The Ford Focus is three generations old now and comes with a new chassis, a variety of high-tech gizmos usually used in luxury limousines, but the headline-grabber is the shiny new turbocharged Eco Boost petrol engine. The quality has greatly improved and the unit is excellent. It is really refined and spacious enough. There are two variants available at the moment, five-door hatchback and station wagon.
Appearance has never been a strong point for the Focus. The triangular air intakes at the front don’t look good, as does the large gap between the badge and the hood. Although the overall shape is neat, the details are a disappointment. The styling at the rear of the car offers a ray of hope where some bright new colors and a wide mix of alloy wheels help the design. The Focus MkIII is certainly not Ford’s best design. VW Golf has more character and SEAT Leon is bolder. The interior has been given cool blue lighting, a flawless black center console, very high quality materials, smart dials and switchgear have been used.
The Ford Focus gets smoother over the years but is still the leader in its class. It is way ahead of its rivals like VW Golf and Vauxhall Astra. Due to its active steering and chassis, it’s much more fun to drive than the Golf and leaves Vauxhall to bite the dust. There are four engines available in the Focus range; a 1.6 liter petrol with bhp ranging from 104bhp to 180bhp, two 1.6 and 2.0 liter diesels giving 95bhp to 161bhp. The pick of the bunch is the turbocharged 1.0-liter EcoBoost, which is fun and economical. The 1.6-liter EcoBoost is a great engine but it’s heavy on the pocketbook. The 113bhp 1.6 TDCI Zetec is cheaper and will get 67mpg.
Ford has become very reliable over the years, so expect very few visits to the garage. Ford Focus has a full five star Euro NCAP rating, which makes it very safe. Thanks to the front, side and curtains as well as the lane departure warning system. ABS and anti-slip control come standard. The five-door hatchback is roomy and has more room in the rear. Boot space isn’t quite as class-leading at just 316 litres, which is less than the model it replaces. All models have alloy wheels and air conditioning, and you have options to add the latest gadgets such as automatic parking, automatic cruise control, traffic sign recognition and lane departure warning.