Ford sharpens its Focus

Very easy on the eye.

The new-look Focus sports the brand's new trapezoidal grille, a shapely bonnet, some fancy chrome add-ons and slimmer lights.

The living quarters have also been smartened up and simplified, along with the multi-function steering wheel...

The controls have been more logically positioned and are easier to find and operate.

Never mind the weather, as long as we're together...

During stormy weather and some well-worn patches of tar roads in the Eastern Cape the better cabin insulation was also noticeable.

The Focus also sits on the road with a tad more confidence thanks to tweaks to the suspension and steering but the most outstanding feature of the new Ford range is an under-the-hood swop with Ford deciding to ditch the previous 1.6 petrol and the 2-litre petrol and diesel engines for smaller 1.0 and 1.5 Ecoboost petrol turbo powerplants.

The better cabin insulation is quite noticeable.

I drove both new variants at the media launch and although the bigger engine version felt a bit punchier with 132kw and 240Nm on tap, my choice, without any doubt, would be the smaller 92kW/170Nm engine - particularly considering the fairly steep price differences between the two.

Not short of add-ons

The less powerful 1.0-litre engine (which also does duty in the Fiesta) is more than adequate to do justice the new-look Focus and there was no hint of a lack of power in the undulating country-side and strong winds we encountered on the launch drive.

There are bags of add-ons if you want them.

click to enlarge

The latest Focus is available at the less expensive Ambiente level or the better specced Trend level in both four-door and five-door variants. As is the trend these days there are fairly expensive optional extras to be had, including a Driver Assistance Pack (R11,900) and a Styling Pack (R14,810) but even at the basic Ambiente level, fancy kit includes Ford's multi-function MyKey, which enables owners to programme settings into the vehicle (which should appeal to fleet managers because maximum speeds can be set to reduce fuel consumption).

The sedan is also quite the looker.

Even the least expensive Focus is equipped with a four-way adjustable driver seat, two USB ports, Bluetooth, power front windows, six-speaker sound system, four airbags, trip computer and remote central locking. This list expands even further with the more expensive Trend versions.

Very appealing

The new Ford Focus is one of most all-round appealing new entrants on the local scene market and it will no doubt give a further boost to Ford's growing market share.

There are eight new Focus models to choose from, priced from R212,900 to R284,900 and all come with a price-inclusive four-year/120,000km warranty, a four-year/80,000km service plan and three year roadside assistance.

Specifications
The Ford Focus at a glance.

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