Ford has given a new shape to the Focus, its best-selling car on the Irish market. The new car is claimed to be more spacious than before coupled with a more modern interior design, to reflect a significant upgrade in style and comfort.
The team at Ford have been cautious in terms of changes to exterior design of the new car. In reality, it’s marginally longer on the outside, with a longer wheelbase, that allowed them to add a little more interior space. And you’ll probably notice it.
The fact that the car’s wheelbase has been extended should also give more driving comfort. It has the longest wheelbase in this segment of the market which includes equally popular cars such as the Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Auris.
Ford claims that the additional length between the front and rear wheels allows better knee clearance for rear seat passengers. It also claims that there’s 6cm more shoulder room in the rear. There’s also extra boot space included in the new model, even with a space saver spare wheel.
The design changes give a more stretched or extended look to the car. Ford claims that the new rear door design, featuring windows that stretch further back, gives a more open sensation. While it does all of that, my personal view is that this door corner extension makes door opening a little more awkward as the corner protrudes too far.
The new design dash on the Ford Focus features clean flowing lines that add to the feeling of spaciousness in the car.
On the inside, the large central infotainment screen stands proudly high and is very easy to use and see for the driver. This gives a cleaner design to the dash area, adding to the spaciousness feel in the front of the car.
The car feels more spacious and it was easy to get into a comfortable driving position. There is good visibility all-round and the controls are well placed for easy driving. I was surprised that the car did not have a reversing camera, rather than sensors, which are in themselves effective. So many cars in this class with this specification level come with this feature and it is now almost expected in this segment of the market.
There are two engine options available for the new Focus, with some more to follow. I had the 1.5 litre turbo-diesel in Titanium specification on the road, rated at 120bhp, which is one step above the entry model.
This car was fitted with Ford’s impressive new 8-speed automatic gearbox that can be well recommended. The automatic gearbox control is by means of a rotary dial. It took a little time to get used to its location, while out on the road it meant easier driving.
This engine is essentially unchanged from the existing diesel and claims a very marginal improvement in fuel economy. The engine is slightly loud at low start up revs and then gets noticeably smoother as you move on.
Ford has done little with the engine on the new Ford; the 1.5 litre turbo-diesel unit is economical and a good match for the new 8-speed automatic gearbox.
The fuel economy rating for this Focus is 28km/litre (3.6/100km or 78mpg), which is impressive as it should convert to a driving range of over 1,300km on a full tank. That’s not going to happen, but to be fair I was well impressed by my test drive experience as I came close to 900km before a re-fill.
This car comes with lots of safety equipment and a top performing Euro NCAP safety rating. The driver technology features include a new Stop & Go system for driving in stop start traffic, a new speed sign recognition system and a lane departure warning system.
Ford has a new Active Park Assist 2 system available as an optional extra for the Focus to make parking even easier. It controls the forward and reverse gear selection, throttle and braking, as well as steering in automatic gearbox versions.
The new Ford Focus has redesigned rear doors that give a more flowing look to the car, while the door corner protrudes too much for my comfort.
There is lots of user technology in this new Focus. Ford is offering its new FordPass Connect on-board modem technology in the car which in effect turns it into a mobile WiFi hotspot with connectivity for up to 10 devices. When combined with a mobile app the system can be used to locate your car in shopping centre car parks, check fuel levels, remotely lock and unlock the car and even start it remotely.
This new Focus also offers a wireless charging pad for compatible smartphones. This allows you to remain connected via Bluetooth to Ford’s SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system while charging.
The test car came fitted with 205/60 R16 Continental tyres on 16 rims, while bigger wheels are available.
The Ford’s SYNC 3 system is very easy to set up and combines with either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to allow control of audio, navigation and climate functions. Entry prices for the diesel engine versions start at €26,800 or £20,270 in Northern Ireland, which is competitive relative to a similar Volkswagen Golf and slightly more expensive than the Toyota Auris.
This more spacious new Ford Focus package is impressive both in style and performance, with leading safety and driver assistance systems included.
Moving from a manual gearbox to this new 8-speed Ford automatic requires about a €2,000 price jump that’s probably more competitive than some other brands.
It’s a feature well worth including in your Focus wish list.
Ford Focus 1.5 TDCi Auto – specifications
Engine: 1.5 litre.
Engine power: 120hp.
0 – 100km/hr: 10.6 seconds.
Economy: 28km/litre (3.6/100km or 78mpg).
Fuel tank capacity : 47 litres.
CO2 emissions: 98g/km.
Road tax band: A2 €180.
Main service: 20,000km/12 months.
Euro NCAP rating: five-star (2018).
Towing rating: 1,400kg.
Warranty: two years.
Entry price: €26,800.
Northern Ireland entry price: £20,270.
