If only we hadn’t rejected brilliant hatchbacks like this, the world might be in a better place right now
Which brings me to the Ford Focus. Which is dying. Ford is, as it has already done in the US market, culling its European model ranges and getting rid of anything that you might call a “normal” car – which is to say not an SUV – and the Focus will be gone by 2025, and not directly replaced. The Fiesta is also on the chopping block as is the S-Max and Galaxy. The Mondeo and the C-Max are already long gone.
Even though it’s dying, Ford has given the Focus one last facelift to keep it fresh for its last days on the shelf. There’s a new grille, with that blue oval front and centre, and new, sleeker lights. It’s a handsome look, and one that brings a little more distinctiveness to a car that’s looked a touch bland since this version was launched in 2019.
Our test car was a high-spec ST-Line X model, costing €36,347 so there was a lot of extra equipment crammed into the Focus cabin. These items – the big screen, the quilted leather seats, the contrast red stitching – kind of clash with the Focus’s somewhat homely cabin, with its too-cheap plastics, but there’s no doubting the very impressive quality of how everything is actually bolted together. No doubting either the decent space in the back seats, or the useful 391-litres boot.
You’ll need to, though, as the torque – just 170Nm of it – is apparently missing in action. The 130hp three-cylinder 1.2 engine found in Opel or Peugeot’s rivals, or VW and Skoda’s 1.0 TSI, has much better all-round performance, as well as better fuel economy than the 6.5-litres per 100km we averaged in the Ford.You won’t care. Why? Because you’ll be too busy enjoying the drive. What a quaint idea – enjoying an unnecessary journey, but the Focus goads you into it.
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