Hefty technology package and better road handling are being advertised
The new Focus is Ford’s shot at supremacy in Europe’s compact car segment, but the Volkswagen Golf and Opel Astra won’t go down without a fight.
New from the ground up if we are to take Ford’s word for it, the new 2019 Focus will be built at the Blue Oval’s plant in Saarlouis, Germany on the new C2 platform that’s said to improve crash behavior, interior space and aerodynamics. Speaking of which, Ford says the dynamic coefficient is 0.25 for the four-door Focus and 0.273 for the five-door model while weight was cut down by 88 kilos compared to the current model.
Ford places a lot of emphasis on the new Focus’ technology credentials, with most of them coming in the shape of driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control with stop&go (active up to a top speed of 200 km/h or 125 mph), speed sign recognition and lane centering. Joining these systems are the likes of adaptive front lighting, active park assist (now in its second generation), a head-up display (a premiere for Ford in Europe) and evasive steering assist.
Under the car works an independent front and rear suspension setup fitted with continuously controlled damping technology, a setup that monitors suspension, body movement as well as steering and braking inputs every 2 milliseconds. It also spawns three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Eco.
On the engine front, Ford’s press blurb mentions the familiar 1-liter EcoBoost joined by the newer 1.5-liter EcoBoost which bring cylinder deactivation for the first time in the three-cylinder engine class.
Diesel choices include the 1.5-liter EcoBlue and the 2-liter EcoBlue powerplants. Furthermore, an eight-speed automatic gearbox completes the powertrain-drivetrain duo. It is operated via a rotary gear shift and Ford says it adapts shifting accordingly, depending on the driving style adopted by whoever is sitting behind the wheel. The standard pick is a six-speed manual gearbox.
The 1-liter EcoBoost can be had with 85, 100 or 125 PS, while the 1.5-liter is available with 150 and 182 PS. In the diesel camp, the 1.5-liter mill makes either 95 and 120 PS (both develop 300 Nm worth of twist) while the 2-liter choice churns out 150 PS and 370 Nm. The wheelbase is 53 mm longer and the new chassis accounts for 20% more torsional rigidity than in the ongoing Ford Focus.
Inside, Ford fitted the Focus with its SYNC 3 infotainment system wrapped around an 8-inch screen supporting pinch and swipe gestures, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and voice commands.
You can get the new Ford Focus in four different trims: the normal one, the Active, the Vignale and ST Line. The Active comes with a body kit that enhances the car's protection from small pebbles and on bad roads; the Vignale is top-notch, while the ST Line comes with a sporty body kit and a lowered suspension.
READ MORE: This is how you should use Ford's Drift Stick in the Focus RS