Ford’s Focus ST diesel will be offered with the firm’s new six-speed automatic transmission from early next year.

The 182bhp hot hatch, which is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine and made its global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2014, has so far only been offered with a six-speed manual transmission. While the manual option will continue to be standard fit for the ST diesel, the option of an automatic gearbox will appeal to a growing audience of buyers.

Read our full review on the Ford Focus ST, as we put the hot hatch through its paces

Ford hasn’t specified what changes, if any, the automatic transmission makes to the diesel ST’s performance. In standard form the hatch is capable of reaching 62mph from rest in 8.1sec, has a top speed of 135mph, is capable of returning 67.3mpg combined and emits 110g/km of CO2.

The Powershift-equipped Focus ST diesel likely to command only a small premium over the standard car, which costs from £22,495. On the standard Focus, the Powershift transmission is a £1250 option.

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