Ford's Focus has been a market segment leader for the blue oval brand since it was first introduced here, writes Brian Byrne. And though VW's Golf took over that coveted top spot in recent times—partly because the second generation Focus was on runout—results for the first half of this year have lifted the nameplate back up.
The introduction of the new generation version has played a more than significant role in this, despite coming along close to the end of the main buying period in the Irish market. I have recently been driving the new saloon variant, with diesel power and in Titanium specification. And I have come to realise why Ford Ireland believes the saloon will be even more popular that it was in the previous generation.
It looks good. Very good. Maybe one of the best looking Fords for many years. Strong sculpting which gives it character. A sleek shape that is especially attractive at the rear, where the rear quarter metal is set well back over the boot.
This is a compact family saloon that could in fact take customers from Ford's own Mondeo. It looks bigger than most of what is in its segment, and that clever rear cabin design means there is more headroom in the back than in many other-brand saloons which are nominally larger. And my personal view is that there isn't anything in the compact saloon segment to touch it in style.
It isn't perfect—there are bits of the front end design that are a little too in your face for me. I expect because this car is also important to Ford in the US as its first true global car.
The interior reflects the outside in terms of strong shapes. There are parts of the dashboard and centre stack design which will effect opposing opinion depending on personal taste. But Ford can be congratulated on not wimping out on any part of it.
The driver's place is good, great seats, clear main instruments, and decent visibility fore and aft. I would like a less knobby steering wheel, and maybe the gearshifter to be a little more forward. But overall, I was comfortable and well supported here.
Dealing with the climate and entertainment systems is fairly intuitive, though the V-styled buttons layout for the latter is geared to LHD cars, as it was when originally used in the Fiesta. We're used to managing the steering-wheel navigation for the secondary information, but there's a lot more for it to bring us around now.
The review car had some of Ford's new safety technologies on board, including cameras and radars that monitor speed limit signs and traffic overtaking in the blind spots. There is also the Ford version of a system that stops the car automatically if there's an imminent danger of rear-ending the car in front in city traffic.
Indeed, there's so much now available in this vein in the latest Focus that I'm going to leave it for an article in itself. It's extensive, complicated, and I have reservations about parts of it that deserve argument.
The powertrain in the review car was the 95hp version of the 1.6 TDCI diesel with a six-speed manual gearbox. Along with the stop/start system and other improvements, this allows the car to be A rated for CO2 tax reasons. It is refined and effective and while there is a more powerful version, this one proved to be quite adequate. There is now also once again a 1.6 petrol engine for the Focus, a turbocharged Band B unit that should satisfy those who simply don't want to go diesel.
On the road, the new Focus seems rather a softer drive than both its predecessors, something most of us attribute to the need to have US drivers like it. But I'm not hung up on any perceived loss of dynamic feel, it's a car that drives very well and for the vast bulk of the owners who will keep it at or near the top of its segment here, it will do the business fine.
The current Focus range starts at €20,825. The review car started at €24,575, and had €1,900 worth of extras, including the Driver Assist Pack which includes active city stop, blind spot information system, lane departure warning with lane keeping aid, driver alert, traffic sign recognition and auto high beam.
