What Is It?
Across 4 generations since 1998 the Ford Focus has bexeotoford.come the go-to family hatchback for millions, & it’s achieved that by, on a basic level, just being a very practical và economical all-rounder, và getting better and better with each new model. But for the last 2 decades it’s also provided the benchmark for driving dynamics in the class, and that remains its true appeal: you’ll vị the school run in it xeotoford.comfortably, but you’ll actually enjoy driving just for fun too.
The latest Focus was released in 2019 but Ford recently gave it a major midlife update to try khổng lồ keep it on đứng top in a class that includes loads of brilliant family cars: the Volkswagen Golf, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, cơ Ceed, SEAT Leon, và the brand new Vauxhall Astra, lớn name just a few.
What's Good About It?
Ford has definitely shifted the styling of the Focus into a more conservative direction over the years, possibly with one eye on the Volkswagen Golf; the first Focus still looks fresh today, so it’s easy to lớn forget how radical it seemed at the time. This latest one doesn’t resort to fussy or controversial detailing, but it's a very handsome and well-proportioned oto that hides its bulk well: it’s 20cm longer than the first Focus (that’s a lot in oto terms), although that does mean interior space is especially generous for the class.
Bạn đang xem: Ford focus retires
A lack of fussy detailing applies in the cabin too, especially since the car was updated for 2022. Alongside a few minor exterior adjustments - the Ford badge has moved from the bonnet lớn the grille, for instance - the Focus now xeotoford.comes with Ford’s latest ‘SYNC 4’ infotainment software, found in the Mustang EV và displayed on a 13-inch central touchscreen. It makes for a much neater interior and, as ever, the Focus feels built to a high standard throughout.
But mainly, it’s the way the Focus drives that defines it và makes it special. It remains the benchmark for family hatchbacks when it xeotoford.comes to blending xeotoford.comfortable refinement with properly enjoyable driving dynamics.
What Could Be Better?
Not much, to lớn tell the truth, although the Focus’s cabin doesn’t feel lượt thích a very inspirational piece of thiết kế these days, neither in the context of the first Focus - whose slashy, angular dashboard was genuinely groundbreaking in the late ‘90s - nor phối against the stylish interiors of the Peugeot 308, Citroen C4 or SEAT Leon. Và while Ford argues that the SYNC 4 infotainment setup makes every major control “never more than a cảm ứng or two” away, the removal of proper air con controls from the dashboard is definitely a small step backwards for intuitiveness.
There’s no plug-in hybrid or full electric version of the Focus either, despite most versions being badged ‘Hybrid’ now - it actually denotes that they’re ‘mild hybrids’, which use a small electric motor to lớn assist the engine & save a bit of fuel. So, those wanting the most tax-efficient family hatchback as a xeotoford.company oto will be better served by a plug-in hybrid version of the Peugeot 308, Skoda Octavia or Volkswagen Golf.
What’s It like To Drive?
It really only takes a few minutes with a Focus to recognise that it has a chassis at the pinnacle of the front-wheel drive hatchback thing. It really sparkles, giving you proper fun & feel through the wheels on one hand, but on the other a ride quality and sense of quiet refinement that makes it feel lovely và calm.
Quite unusually, basic & mid-level Focus models get less sophisticated rear suspension than the top cấp độ versions - less sophisticated than the rear suspension of the very first Focus, even. That seems retrograde, and it is something that Ford got a bit of stick for when the car came out in 2018. The truth, though, is that it only really makes any difference at the very edge of the car’s dynamic capability – as in, during the sort of driving that you won’t (and shouldn’t) be doing on the way to lớn work or wherever. High-performance ‘ST’ cars & estate versions get a more sophisticated rear setup, but actually, a Focus equipped with a basic 1.0 engine, basic suspension, a manual gearbox and small wheels still feels lượt thích more fun than 95% of other hatchbacks.
At the risk of overstating it, this is a oto whose bits xeotoford.come together with a real x-factor. Ford’s chassis engineers have achieved that ‘built around the driver’ vibe: lovely pedal feel, lovely gearbox, and a light-as-a-feather feel at the front. Especially the 1.0-litre petrol versions. The steering itself is weighty and has the immediacy of a proper sports car. Even the way the car moves over the road. It’s taut. It’s telling you stuff about the road. But it’s still filtering out most of the rough edges.
The 1.0-litre Eco
Boost engine is a brilliant thing, too - whether the 125hp version or the 155hp one. EIther way you get a lovely slug of torque in the midrange so it feels much quicker than it actually is. It’s tuneful, và yet it’s generally very quiet when it’s settled in a higher gear at town or motorway speed. The 120hp diesel is noisier, of course, but it too feels quick & smooth, và over longer distances you’ll get a solid 60mpg from it.
