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Combustion-only compact sedans and station wagons are now an endangered species. Ford has breathed new life into its Focus for the last four years.
The Ford Focus doesn't have it easy. In the German registration statistics, the competition has recently left the compact car behind. And in the brand's own ranking, it's only just enough for second place among the SUVs Kuga and cougar. For the second half of life, Ford has therefore once again given the fourth generation of its all-rounder, which is available as a sedan and station wagon, a strong polish. The freshly lifted model is now on sale at prices starting at 28.250 euros.
Good base
At the world premiere in 2018, the fourth Focus was still trying to at least put pressure on the VW Golf and Opel Astra at the top of the segment. Instead, he recently had to let foreign competitors like Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia pass. This is not due to the core qualities of the five-door: the agile chassis, extensive safety equipment and a fair price level are among the advantages of the series even after the revision. There are also some minor innovations. For example in the design: The plum logo migrates from the bonnet to the radiator grille, which takes away the character of an open shark's mouth and thus somewhat softens its previous aggressiveness. Also new are the headlights, which always come with LED technology and also offer matrix light on request.
The changes in the interior are more pronounced. Instead of the small central screen of the predecessor, there is now a real wide-screen example on the dashboard that stretches across the entire center console. The climate control is now also operated via the display, which is somewhat intuitive, but not nearly as distraction-free as with conventional buttons. More important, however, is the software behind the glass, which now also allows wireless updates.
The data from the navigation system is now also received via the mobile phone connection – instead of in the car itself, the calculation now takes place in the cloud. The bottom line is that the new generation of Ford's "Sync" infotainment system is significantly more modern and powerful than the software in the previous model. And the voice control is more understandable than last. The assistance systems are also more powerful; the blind spot warning system, for example, provides a steering impulse in the right direction when attempting a dangerous lane change.
Just another diesel
Ford, on the other hand, has downgraded the engines. The diesel range in particular has been radically reduced: the only remaining option is the 88 kW/120 hp 1,5-liter engine in combination with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The manual version and the other three diesels are eliminated - Ford refers to low demand. The petrol range also includes the well-known 1,0-liter three-cylinder, which is available with 74 kW/100 hp and 92 kW/125 hp without 48-volt support and as a mild hybrid with electric help and 92 kW/125 hp or 114 kW /155 hp.
The latter was available for a short test drive, offering sovereign driving performance and, above all, good acceleration in the low speed range with the typical, slightly growling engine sound. If you want more power, you have to make do with the 206 kW/280 hp ST sports model, as the 1,5-liter turbo petrol engines, which are in between in terms of performance, are no longer available.
Delivery bottlenecks also at Ford
Ford has also cut back the range of equipment variants: the attractively priced "Cool & Connect" model has been completely eliminated, so that the portfolio is now starting with the already extensively equipped "Titanium" model. However, at times only stock vehicles are available because production in Saarlouis is halted due to delivery bottlenecks. Depending on the model, customers must be flexible or expect a waiting period of six months.
The facelift four years after the market launch upgrades the Focus, especially in terms of infotainment. Elsewhere, however, one notices that the compact car will no longer have a great future in the new Ford world. There is just as little an electric version as there is a full hybrid or a plug-in hybrid - although the two drives are available for the technically closely related crossover Kuga. The Focus will have to compete with combustion engines for the last four years of its product life before it will probably be phased out in 2026 and replaced by an e-crossover based on Volkswagen's MEB architecture. Focus fans should therefore not take too much time with a purchase.
Technical data
Five-door, five-seat compact sedan with front-wheel drive, length: 4,38 meters, width: 1,82 meters, height: 1,45 meters, wheelbase: 2,70 meters, trunk volume: 375 to 1.354 liters.
Five-door, five-seater station wagon in the compact class, length: 4,67 meters, width: 1,82 meters, height: 1,45 meters, wheelbase: 2,70 meters, trunk volume: 575 to 1.653 liters
Engines (driving performance data for sedan):
1,0 liter three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, 74 kW/100 hp, maximum torque: 170 Nm at 1.400-3.500 rpm, 0-100 km/h: 12,1 s, Vmax: 186 km/h, average consumption: 4,3 l/100 km, CO2 emissions: 97 g/km, emission standard: Euro 6d, Price: from 28.250 euros.
1,0 liter three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, 92 kW/125 hp at 6.000 rpm, maximum torque: 170 Nm at 1.400-4.500 rpm, 0-100 km/h: 10,2 s, Vmax: 200 km /h, average consumption: 4,2 l/100 km, CO2 emissions: 96 g/km, emission standard: Euro 6d, Price: n / a
1,0 liter three-cylinder turbo petrol engine with mild hybrid support, 92 kW/125 hp at 6.000 rpm, maximum torque: 200 Nm at 1.400-4.500 rpm, 0-100 km/h: 10,3 s, Vmax: 198 km/h, average consumption: 4,2 l/100 km, CO2 emissions: 95 g/km, emission standard: Euro 6d, Price: n / a
1,0 liter three-cylinder turbo petrol engine with mild hybrid support, 114 kW/155 hp at 6.000 rpm, maximum torque: 235 Nm at 6.000 rpm, 0-100 km/h: 9,2 s, Vmax: 210 km/h, average consumption: 4,1 l/100 km, CO2 emissions: 93 g/km, emission standard: Euro 6d, Price: n / a
1,5 liter four-cylinder turbo diesel, 88 kW/120 hp at 3.600 rpm, maximum torque: 300 Nm at 1.750-2.250 rpm, 0-100 km/h: 10,0 s, Vmax: 196 km /h, average consumption: 3,6 l/100 km, CO2 emissions: 94 g/km, emission standard: Euro 6d, Price: n / a
In brief
Why: agile handling, good safety equipment, modern infotainment
Why not: no electric drives
What else: VW Golf, Opel Astra, Skoda Octavia
