Strongly revised Focus coming in November

The strongly revised Ford Focus will arrive in Ireland at the end of November, priced from €20,295, writes Brian Byrne from Granada, Spain. It will once again be available in hatchback, saloon and wagon.

Here in the rolling hills high above Malaga, I can't help but feel they've added a lot of value to an already well-endowed car.

Not least in the style area. Small changes have made big differences. From the grille (now there's a real one that tidies up the front beautifully) to an interior where the quality level has been ratcheted up even further, taking the car further again from its key competitor in the compact family car business.

The engines will be familiar and trusted, a pair of 1.6 diesels with 95/115hp and a 2.0 diesel with 150hp — which latter I drove today on the beautifully twisting mountain roads here. There will also be the 1.0 EcoBoost 3-cylinder petrol, available in 100/125hp variants.

With four levels of specification, Entry, Style Zetec and Titanium, the basic one comes with with Hill-Launch Assist as standard, electric front windows and mirrors, tyre pressure monitoring and remote locking.

Style adds, amongst other items, the new generation Ford SYNC communications/Navigation system, with improved Voice Control and simpler commands. The Zetec adds a sportier suspension and sporty seats as well as a quick-clear windscreen. Key elements of the Titanium grade include special alloys, dual zone climate, and cruise control.

A number of available technologies include upgraded parking assist that includes helping you get out of the parallel parking place it got you into, as well as an alert system that warns of traffic coming up as you reverse out of a nose-in parking space.

More later. Tomorrow I drive the EcoBoost.