How does it look?
The Focus’ exterior refresh gets it off to a good start. The car has quite a bold and attractive front end with a slightly stunning nose and grille, although the styling of the grille and bumper changes depending on the model version.
The car’s interior design has been neat and effectively streamlined, but not upscaled much. All but entry-level trim levels now get a 13.1-inch “SYNC 4” landscape-oriented touchscreen infotainment system that, for the first time, integrates controls heating and ventilation of the car. Partly thanks to the screen’s generous size, however, it’s easy enough to navigate and use, and it makes space just below on the shroud (where the old HVAC controls used to be) for a push button. more prominent engine start and a few other more conveniently placed minor controls.
Elsewhere, the ‘ST-Line Vignale’ sports seats are a bit hard and short in base, but the car’s ergonomics are otherwise good, and the new digital instruments are bright and legible.
On the move, this is where the truly distinctive qualities of the Focus continue to be found, even in scaled-down mild-hybrid form. The car’s petrol-electric powertrain responds surprisingly strong for just 999cc, and with great performance accessibility. It feels torquey, briskly free and full of character, which is a tribute to the way Ford has incorporated electric assist, especially in tandem with a manual gearbox. It’s hard to average much better than 45 mpg, but equally hard not to be impressed with its mix of qualities either way.
These qualities are ideally paired with a chassis that likes to carry a bit of speed, and still handles with real tenacity, incisive poise and exceptional poise through corners. There’s some bite in the Focus’ low-speed ride (at least in the sport-suspended ST-Line version), but very little irritating jerkiness or harshness, and just a slight bottom-out rumble on surfaces. coarser.
It’s a small price to pay for such maneuverability, however. The quick steering makes it a car you can flick around corners and just loft to the tops as instinctively as a lightweight two-seater sports car. Excellent lateral body control and grip in those corners give you instant confidence, while the high-speed damping is good enough to put many fat-packed hot sedans to shame allowing you to go as fast as you like. want it from point to point; even if point a) is the supermarket and point b) is the office car park.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-30 23:01:24
