Garrett PowerMax Turbo Upgrade for Ford Focus ST 2.0L

A Garrett PowerMax turbo upgrade is the fastest way to move a 2013-2018 Ford Focus ST past the ceiling of its factory turbocharger. The stock 2.0L EcoBoost makes 252 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque through a BorgWarner K03 turbo, and that little K03 taps out around 290-300 wheel horsepower even with bolt-ons and E30. The Garrett PowerMax Stage 1 (part 886195-5001S) is engineered as an outline-interchangeable, direct-fit replacement that flows up to 16% more air and supports up to 350 BHP — all while dropping into the OEM turbo location. At NLP Performance in Tampa, FL, this is the turbo we point EcoBoost owners toward when they want real, repeatable power without cutting up the car.

Why the 2013-2018 Focus ST Needs a Turbo Upgrade

The 2013-2018 Ford Focus ST leaves the factory with 252 hp and 270 lb-ft, and Ford never changed those numbers across the entire generation. All of that boost comes from a single BorgWarner K03 turbocharger, paired exclusively with a six-speed manual. The K03 is a great daily-driver turbo, but it is a small frame: real-world dyno data puts its practical ceiling at roughly 250-290 wheel horsepower, and pushing much past 300 whp on the stock unit means running it hot, out of its efficiency range, and on borrowed time.

That is exactly the wall most enthusiasts hit after a tune, intake, downpipe, and intercooler. You add supporting mods, gain 40-50 whp, and then the K03 simply cannot flow any more air. A turbo upgrade is the next logical step — and the appeal of the Garrett PowerMax is that it removes that ceiling without forcing you into a fabricated top-mount kit, custom manifold, or a car that no longer idles like a factory ST.

What Is the Garrett PowerMax Stage 1 Turbo?

The Garrett PowerMax Stage 1 is a direct-fit performance turbocharger that replaces the factory K03 while keeping the OEM installation footprint. It ships fully assembled, balanced, and calibrated, and it is outline-interchangeable with the stock hardware — meaning the OEM oil feed, coolant lines, and turbo location all carry over. The gains come from a 52mm fully-machined compressor wheel with an advanced aerodynamic design that flows up to 16% more air than the stock K03, feeding the engine enough to support up to 350 BHP (260 kW) at the crank.

Durability is built in: the PowerMax uses an Inconel-alloy turbine wheel and a stainless-steel turbine housing rated for exhaust gas temperatures up to 950°C. For owners chasing the top of the power band, Garrett recommends adding a Turbosmart actuator to hold and control higher boost. In plain terms, this is an OEM+ turbo — it behaves like a stock ST turbo on a stock tune (about 20 more hp and 25-30 more lb-ft across the curve) and unlocks 300+ whp once you add a supporting tune and intercooler.

How Much Horsepower Does the PowerMax Add?

On a properly tuned 2013-2018 Focus ST, the Garrett PowerMax Stage 1 makes just over 300 wheel horsepower on 93 octane and climbs past 320 whp on an E30 ethanol blend — when paired with the matching Garrett intercooler. That is a meaningful jump over the roughly 250-260 whp a bolt-on K03 car makes, and it comes with more usable mid-range torque rather than a peaky top-end spike.

The number that matters for daily drivers is drivability. On a conservative or stock-style tune, the PowerMax behaves almost exactly like the factory turbo, adding about 20 hp and 25-30 lb-ft in the meat of the curve with no added lag. Garrett rates the compressor for up to 350 BHP at the crank, which leaves headroom for aggressive tunes, flex-fuel, and future supporting mods without immediately outgrowing the turbo again.

The Supporting Mods: Intercooler and Actuator

A turbo upgrade is only as good as the air it can keep cool. The single most important companion to the PowerMax on a Focus ST is a high-capacity intercooler. Garrett's direct-fit Focus ST intercooler uses a 26.3in x 4.3in x 7.8in bar-and-plate core rated to support 670 HP of airflow — far more than the turbo will ever ask for, which keeps intake air temperatures low and timing stable on hot Tampa afternoons. In Garrett's own testing, the PowerMax turbo and intercooler combination is what produced that 300+ whp result.

The second supporting piece is boost control. Because the PowerMax can flow more than the factory wastegate actuator was designed to manage, Garrett recommends a Turbosmart actuator upgrade for anyone running higher boost targets. It sharpens boost response and prevents the wastegate from creeping under load — a cheap insurance policy that lets the turbo deliver its full 350 BHP potential safely. Round out the build with a downpipe, a quality tune, and E30-capable fueling, and the Focus ST becomes a genuine 300+ whp street car.

Upgrading Other Ford EcoBoost Platforms

The PowerMax philosophy — a direct-fit, OEM-location upgrade — extends across Ford's EcoBoost lineup. If you drive one of Ford's larger boosted platforms, Garrett offers matching turbo and intercooler upgrades that install the same way.

Garrett 3.5L EcoBoost Stage 1 Twin-Turbo Kit

For 2013-2017 3.5L EcoBoost trucks and cars — F-150, Taurus SHO, Flex, Explorer Sport, and Lincoln MKS/MKT — the Garrett Stage 1 GT1749S twin-turbo kit (911984-5002S) replaces both factory turbos with direct-fit units that flow 22% more air. Each turbo supports roughly 300 hp for about 600 hp of combined potential, and the kit ships with precision-cast manifolds, intercooler piping, and all oil, coolant, and hardware needed to bolt it in.

EcoBoost Intercooler Upgrades for F-150 and Mustang

Even if you are not ready for a turbo, a Garrett intercooler is the highest-value first mod on any EcoBoost. The 2015+ F-150 2.7L EcoBoost / 3.5L Raptor unit uses a 21in x 5.32in x 9.43in core rated to 750 HP, and the 2015+ Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost intercooler is rated to 600 HP. Both are direct-fit, drop the factory unit's heat soak, and hold power on repeat pulls — critical for towing, track days, and Florida heat.

Garrett EcoBoost Upgrade Comparison

Here is how the Garrett PowerMax turbo and intercooler upgrades stack up across the Ford EcoBoost family. All prices are current NLP Performance pricing and every part is a direct-fit, OEM-location install.