Ford has given a new shape to the Focus, its best-selling car on the Irish market. The new car is claimed to be more spacious than before coupled with a more modern interior design, to reflect a significant upgrade in style and comfort.
The team at Ford have been cautious in terms of changes to exterior design of the new car. In reality, it’s marginally longer on the outside, with a longer wheelbase, that allowed them to add a little more interior space. And you’ll probably notice it.
The fact that the car’s wheelbase has been extended should also give more driving comfort. It has the longest wheelbase in this segment of the market which includes equally popular cars such as the Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Auris.
Ford claims that the additional length between the front and rear wheels allows better knee clearance for rear seat passengers. It also claims that there’s 6cm more shoulder room in the rear. There’s also extra boot space included in the new model, even with a space saver spare wheel.
The design changes give a more stretched or extended look to the car. Ford claims that the new rear door design, featuring windows that stretch further back, gives a more open sensation. While it does all of that, my personal view is that this door corner extension makes door opening a little more awkward as the corner protrudes too far.
The new design dash on the Ford Focus features clean flowing lines that add to the feeling of spaciousness in the car.
On the inside, the large central infotainment screen stands proudly high and is very easy to use and see for the driver. This gives a cleaner design to the dash area, adding to the spaciousness feel in the front of the car.
The car feels more spacious and it was easy to get into a comfortable driving position. There is good visibility all-round and the controls are well placed for easy driving. I was surprised that the car did not have a reversing camera, rather than sensors, which are in themselves effective. So many cars in this class with this specification level come with this feature and it is now almost expected in this segment of the market.
There are two engine options available for the new Focus, with some more to follow. I had the 1.5 litre turbo-diesel in Titanium specification on the road, rated at 120bhp, which is one step above the entry model.
This car was fitted with Ford’s impressive new 8-speed automatic gearbox that can be well recommended. The automatic gearbox control is by means of a rotary dial. It took a little time to get used to its location, while out on the road it meant easier driving.
This engine is essentially unchanged from the existing diesel and claims a very marginal improvement in fuel economy. The engine is slightly loud at low start up revs and then gets noticeably smoother as you move on.
Ford has done little with the engine on the new Ford; the 1.5 litre turbo-diesel unit is economical and a good match for the new 8-speed automatic gearbox.
The fuel economy rating for this Focus is 28km/litre (3.6/100km or 78mpg), which is impressive as it should convert to a driving range of over 1,300km on a full tank. That’s not going to happen, but to be fair I was well impressed by my test drive experience as I came close to 900km before a re-fill.
This car comes with lots of safety equipment and a top performing Euro NCAP safety rating. The driver technology features include a new Stop & Go system for driving in stop start traffic, a new speed sign recognition system and a lane departure warning system.
Ford has a new Active Park Assist 2 system available as an optional extra for the Focus to make parking even easier. It controls the forward and reverse gear selection, throttle and braking, as well as steering in automatic gearbox versions.
The new Ford Focus has redesigned rear doors that give a more flowing look to the car, while the door corner protrudes too much for my comfort.
There is lots of user technology in this new Focus. Ford is offering its new FordPass Connect on-board modem technology in the car which in effect turns it into a mobile WiFi hotspot with connectivity for up to 10 devices. When combined with a mobile app the system can be used to locate your car in shopping centre car parks, check fuel levels, remotely lock and unlock the car and even start it remotely.
This new Focus also offers a wireless charging pad for compatible smartphones. This allows you to remain connected via Bluetooth to Ford’s SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system while charging.
The test car came fitted with 205/60 R16 Continental tyres on 16 rims, while bigger wheels are available.
The Ford’s SYNC 3 system is very easy to set up and combines with either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to allow control of audio, navigation and climate functions. Entry prices for the diesel engine versions start at €26,800 or £20,270 in Northern Ireland, which is competitive relative to a similar Volkswagen Golf and slightly more expensive than the Toyota Auris.
This more spacious new Ford Focus package is impressive both in style and performance, with leading safety and driver assistance systems included.
Moving from a manual gearbox to this new 8-speed Ford automatic requires about a €2,000 price jump that’s probably more competitive than some other brands.
It’s a feature well worth including in your Focus wish list.
Ford Focus 1.5 TDCi Auto – specifications
Engine: 1.5 litre.
Engine power: 120hp.
0 – 100km/hr: 10.6 seconds.
Economy: 28km/litre (3.6/100km or 78mpg).
Fuel tank capacity : 47 litres.
CO2 emissions: 98g/km.
Road tax band: A2 €180.
Main service: 20,000km/12 months.
Euro NCAP rating: five-star (2018).
Towing rating: 1,400kg.
Warranty: two years.
Entry price: €26,800.
Northern Ireland entry price: £20,270.
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