Aimed at young drivers...

Aimed at young drivers who want to get to grips with the existing turbocharged variant"s class-leading handling, the car would appeal because it doesn"t come with the 212bhp ST"s insurance and running costs

Auto Express has learned that a car promising all the visual excitement of the range-topper, but with a cheaper-to-insure, naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine is likely to be available from summer.

With a potential 145bhp on offer, it is expected to be capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in less than 10 seconds and have a top speed of nearly 130mph.

A "warm" racer has always featured at the sporty end of Ford"s line-up, and this newcomer would see a return to that way of thinking, sitting just below the ST flagship. The car maker currently builds the Focus Sport S, which has more muscular styling than standard models. However, it"s available only with engines of up to 1.8 litres - the latest addition would offer more power and even racier looks.

Aimed at young drivers who want to get to grips with the existing turbocharged variant"s class-leading handling, the car would appeal because it doesn"t come with the 212bhp ST"s insurance and running costs. Despite efforts to make the "junior ST" appear as much like its bigger brother as possible, though, there will be a number of significant differences between the looks of the two models.

Most obvious is the fact that the new car will have uniquely styled alloy wheels, and it won"t feature the silver gills which sit on the front wings of the turbocharged verч­sion. Inside, it"s unlikely to have the dash-mounted instrument display which records turbo boost, oil and water temperч­atures. The latest variant does, however, get the ST"s excellent suspension set-up as standard, which is sure to increase appeal.

Prices have yet to be confirmed, but it is believed the car is going to cost around чЈ3,000 less than the entry-level ST, which is in showrooms at чЈ17,995.