Well, here’s a first. When I was walking around our house to get in the new ST Line Focus which had been delivered for a week’s loan, I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of the car’s rear end.
“Bloody hell,” I thought (or words to that effect). “That is a properly good-looking piece of work.”
Such perceptions have never arisen between me and a Ford Focus in the past. Having known and admired every Focus since they first appeared 20 years ago – and having believed some were the best family hatchback on the market (ie better than a Golf) – I can truly say that there was never a single moment when my breath was taken away by their looks. Handling, yes. Balance of powers, every time. Finish, you bet. But looks? Leave it out.
The new car, however, is fabulously wrought, with delicate refinements adding up to an overall conception which has distinctive, individual appeal. Lowered ride height and wider flanks give the car a more muscular, aggressive look, complemented by wraparound lamps, front and rear. Some beautifully subtle creases and lines in the metal arrest the eye and please the senses, such as the long line that meanders from grille to tail-lamp along the edge of the bonnet. There may be people who would buy this car solely for its looks. Nobody ever said that about a Focus before.
The established virtues of the Focus have not been displaced by mere cosmetic vanities, however. All the performance for which the Focus has rightly been famed for decades was abundantly present in the 1.5-litre diesel version with eight-speed automatic gearbox I borrowed. On my regular test-route through the Ochils in Scotland where I live – a winding, twisty circuit with high-speed straights, no traffic and no speed cameras or patrol cars – I must honestly report that no front-wheel drive car in my experience has been more fun to hoon than this Focus. Even though I was giving it some serious welly, the car took every test that arose with undisturbed aplomb, like a champion show-jumper cantering around the ring and leaping an impossible sequence of fences. Apart from the obvious difference in top speed on the straights, I genuinely doubt I could have got round my circuit much faster in a Ferrari. You’d never guess this from the Focus’s distinctly unfrightening figures – 0-62 mph in 10.2 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph – but it carries and safely retains such speed into and through corners that there’s hardly a car in creation that could keep up.
Meanwhile, average fuel consumption genuinely does approach the published figure of 62.8 mpg. You might easily see 70 mpg on a motorway trip.
Our Ford Focus ST-Line test car was priced at just under £27000 but it came with about £5000-worth of kit including glass sunroof, heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging pad and all that.
I cannot get used to the idea that a family Ford can cost that kind of money. But, then, I never expected one to stop me in my tracks for its looks, either.
It’s a whole new world out there, brothers and sisters.
Car reviewed: Ford Focus ST-Line X 5 door On the road £26,800 with options as tested £32,095 0-62mph 10.2secs Top speed 120mph Fuel Economy WLTP Highest 62.8mpg/Lowest 55.4mpg CO2 emissions 93g/km Max Power 120PS Torque 300Nm Transmission 8-speed automatic
Neil Lyndon
Motoring Correspondent
Neil Lyndon has been a journalist, broadcaster and writer on the UK’s national stage for 40 years, writing for every “quality” newspaper on Fleet Street. He started writing about cars and motorbikes for The Sunday Times in the 1980s and was Motoring Correspondent of the Sunday Telegraph for 20 years, having previously written a column on motorbikes for Esquire. He is also recognised as a leading commentator on gender politics, having published No More Sex War in 1992 – the first ever critique of feminism from a radical, egalitarian point of view.
Watch what the others say on Youtube…
” Drive | Quotes “
“Drive slow and enjoy the scenery, drive fast and join the scenery.” – Douglas Horton
Tweet
What do you call your car? Gen Z Sets the trend
New data from Honda UK shows that nearly half of Generation Z drivers in the UK have a pet name for their car, with Baby being the most popular New data from Honda UK shows that nearly half of Generation Z drivers in the UK have a pet name for their car, with Baby being…
Continue Reading What do you call your car? Gen Z Sets the trend
Auto e Moto d’Epoca 2024
Outstanding is just one word to describe Auto e Moto d’Epoca Car Show: The Auto e Moto d’Epoca 24th 27th October 2024 Showcasing classic cars and bikes in real style, Auto e Moto d’Epoca is one amazing experience in Bologna, Italy. Seeing truly is believing. Across Europe, there’s a number of top classic cars shows. There…
Kia Picanto ‘3’ – First Car, Second Car, City Car
The Kia Picanto, a favourite best-selling small car, has a new design to further its appeal Car Reviewed: Kia Picanto ‘3’ 1.0-litre 5-speed manual One of the most popular cars in Kia’s extensive range, the Picanto, is now in its third generation and is better than ever. It has always been popular and, for many…
Continue Reading Kia Picanto ‘3’ – First Car, Second Car, City Car
Škoda partners with Readly for newspapers and magazines on the road
Readly, an app that lets users read digital newspapers and magazines is teaming up with Škoda to provide owners with free access to the brand’s vast content library. The Readly app offers Škoda users two months of free reading as part of a pioneering relationship in the car market. This offer is valid for new…
Continue Reading Škoda partners with Readly for newspapers and magazines on the road
Kia Sportage, the UK’s Best-selling in a tough market
October saw another month of contraction in the new car market, a concerning trend following August’s end to two years of continuous growth. This decline is particularly worrying, as it highlights the volatility of the market right now, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association. UK new car buyers now have…
Continue Reading Kia Sportage, the UK’s Best-selling in a tough market
Lexus RZ 450e, a strong contender
The Lexus RZ 450e has raised the game in the fierce fight for buyers eyeing up zero-emission electric cars Car Reviewed: Lexus RZ 450e Premium Plus bi-tone Enter the Lexus RZ 450e series of nine models from £55,595 to £66,695 in Urban, Premium, Premium Plus and Takumi with a choice of 18 or 20-inch wheels…