The new Focus seamlessly integrates Ford’s latest convenience and driving technologies for a comfortable and connected driving experience.
Focus is the highest-volume Ford passenger vehicle to-date to benefit from the new SYNC 4 communication and entertainments system, 5 which uses a sophisticated machine learning algorithm to learn from drivers’ behaviour and deliver more accurate suggestions and search results over time.
SYNC 4 is supported by an all-new 13.2-inch central touchscreen, with an intuitive interface that means drivers never are more than a touch or two away from any application, information or control they need. The new touchscreen also incorporates controls for functions such as heating and ventilation that were previously activated using physical buttons, resulting in a cleaner and less cluttered centre console. The system also delivers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoTM compatibility, allowing seamless integration between smartphone functions and SYNC 4.
Advanced speech recognition allows occupants to use natural speech in 15 European languages, combining on-board data with Internet searches – enabled by FordPass Connect – for quick, accurate responses to commands for everything from entertainment, phone calls and text messages to climate control and weather information.
The SYNC 4 system also enables Ford Power-Up wireless software updates that will improve the new Focus over time, and can install much of the new software in the background or at pre-scheduled times, with many updates requiring little to no action by customers. These upgrades can help improve the ownership experience and may help reduce the need for repair trips, as well as enhancing features, quality, experiences, capability and convenience.
Using the FordPass app, 6 a range of connected services can be accessed using a smartphone, allowing the customer to stay connected with their car from anywhere with a data signal and utilise features such as Vehicle Status – for checking fuel levels, oil life and more – and Remote Start. 7 Ford’s SecuriAlert system 8 can provide extra peace of mind by using vehicle sensors to monitor for any attempt to enter the vehicle – even if a key is used – and send alerts to the user’s phone.
New Focus vehicles with SYNC 4 benefit from complimentary trial access to Connected Navigation 8 and Ford Secure 8 subscriptions, which enables features such as live traffic, weather and parking information 8 as well as Local Hazard Information 3 for an enhanced customer experience.
The Ford Secure subscription includes Stolen Vehicles Services, 8 which provides 24-hour on-call assistance in the event of the vehicle being stolen, including tracking and recovery. The Ford Secure subscription will receive Neighbourhood Alerts – notifications from other SecuriAlert-protected vehicles in your area, and Location Alerts – the ability to create user-chosen boundaries and push notifications should the vehicle leave these areas, as Power-Up wireless updates at a later date.
Connected Navigation 8 includes real-time and predictive traffic information delivered by TomTom, with Garmin® supplying in-vehicle and in-cloud routing to suggest the most efficient routes. Live weather information keeps the driver informed of conditions along their route and at their destination and can warn of severe weather events that may affect their journey, 8 while three-dimensional maps of major cities and parking information help navigate unfamiliar environments.
Advanced lighting technologies include standard full LED headlights incorporating Automatic High Beam Control, 3 and Manoeuvring Light that activates a wider beam pattern for better visibility when the vehicle detects a low-speed manoeuvre. 3 In addition, an available high-series Dynamic Pixel LED headlamp incorporates advanced features including:
• Glare-Free High Beam
3 which uses a front-mounted camera to detect oncoming traffic and create a “glare-free spot” within the beam pattern by blocking those rays that would otherwise shine in the eyes of other road-users
• Camera-based Dynamic Bending,
3 which uses a forward-facing camera to read the road ahead and illuminate the inside of curves in the road, increasing the field of vision
• Bad-Weather Light,
3 which changes the beam pattern for better visibility when windscreen wipers are activated
• Sign-based Light,
3 which uses a forward-facing camera to detect road signs and use them as a cue to adjust the beam pattern and better illuminate cyclists and pedestrians at junctions and roundabouts
The new Focus also adds to its comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance technologies, designed to boost driver confidence and make driving less demanding.
Blind Spot Assist 3 builds on the functionality of Blind Spot Information System by monitoring the driver’s blind spots for vehicles approaching from behind, and can apply counter-steering to warn the driver and discourage a lane change if a potential collision is detected, guiding the vehicle away from danger. The system scans adjacent lanes for vehicles up to 28 metres behind 20 times per second, and can operate at speeds from 40 mph up to 124 mph.
Also new to Focus is Blind Spot Information System with Trailer Coverage, 3 which allows the driver to enter the length and width of the trailer they wish to tow using the SYNC 4 touchscreen. The system will automatically compensate, warning the driver if another vehicle is in the blind spot of the trailer being towed.
New Intersection Assist 3 uses the Focus’s forward-facing camera in combination with radar to monitor the road ahead for potential collisions with oncoming vehicles in parallel lanes. The system can automatically apply the brakes when travelling at up to 18 mph to help prevent or mitigate accidents where a driver is turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle, such as at a crossroads or junction. The system functions without the need for road markings or furniture and also at night with headlights activated.
Also available are Local Hazard Information 3 that can inform drivers of a hazardous situation on the road ahead, even if the incident is not visible due to a bend in the road or other vehicles, and Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Speed Sign Recognition and Lane Centring, 3 which helps to ease the strain of driving in stop-start traffic. Pre-Collision Assist with Active Braking 3 helps drivers avoid or mitigate the effects of collisions with vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, while Active Park Assist 2 3 operates gear selection, acceleration and braking to enable fully automated parking manoeuvres simply by holding down a button.
New Focus models also feature Rear Occupant Alert, designed to help drivers avoid leaving children or pets in their vehicle by reminding them to check the back seats when the rear doors have been opened at the start of a journey.
“The new Focus is packed with new technologies and features that all deliver a tangible benefit to the driver or passengers in terms of comfort, convenience or safety,” said Glen Goold, Ford Focus vehicle line director. “Our customers expect to find the latest features when they step into a Ford and that they will blend seamlessly into their lives – this is what we have achieved with the new Focus.”