So, what did Top Gear have to say about the brand new Ford Focus? In summary, they said that it is “the sweetest drive in the mainstream hatch class,” adding that “The driving appeal comes from a balance of sweet engines, fine steering, great cornering and well-tuned ride.
“But success in a hatch isn’t just about the drive. The Focus has the rest of the bases well covered too.”
Read more about what Top Gear had to say about the All New Ford Focus
“The Focus is a chuffing important car for Mr and Ms Car-Buyer here in Britain. The old car, in its final year, was our number three seller, beaten (just) by the Golf and (substantially) by its sibling Fiesta. It’s part of the proof that despite the seemingly unstoppable rise of crossovers, actual hatchbacks still rule. Of the UK’s top 10 in 2017, only one was a crossover, the Qashqai.
“The Focus also matters here at Planet Top Gear, because over the years it has been a consistently good drive, as well as throwing up some of our fave hot-hatches, under the ST and RS badges.
“Its profile is sleeker than before, thanks to a longer bonnet with more rear-set screen pillars, and also to a longer wheelbase. And we think the sheetmetal is rather pretty. The wind doesn’t notice it so much: aerodynamic drag Cd is a super-slithery 0.27.
“Inside, displays take the form of a tablet for most of the infotainment heavy-lifting, but conventional dials ahead of the driver, and none the worse for that. Also, a £400 flip-up head-up display shows speed, navigation arrows and info on the driver-assist systems, automated systems that are as comprehensive as any car in the class.
“You’re not only assisted, you’re also connected. This generation Focus has a built-in SIM so it knows about traffic and can do online destination searches. Plus you can perform various tricks remotely on your car via phone app – finding it, checking fuel, locking and so on. And it gives in-car wi-fi.
“Given that folk, especially urban folk, are getting wary of diesel, the 1.0-litre Ecoboost will sweep up most sales. It’s the heavily revised version from the Fiesta, and comes in 100 and 125bhp, with just 108g/km CO2 even in the strict new WLTP test.
“The bigger petrol engine, a 1.5-litre, is now also a triple, almost the same as the new Fiesta ST jobbie. It has 150 or 182bhp. For economy in light use, the three-cylinder engines can close down one of their cylinders.
“The 1.5 diesel is all-new and itself full of clever fuel-saving engineering, and should clear legal emissions standards to 2025, they claim. Power is up to 120bhp, and then there’s a revised 2.0-litre diesel making 150bhp.
“The auto versions are a conventional eight-speeder, not the old twin-clutch job. They operate via a Jag-style rotary controller to save console space.”
This brand new Ford Focus is now available to order from any TC Harrison dealership.
