Ford introduced a facelifted version for the Focus range in 2001, to keep the sales figures up and to improve the car in a few areas.
Ford Focus was designed as a world car. The first generation was sold all over the world in a similar shape. The only differences were those related to different regulations on various continents. In 2001, the designers tried, and succeeded, to give the car a new line that kept it fresh.

The Focus was designed within the Edge-design trend, which combined long, arched lines into sharp angles. It was a love-it or hate-it car that changed the perspective for many buyers. A set of new headlights was installed, with lenses for the headlights that improved the night-driving visibility. The turn-signals were moved from bumpers inside the headlights. On the lower apron, a wider grille was installed to increase the cooling capacity. In the back, there was little to change on the D-pillar mounted taillights.

The interior kept the same unusual design that combined curved lines with sharp angles for the dashboard. Other than that, there was an improvement in the material’s quality, an area where some customers had some complaints. Unfortunately, the hood kept the same key-only opening mechanism, which required the driver to stop the engine, move the blue oval from the grille aside, insert the key, turn left and right and then pop the hood.