In general, the Focus really does all feel like a car from a higher class or from a “premium” manufacturer. Và although the Eco
Boost engine can feel occasionally lumpy when it’s cold, & the low rolling resistance tyres that Ford fits as standard can sometimes feel a little slippery at the front in the rain, this is largely a brilliant driving experience.
How Practical Is It?
The general growth of the car means there’s noticeably more legroom than in any Focus before, especially for rear passengers. It’s a full five-seater that will acxeotoford.commodate five adults xeotoford.comfortably.
The glovebox is basic và large, & there’s a small storage tray to the right of the steering wheel that’s surprisingly deep and useful. The phone storage tray is scooped out so that you’ll fit your i
Phone Plus or other massive smartphone in there. Even the cupholders are adjustable so that you can securely fit cups of different sizes. It also xeotoford.comes with built-in bump protectors in the doors that pop out when you xuất hiện them. They make closing the door sound like pushing over a wheelie bin, but better that than dinging your door edge on a wall, right?
The only relative disappointment is the boot in the standard hatchback, which lacks the practicality flourishes of the cabin. It’s big enough – the 375-litre capacity is about average for the class, và it’s 60 litres bigger than the outgoing Focus’s boot – but the rear seats don’t fold down flat and there’s a large lip at the tailgate which can make loading larger items awkward. Total capacity is 1354 litres.
Having said that, if you want a more practical package there is a Ford Focus estate version. Its features include a retractable, removable tailgate that you can store under the adjustable boot floor, a standard ski hatch, and a properly flat loading bay. & at 608-1650 litres, it’s a much larger usable space. The 2022 update also added a ‘wet zone’ for the estate, where the floor can be lifted khổng lồ separate out a xeotoford.compartment with a rubber base, for keeping dirty wellies and such lượt thích away from your shopping bags or your coat.
If space isn't a priority for you but you're xeotoford.commited khổng lồ leasing a Ford we've xeotoford.compared the Focus with the Fiesta in a seperate article.
How Much Will It Cost Me?
Prices start at around £23,000 for a base model, called Trend, with leasing rates xeotoford.coming in below £300, which feels great value for a oto of this space, chất lượng and ability. Ford has pared back the engine range lately, offering a 1.0-litre turbo ‘Ecoboost’ petrol with either 125hp or 155hp, a 1.5-litre 120hp Ecoblue diesel, and a 2.3-litre turbo petrol with 280hp, specifically for the ST high performance models. Again, don’t be fooled into thinking Focuses badged ‘Hybrid’ are the same sort of hybrid as, say, a Toyota Prius. You won’t get any electric-only driving in any Focus, but what you bởi get with anything this side of the 2.3-litre mã sản phẩm is a very economical experience.
The lower powered 1.0-litre engine officially returns a 52.3mpg average fuel consumption rating, whether it’s a mild hybrid or not (puzzlingly, given the function of the mild hybrid setup), while the higher powered 155hp mild hybrid-only version is actually a couple of mpg more efficient. The diesel returns a 61.4mpg average according to lớn the WLTP testing protocol, making it the one khổng lồ get if you’re most interested in outright efficiency. Thankfully, you should find that any Focus gets very close to its claimed average efficiency in real life - not always the case.
Anything Else I Should Know?
Base mã sản phẩm Trend cars are the only ones that don’t get the new-for-2022 big touchscreen, xeotoford.coming instead with a smaller screen running older SYNC 3 software. Still, they vị get alloys, air con, LED headlamps, parking sensors all round & cruise control, so they feel well specced. Beyond that, the trim hierarchy moves up through Titanium, ST Line và the proper high performance ST models, & there’s a version called ‘Active’ too, which has raised suspension and protective plastic body cladding, making it a bit more conducive to gravelly roads.
Most versions are available with the so-called Vignale pack on top. If that word means anything khổng lồ you it’s probably because it was a standalone trim until recently, denoting the fanciest version of any particular Ford model. Today it’s basically a high-end options pack that includes stuff like a Bang & Olufsen stereo upgrade, heated leather seats, a heated steering wheel và wireless phone charging.
Euro NCAP crash tested the Focus in 2018 and gave it a full 5-star safety rating.
What Alternatives Should I Look At?
Volkswagen Golf Leasing
Still the standard bearer for family hatchbacks, especially in the cabin quality and refinement stakes. It’s not as much fun as the Focus to lớn drive, though.
Peugeot 308 Leasing
The 308 has a much more interesting cabin than the Focus & is arguably a little more xeotoford.comfortable, but it doesn’t feel as spacious nor, again, involving to lớn drive.
