1) It’s all new and probably won’t come to India
Based on a new platform called the C2 to build a recognizable yet completely new car to be badged as the next Ford Focus. It’s roomier, stronger and in most avatars, it is lighter than the older generation.
2) Familiar but fresh
The new Focus ST is easily recognizable from the front end as a Ford while the side profile is quite distinct. There are three definitive bow-like lines – two high, one low which accentuate the stance. Around the back, the tail-lamp clusters are split and thus wider without coming in the way of the tailgate opening. It’s available in both hatchback and estate forms but no three-door option will be offered.
3) Options under the hood
The ST-line variant for the Ford Focus is available with both petrol and diesel variants with a choice between a manual or an 8-speed auto box. The petrol option to go for is the 1.5-litre EcoBoost that cranks out 182bhp and 240Nm of twist while the diesel variant uses a 2.0-litre TDCi unit that is tuned to an output of 150bhp and 370Nm of torque. Front-wheel drive only in the new Ford Focus for now but if you want 4WD you’ll have to go for the more expensive RS variant of the previous generation.
4) All-new dash is well specced
The dashboard layout of the new Ford Focus looks simpler and cleaner in design and is made using soft-touch plastic. The centrally-mounted 8-inch touchscreen runs the new Sync 3 system from Ford but one can choose to mirror their phone through CarPlay if they prefer. The top-end music system is a 675-watt setup from Bang & Olufsen Play with the option of having a wireless charging pad as well. There’s even a HUD on the options list which seems suitable for the Focus ST hot hatchback.
5) Fully loaded with assistance tech
New Ford Focus gets the whole driver’s assistance package in full trim which is called Co-Pilot360. That includes a front radar, one on each side, a front camera and an array of 12 ultrasonic sensors all around the car. All of these operate independently but the inputs are compared and relayed in the most intelligible form by the assistance computer.
For instance, the ‘evasive steering assist’. If the car calculates a crash is imminent, the systems will figure out what looks like the safest clear gap to steer into, and eases the steering wheel one way or the other to help you go there. One can, of course, turn it the other way if he/she feels they have a better idea.
6) Refreshed suspension
Like the Fiesta ST, Ford has worked on the suspension of the Focus ST as well with the high-power hatches getting a short-and-long arm setup which is better developed and offers a quieter ride than the torsion beam setup while also offering more precise steering response. The estates, however, get a different layout of the SLA system with the dampers almost horizontally. This does not make it as tunable as the hatch but offers more space in the boot, particularly between the wheel arches.
7) Aerodynamically heroic
The drag coefficient of the new Focus is as low as 0.273 for the five-door hatchback. It has active grille shutters that automatically close to reduce drag when the radiator doesn’t need more cooling air, the air curtains put up a wall of air around the front wheels to reduce turbulence and there are multiple tiny edges in the rear body and lights to divide and distribute the airflow cleanly. Most of the underbody is covered up, including the rear suspension setup. Smooth.
The Auto Loons 