New Ford Focus: a benchmark for other compact cars

Name: Ford Focus 2018
Brand: Focus

Yago González Mato 5 July 2018 11 min.

New Ford Focus: a benchmark for other compact cars

We tested the new Ford Focus in the south of France and came away with very positive impressions. The car is already available to order from 19,575 euros.

The new Ford Focus has undergone a comprehensive redesign that improves it in almost every respect. The fifth generation of this compact has been built from scratch on the American manufacturer’s new C2 platform, which allows it to offer greater interior space, an appealing improvement in interior trim and a chassis that is once again among the best (if not the best) in the segment. The new Ford Focus is better than its predecessor, and it is already available to order from 19,575 euros. These are our impressions after driving it:

Slightly larger, much more interior space

The new Ford Focus has undergone a notable design change, accompanied by slightly larger dimensions: the car has grown 18 mm in length and its wheelbase is 53 mm longer.

The changes are even more noticeable inside, where we find a dashboard that has been moved slightly towards the nose of the car, which frees up a very considerable amount of legroom in the front seats.

The rear seats also offer more space, specifically 60 mm more width and 78 mm more legroom. As we can see in the following image, the shape of the seats has been altered to improve rear-seat comfort.

In addition, the new Ford Focus offers the widest cargo area in its class. The boot capacity with the rear seats folded has grown to 1,653 litres, compared with 1,515 for the previous Focus.

Another area where the new Focus has improved most over its predecessor is its good cabin soundproofing.

Very dynamic chassis: among the best in the segment

This is nothing new: the Ford Focus has always stood out for its good dynamic capabilities, but the chassis of this latest generation has taken an exceptional leap forward. In this area, the new Ford Focus is without doubt one of the benchmarks of the segment, alongside the Seat Leon.

The steering of the car is very agile and communicative. It conveys exactly what is happening on the road and operates with exquisite precision when we drive sportily.

The car has five driving modes (four depending on the version): Normal, Comfort, Eco, Sport and Eco-comfort. Depending on the setting we choose, the car will adjust the following areas:

Engine response
Gearshift speed
Steering firmness
Traction control
Adaptive cruise control operation

Each driving mode adapts to what the driver wants at any given moment, but the chassis offers exceptional versatility on its own. If you want to drive calmly, the car provides an excellent ride smoothness without big jolts over speed bumps; we were especially surprised by this last point given the sporty focus of its chassis. The suspension absorbs road irregularities very well.

If, on the other hand, you want to unleash its wilder side, the new Focus offers outstanding composure when taking corners. Weight transfer in bends and under braking happens instantly and with uncommon fluidity. In this regard, it is worth highlighting the good work done by Ford to improve the car’s aerodynamics and suspension, which has gained 20 % more stiffness at low weight.

Engine renewal

The new Ford Focus’s range of petrol engines consists of 4 three-cylinder units with cylinder deactivation (yes, this is also possible on three-cylinder engines):

1.0 Ecoboost 100 CV: 4.7 litres / 100 km
1.0 Ecoboost 125 CV: 4.8 litres / 100 km
1.5 Ecoboost 150 CV: 5.3 litres / 100 km
1.5 Ecoboost 180 CV: 5.5 litres / 100 km

The refinement of these three-cylinder engines is exceptional. Ford has been improving these powerplants for quite some time, and in this Ford Focus the evolution in performance, efficiency and vibration is evident.

The engines offer a pleasant way to drive (with barely any vibration), and their efficiency has improved, but it is important to note that this type of engine (three cylinders) penalises sporty driving in terms of consumption, especially in the 1.5-litre versions. If you are looking for low consumption, the 1.0-litre Ecoboost is the most sensible choice: with it you will achieve consumption below six litres in real-world conditions without much difficulty; we especially recommend the 125 CV variant for its excellent balance of performance and consumption.

Meanwhile, the diesel range includes an improved 1.5 Ecoblue TDCi engine and the new 150 CV 2.0 Ecoblue TDCi:

1.5 Ecoblue TDCi 100 CV: 3.5 litres / 100 km
1.5 Ecoblue TDCi 120 CV: 3.6 litres / 100 km
2.0 Ecoblue TDCi 150 CV: 4.4 litres / 100 km

In addition, the car debuts a new 8-speed automatic gearbox that is more refined and efficient. This transmission offers paddle shifters on some versions and carries a surcharge of 1,600 euros over the 6-speed manual gearbox.

Infotainment and sound technology

The car has half as many buttons as before, and this has been made possible by the evolution of the car’s infotainment system, which offers four times more data than the previous version.

The navigation system is very intuitive and functional. We used it on several stretches and we loved its split screen, which clearly shows the route you need to take at any moment, something that can be confusing on other navigation systems.

The Head-Up Display of the new Ford Focus is the brightest in its segment, and does not lose brightness when wearing polarised sunglasses, something many cars today cannot boast.

For its part, the audio system from Bang & Olufsen with 360º surround sound delivers exceptional sound quality. It is not a system that stands out for excessive power, but for its great clarity at any volume.