Vauxhall Astra Leasing
The brilliant Astra is a newer model than the Focus và that shows in its high-tech cabin; Vauxhall’s family hatchback has never been this close lớn the greatness of the Focus.
The Vanarama Verdict = =9/10
"Very few family hatchbacks - if any - will give you as much fun per pound that even a basic Ford Focus will. & it does that while being spacious and cost-effective. Highly rexeotoford.commended."
3 Things to lớn Remember About The XXXX:
It’s the most rewarding family hatchback lớn drive in pure ‘fun khổng lồ steer’ terms.
It’s got one of the most spacious cabins in the class.
The new touchscreen is big, impressive & mostly intuitive… but you still might prefer plain old buttons.
Xem thêm: 10 Màu Xe Ford Ranger Màu Xanh Lục, Ford Ranger Xls 2024 Màu Xanh
For more articles, you can check out our oto features & guides section. Or if you're looking for a brand new vehicle, we've got a huge range of cars to lease at unbeatable prices.
The Ford Focus 2022 prices range from $27,390 for the basic trim cấp độ Hatchback Focus Active to $54,670 for the top of the range Hatchback Focus ST X.
The Ford Focus 2022 xeotoford.comes in Hatchback.
The Ford Focus 2022 is available in Unleaded Petrol and Premium Unleaded Petrol. Engine sizes và transmissions vary from the Hatchback 1.5L 8 SP Automatic to the Hatchback 2.3L 7SP Automatic.
tải về A Brochure Find A Dealer Find Out More
Hatchback
| Active | Specs: 1.5L, Unleaded Petrol, 8 tốc độ AUTOMATIC | Price: $27,390 - $33,000 |
| ST-Line | Specs: 1.5L, Unleaded Petrol, 8 tốc độ AUTOMATIC | Price: $27,390 - $33,000 |
| ST | Specs: 2.3L, Premium Unleaded Petrol, 6 speed MANUAL | Price: $40,700 - $47,850 |
| ST | Specs: 2.3L, Premium Unleaded Petrol, 7 tốc độ AUTOMATIC | Price: $40,700 - $47,850 |
| ST-3 | Specs: 2.3L, Premium Unleaded Petrol, 7 speed AUTOMATIC | Price: $44,000 - $51,150 |
| ST X | Specs: 2.3L, Premium Unleaded Petrol, 7 tốc độ AUTOMATIC | Price: $46,970 - $54,670 |
This all depends on whether the 2005 Focus is a Mark 1 or Mark 2 version of the Focus. So that"s the first thing to lớn ascertain. If they"re both Mark 2 cars, then there"s a very good chance that the boot release will be the same in either (and, therefore, interchangeable) as we"re talking about the same car.
But even if the 2005 Focus is a Mark 1 model, it would still be worth physically checking to lớn see if the release latches are the same. That"s because even though the Mark 1 và Mark 2 Focuses were different cars, many manufacturers (Ford included) carried over some mechanical parts (such as latches & cables) from previous models khổng lồ save on development costs. A good example of Ford doing this was the succession of 1980s Falcons including the XD, XE & XF models which all used the same exterior door handles. So xeotoford.compare the latch you have with the latch on offer and make sure it operates in the same way & direction, uses the same mounting points & will connect to the same cable. If so, you might just be lucky.
Just for starters, the ZX4 is a four-door sedan, while the ZX3 toàn thân is the three-door hatchback. At the very least, that will mean differences in the wiring loom as regards door-courtesy and boot/tailgate lights. Cars will have different wiring looms depending on their transmission, too, so even if the engine is the same in both cars, the loom might not be.
Then there"s the more basic question of whether they"re actually the same model of Ford Focus. Ford australia switched khổng lồ the all-new second-gen Focus in April 2005, and if your 2005 Focus is that newer version, the wiring will not be xeotoford.compatible with the 2001 model. But even if they"re from the same generation of Focus, swapping a wiring loom from one oto to another involves many, many hours of work.
They might both be Ford Focuses, but they"re a couple of generations apart meaning that they are not only physically different, they also used different transmissions khổng lồ each other. Even if, by some miracle, the older gearbox would bolt lớn the newer engine, the oto still wouldn"t have the correct electronics to lớn make the transmission work properly.
Even if the transmission in question was a manual which requires much less in the way of electronic control, the unit in the 2008 Focus was a five-speed, while the later car used a xeotoford.completely different six-speed. Even things like the clutch & flywheel would be inxeotoford.compatible. You"d probably even find the gear-shifter for each transmission enters the cabin in a physically different spot, meaning the interior trim would no longer fit.
Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only & should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Cars
Guide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.
