The Ford Focus is one of the biggest success stories in modern motoring. It is sold in 140 markets and to meet demand for new car deals, Ford has to build a new Focus every 90 seconds.
Ford launched the model back in 1998. since then has already sold over 12 million units and the next chapter in the Focus' illustrious history begins at this year's Geneva Motor Show. From March 6th to 16th, the all-new Ford Focus will take pride of place at the company's stand and draw admiring looks from the crowd.
Sophisticated and sporty facelift
In order to keep the Focus looking fresh in the face of competition from the MkVII VW Golf, Peugeot 308 and Mazda 3, Ford has drawn upon its One 'global design language' which has previously been employed in the crafting of the new Mondeo and Fiesta.
This means car buyers will have new colours to choose from, while the front end of the Focus is updated with a lower squat stance, a new bonnet, a front fascia and the grille that has proved so popular in the new Fiesta – the only car to outsell the Focus in the UK last year.
Everything just feels a bit trimmer and more sleek.
The European debut of SYNC 2
At Geneva, the European public will be able to see Ford's SYNC 2 advanced in-car connectivity system for the first time. It features a high-resolution, eight-inch colour touchscreen with in-built voice control, which gives the driver easy and distraction-free access to audio, navigation and climate control technology. The SYNC 2 system will also be compatible with mobile phones.
What really makes the SYNC 2 stand out from the crowd of interior interfaces is the split-screen display navigation system that features detailed intersections, spoken street names, 3D highway junction and landmark views.
A driver will be able to interact with it in intuitive ways, so telling the car that you feel hungry will bring up a list of local restaurants and directions.
It's still fun to drive
Despite the fancy gadgetry and sleeker aesthetics, Ford was keen to keep the model's acclaimed fun-to-drive DNA. Engineers have built on this base by cranking up the handling and steering controls to deliver an even more solid, responsive drive.
If you're interested in knowing how, they were able to do this by making the front end stiffer, revising the suspension geometry, increasing lateral stiffness of the suspension bushes and tweaking delete the shock absorbers. There's also a return for the Electric Power Assist Steering to keep the car firmly planted in the corners.
Fancy new adaptive lighting
The beams of the new Bi-Xenon HID headlamps will automatically be optimised by the Focus' improved Adaptive Front Lighting System. This is a clever feature that assesses the ambient light surrounding a vehicle, as well as what's going on ahead of the car, and adjusts the headlight beam angle and intensity. It will pick one of seven different settings depending on the light inputs and the Focus' speed, steering angle and distance to an object in front.
When the car is travelling at high speeds, the Adaptive Front Lighting System will kick out a longer, straighter beam to increase visibility further ahead, while in towns the headlights will spread downwards to cover the road immediately ahead.
Boosting the EcoBoost
The amazing EcoBoost engine has been a big part of Ford's [uppercase] success recently. Not a company to rest on its laurels, the Focus twins the powerplant with new powertrain options, meaning the most improved diesel model will boast a 19 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, while petrol-powered models have recorded a 17 per cent improvement.