Ford Focus reached its fourth generation in 2018, and, after 16 million units sold since its first generation, it proved to be an excellent contender in the compact segment.
Ford played the design card for the Focus, and it won in many ways. For starters, it offered the car in all the necessary shapes. It was available as a coupe on the North-American market, while the Europeans didn’t get that. They were too concerned about station-wagons, and that’s why the blue-oval brand offered them the wagon they were looking for.

From the front, apart from the grille, the Focus didn’t look like a Ford. Its headlights had an Asian-inspired look while the lower apron resembled the Renault Megane Sport. Its sculptured side panels and doors offered a muscular look, in a classic Ford style saw on the Focus’ predecessors. Its sloped roof and raked forward tailgate made the car looks sportier, even in the station-wagon shape.

There was room for five passengers inside the vehicle, even if the central tunnel was somehow protruding inside the cabin. The 2.7 meters (106.3”) long-wheelbase allowed good legroom in the back of the car. Despite the lower greenhouse, the car had enough head-room. The trunk could have been enlarged via a split-folding rear bench seatback from a decent 608 liters (21.5 cu-ft) to a respectable 1653 liters (58.4 cu-ft).

For the powertrain, the Focus was available with few base engines and their variants: a 1.0-, 1.5- and 2.0-liter gasoline units and a 1.5- and 2.0-liter diesel. A special ST version had a 2.3-liter gasoline engine. Standard transmissions were of 6-speed manual, while the 8-speed automatic was available as an option for specific engines.