SHARPER FOCUS GROUP (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY JONATHAN CROUCH

Introductionword count: 91

The Ford Focus evolved in its final form, an update of the MK4 model in 2022. This improved version of the fourth generation model offered slicker looks, a much improved 'SYNC 4' infotainment system and extra technology. There was also impressive efficiency beneath the bonnet thanks to 48V mild hybrid engine tech. The best part though, is that you should still find this car to be as rewarding to drive as it always was. The Focus might have grown up in this final form, but it certainly never lost its spark.

Modelsword count: 10

[petrol] 1.0, 1.5 & 2.3 EcoBoost / [diesel] 1.5 EcoBlue

Historyword count: 399

The final version of Ford's combustion Focus was a car for a very different world. All its predecessors had been almost automatic segment best sellers, but this facelifted fourth generation model competed in a very different market. By the time of its introduction for the 2022 model year, the emphasis was firmly on profitability rather than sheer sales numbers and this car's class had been splintered by customer defections to Crossovers and full EVs. Ford needed to significantly alter its Focus to better compete, which in late 2021, bought us the car we going to test here. By then, a lot had changed in this segment since this fourth generation model had first arrived in 2018. Vauxhall's Astra and Volkswagen's Golf had become more avant-garde, Hyundai's i30 and Kia's Ceed were better value, Skoda's Octavia was more spacious and even this Ford's previously unmatched driving dynamics had been all-but-equalled by the Mazda3. On top of that, quite a few rivals by 2022 offered much more efficient Plug-in Hybrid or full-Hybrid options in this class, technology that this fourth generation Focus still did without. What it did have was less effective 48V mild hybrid tech, which for this MK4 model update could be matched with the company's improved 7-speed dual clutch Powershift auto gearbox, plus a raft of new camera safety and driver assistance features were available. And the estate body shape got a more practical load area. The biggest change across the range though, could be found inside, where quality improved and most models got a class leadingly-large 14.2-inch central infotainment screen. Which with plush trim could be paired with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. So back in 2022 we wondered whether all that and a bit of a visual update would be enough to rejuvenate this model's fortunes in this segment. It had after all, been such a definitive car for Ford since the original arrived back in 1997, which was followed by a second generation version in 2005 and a MK3 model in 2011, seven years before the MK4 version first arrived in 2018, a car which sold right until mid-2026. But was at its best in this 2022-onwards-era facelifted form. In this guise, this was the highest quality Focus model ever - so should it still be high on your family hatchback shopping list if you're looking for a used family hatchback from the 2022-2024 period?

What You Getword count: 552

Back in 2018, we wondered whether Ford ought to have been a touch more adventurous with the look of this fourth generation Focus - and you could say the same about the Blue Oval brand's approach to this mid-term facelift. Subtle evolution though, never did this model's Volkswagen Golf arch-rival any harm and you could certainly argue that in this updated form, this car moved closer to its chief competitor in terms of visual sophistication, both in hatch and estate form. Key to this was front-end overtaking presence and sure enough, most of the aesthetic changes here were concentrated at the pointy end. The nose was higher, the bonnet sleeker and the grille was larger, made the home of the brand badge. Flanking this appendage were redesigned LED headlights that included integrated fog lamp functionality and a more distinctive night time signature. As before, the front-end look differed significantly with trim choice, with bespoke fog lamp design and different grille styling - chromed horizontal grille bars for the volume 'Titanium' models, vertical grille strakes for the 'Active' versions and a honeycombed finish for the 'ST-Line' variants. At the rear, the main change was the adoption of revised two-piece tail lamps which got smoked lenses and which, above entry-level trim, featured full-LED illumination and an internal design with a darker central section and an eye-catching loop light pattern. At the wheel, what was required to match the prevailing segment standard was a big step up in cabin quality. What we actually got was a big step up in cabin technology, which on most models brought a class leadingly-large 14.2-inch SYNC 4 centre touchscreen. Everything you need is here, complete with crystal clear graphics, over-the-air updates and easy functionality, plus Connected Navigation and natural language 'Ford Assistant' speech recognition, which works with the built-in 'FordPass Connect' media system. Upper-spec models pair this landscape monitor with the virtual dials of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which gives the front of the cabin a much-needed more sophisticated feel. Interior quality still isn't quite a match for the class best, but compensation comes in the form of important standard features - things like driver's seat lumbar adjustment and a 'Quickclear' heated windscreen for frosty mornings. Plus, as you'd expect from a Focus, and all the cabin basics have been well executed: so it's easy to find a comfortable driving position, the instruments are clear and there's plenty of interior storage. The space on offer on the rear can certainly bettered by quite a number of class rivals, but it is at least competitive - certainly to a rival Volkswagen Golf, helped by the decent foot space provided beneath the front seats. We also approve of the low centre transmission tunnel, though a centre-seated adult will still be as relatively uncomfortable on longer trips as he or she would normally be in such a position in a car of this class. The boot offers up to 358-litres of capacity in the hatch model - or up to 1,320-litres if you fold the rear bench. For the alternative estate, the respective figures are 593 and 1,620-litres. As part of this update, that estate model's luggage area included easier-to-clean carpet, better lighting, an area for wet items and a vertical floor divider that locked into place at a 90-degree angle.

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