds. And, just to keep all that power under control, Ford made the ST all-wheel drive.

It’s not cheap, starting at $49,260, but you can option it with performance brakes, an appearance package with the ST logo on the seats, and more. But, there’s not a faster Explorer around. It’s also one of the quickest seven-seaters on the market today.

What were the original Fiesta ST and Focus ST?

An orange Fiesta ST
The ST version of the Ford Fiesta | Ford

Ford is transitioning away from making cars, well, except the Mustang, and the Focus and Fiesta are recent casualties of the company’s new direction.

The Fiesta ST was Ford’s hot small hatch that was a cheap car that cost up to $23,000 new with a 197-horsepower turbocharged engine. It had a cheap interior, but it was a fun-to-drive stick-shift-only tiny hatch. The Focus ST was popular in the street racing scene. It was a bit less hardcore than the RS, but it came with a manual gearbox, stiff suspension, and a 252-horsepower 2.0-liter. Some, like Australia’s WhichCar are hoping the nameplate comes back as an all-electric hotrod.

Related

Ford Releases Performance Software That Boost Explorer ST by 30 Horsepower

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.