Ford has unveiled an updated version of its compact Focus. The styling is evolutionary, and at first glance you might not realize much has changed.
(Skip to details on the: Focus ST) ExteriorThe Focus gets restyled to fall in line with the rest of the Ford family, and the new Focus resembles a big Fiesta in its front-end styling. It wears the smaller car’s lower headlights and trapezoidal grille, which make up the face of Ford on everything from the Mustang to the Taurus. The Focus retains the side character of the current model and sports new taillights with a bulb pattern meant to give the rear a more horizontal design. InteriorHere’s where the big news is: The buttons are back. Badly stung by negative press and plunging initial quality scores, Ford has been slowly reversing its design direction. It went from traditional interior controls to flat touch-sensitive panels and voice controls, but the new Focus finally comes full circle. The interior, even in Focuses equipped with MyFord Touch, is completely conventional with buttons on the dashboard for climate control, audio, ancillary systems and more. A big touch-screen remains in the center console for navigation, entertainment and the Sync system.
As for the rest of the interior, not much has changed, dimensionally. New seat trim, an improved Ford AppLink program with more developer-created applications for Ford Sync, a heated steering wheel and a redesigned, easier-to-access glove box round out the updates. Under the HoodWhile Ford has not released any horsepower figures for the Focus’ powertrains, the company has announced that two engines will be offered. Standard is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline direct-injection engine, but coming to the U.S. for the first time in the Focus is the company’s turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. It will be the lineup’s fuel-economy champ, and while Ford has not yet produced any numbers to go with the car, company officials point to the current 40 mpg highway target and hint that it will be better than that. The 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will only be offered with a six-speed manual transmission. SafetyNew for 2015 is a lane-keeping system; it uses onboard radar and the car’s electric power steering to help prevent the vehicle from wandering over a lane marker, first through rumbling warnings in the steering wheel, then through active torque application to the wheel. Radar-based blind spot warning will be offered as well, and a rearview camera will be standard equipment.
Focus ST The Focus ST is Ford’s performance-oriented version of the Focus hatchback. For 2015, Ford has refreshed the car’s front and rear styling and updated the interior. Power comes from a 252-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 270 pounds-feet of torque. A six-speed manual is the only transmission offered. What’s Special
18-inch alloy wheels with summer tires
Honeycomb front grille
Reworked suspension with updated shocks and springs
