Overview

The Ford Focus has been the go-to family hatchback, striking a keen balance between practicality, performance and price. The market has moved on in the past two decades, though – now, there’s a broad range of rivals that can offer a similar driving experience, comparable levels of technology and equally attractive pricing.

Key competitors include the spacious Skoda Octavia, the frugal Toyota Corolla and the Mazda 3, which is arguably better to drive than the Focus. There’s also the Hyundai i30 and the Kia Ceed from Korea, with the latter of these two featuring one of the best new car warranties available today.

So, the Focus’s mid-life update smartened things up. Ford pulled the car’s styling into step with the rest of its line-up, fitting an updated front bumper, LED headlights and a reshaped radiator grille with the company badge in its centre. It also confirmed that it won’t be replaced when it goes off sale around 2025.

Inside, higher-spec versions of the updated Focus get an enormous new 13.2-inch infotainment system as part of the update, which runs on the same SYNC 4 software as the unit fitted to the pure-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV. Ford has also updated the car’s line-up, launching a rugged new Active trim level in the hope of dragging drivers away from the SUVs of competing brands.

The engine range hasn’t changed much – there’s still no plug-in hybrid option available, which is something the likes of Skoda and Volkswagen can offer. However, Ford’s range of mild-hybrid 1.0-litre petrol engines still pack a lot of punch for their size and are economical enough to compete in the space.

Over the next few pages, we’ll be thoroughly reviewing all aspects of the facelifted Ford Focus and rating them in our verdict. Along the way, we’ll consider the car’s driving experience, the quality and comfort of its interior, the level of practicality available and how much it’ll cost you to keep it on the road.