Versions: Trend, Trend Edition, Trend+, ST-Line, Titanium, Active and Vignale

It comes in a wide range of versions and body styles. The versions, from least to most equipped, are: Trend, Trend Edition, Trend+, Titanium, ST-Line, Active and Vignale. The new Ford Focus is also available in two body styles: hatchback (five doors) and Sportbreak (estate). Unlike the other versions already on sale, the Active variant will reach the market early next year, and will be offered in five-door (hatchback) and estate bodies.

Below we break down the most notable equipment for each version:

Trend

Radio with Bluetooth
4.2-inch TFT display
Selectable driving modes
Rotary gear selector
Electric parking brake (if the automatic transmission is chosen)
LED daytime running lights
Black roof rails (on the Sportbreak body)
Lumbar support on driver’s seat
16-inch steel wheels
Cloth seats
Safety assistants: lane-keeping assist, intelligent speed limiter, pre-collision assist, post-collision braking.

Trend Edition

Radio with Bluetooth
Applink: compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
SYNC 3
Electric parking brake
6.5-inch touchscreen (with glossy bezel finish)
Cloth seats
16-inch alloy wheels
Front fog lights with “cornering” function
Chrome roof rails (on the Sportbreak variant)

Trend+

8-inch touchscreen with navigation
Cruise control with speed limiter
Front and rear parking sensors
Electrically foldable exterior mirrors
Mini spare wheel

ST-Line (the body is 10 mm lower than the other versions)

8-inch touchscreen with navigation
Radio with Bluetooth
SYNC 3
Applink: compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Leather sports steering wheel with ST-Line logo
Aluminium gear lever with black lettering
Electric parking brake
Alloy pedals
Sporty inserts
Cloth upholstery with red stitching
Sport suspension
17-inch sporty alloy wheels
Exclusive front and rear bumpers
Chrome twin exhaust tips

Titanium

8-inch touchscreen with navigation
Radio with Bluetooth
SYNC 3
Applink: compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
FordPass Connect: provides Wi-Fi connection (modem included in the car), vehicle location, real-time traffic information and automatic map updates for the navigation system.
Cruise control with speed limiter
Front and rear parking sensors
LED ambient interior lighting
Electric parking brake
Leather steering wheel and gear lever
16-inch alloy wheels, exclusive “Titanium” design
Front grille with chrome bars
Front fog lights with “cornering” function
LED rear lights
Electrically foldable exterior mirrors
Height adjustment on passenger seat
Lumbar support on passenger seat

Vignale

8-inch touchscreen with navigation
Radio with Bluetooth
SYNC 3
Applink: compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
FordPass Connect: provides Wi-Fi connection (modem included in the car), vehicle location, real-time traffic information and automatic map updates for the navigation system.
Head-Up Display
Leather-upholstered armrests on front doors
Leather armrest on the centre console
Electric parking brake
Steering wheel with exclusive Vignale leather trim
Vignale leather upholstery
Heated front seats
Front seat electrically adjustable in 4 positions
Lumbar support on driver’s seat
Height-adjustable passenger seat
Ambient interior lighting with multicolour LED light
17-inch alloy wheels exclusive to Vignale
LED headlights with LED daytime running lights
Aluminium headlight bezels
Electrically foldable exterior mirrors
Active Park Assist

Driver assistance systems

The new Ford Focus comes as standard (on all versions) with the following driver assistance systems:

Pre-collision assist
Pedestrian and cyclist detection
Autonomous emergency braking
Post-collision braking
Intelligent speed limiter

Optionally, the following systems are also available:

Adaptive cruise control with traffic sign recognition
Adaptive cruise control with Stop&Go and lane-keeping assist (only available with automatic transmission): very useful in traffic jams, as the car brakes by itself when it detects a vehicle ahead until it comes to a complete stop. It then resumes driving autonomously. The system also automatically adapts the car’s speed to the road’s speed limit, as it works together with the traffic sign recognition system.
Extended rear-view camera
Cross-traffic alert with Active Braking
Dynamic LED headlights: they adjust the width of the light beam to give the driver a longer or shorter field of view. At a roundabout, for example, the beam widens and shortens, while on the motorway it does the opposite.
Active Park Assist (only available with automatic transmissions): the car parks autonomously in both perpendicular and parallel spaces. It also features an innovative system that protects the bodywork when we get out of the car: a plastic piece is positioned against the bodywork by a spring each time we open the door.
Evasive steering assist

A very interesting option for obtaining many of these assistants at a good price is the Ford Co-Pilot 360 package. This option costs 400 euros, and with it you get Active Park Assist, adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go, cross-traffic alert, centred lane-keeping assist (the system makes steering corrections) and adaptive anti-glare LED headlights.

Prices

The new Ford Focus Trend starts at 19,575 € with the 1.0 Ecoboost 100 CV petrol engine. From there, the Trend Edition is available from 21,600 euros with the 1.0 Ecoboost 125 CV engine, while the Trend+ starts at 22,350 euros with the same engine.

The sportiest variant in the range, ST-Line, costs 23,600 euros with the 1.0 Ecoboost 125 CV engine. The Titanium version is available from 23,475 euros with the 120 CV Ecoblue diesel engine. Finally, the Vignale variant starts at 26,725 euros with the 125 CV Ecoboost engine.

For the same version and engine, choosing the Sportbreak body adds a surcharge of between 1,000 and 1,500 euros over the hatchback option.