Weeks before the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Ford has officially revealed the 2015 Ford Focus facelift online. The facelift gets updated with the new corporate grille and also sports significant changes seen on the exterior and interior of the car. Ford says the vision was to add more emotion to the design of the Focus. The design language is more toned down, athletic with a more refined surface language.
The 2015 Ford Focus facelift sports the new Aston Martin-like corporate grille also seen on other Ford’s like the Mondeo, Fusion, Mustang and the Fiesta that gels well with the existing design on the car. The bumpers too have been revised, while the headlights are sharper and integrate well with the bonnet creases. The 5-spoke alloy wheel design lends a sporty look. The rear remains largely the same but gets redesigned tail lights, which are now slimmer than the older model. The smoked headlights and tail lights will most likely be offered on the top-of-the line variant.
On the interior front, the changes to the Ford Focus are courtesy of consumer feedback. The centre console has been tweaked and features a new 8-inch touchscreen and uses fewer controls and switches. The new 3-spoke electric power assist steering wheel looks chunkier and replaces the old 4-spoke unit. Ford has updated the Focus facelift with the SYNC 2 in-car connectivity system. You also get a new and adjustable centre storage console and a black and satin trim with chrome detailing running across the dashboard and door trims. The fit and finish has also improved over the predecessor.
Ford also says to have worked upon the NVH levels of the car which is quieter than the older model thanks to the use of thicker carpets, side window glass and improved engine insulation. In terms of powertrain, a new 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine will be available in two states of tune – 148 HP and 170 HP. Diesel duties will be taken care by a new 1.5-litre TDCi engine, also available in two versions with 94 HP and 118 HP of power on tap. The updated 2.0-litre TDCi engine now offers 148 HP with the manual boasting 14 percent improvement and the automatic variant boasting a 13 percent improvement (in mileage) over the previous versions.
Ford says it will also offer the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, mated to a 6-speed manual, making the Focus the first non-hybrid family car to offer sub-100 gm/km CO2 emissions in Europe. The company has also improvised on the driving dynamics with a stiffer front-end and a revised suspension with retuned shock absorbers. In terms of safety, the 2015 Focus gets ABS and ESP. Ford has also introduced the new hands free parking technology called Perpendicular Parking as well as the Pre-Collision system and the Active City Stop collision avoidance system that now operates at speeds up to 50 km/hr instead of 30 km/hr.
The Ford Focus is the best-seller for the company and was among the highest selling cars in the world last year. With such a fan following owing to it being a splendid package, should Ford launch the Focus in India? Maybe in sedan guise, the Focus could steal sales away from established rivals like the Toyota Corolla and Skoda Octavia!
