MK4 Focus To Go Back To Basics

Exclusive images preview hatch as Ford bids to recapture driving fun. Due in 2018 with engines and tech from Fiesta; EV power to come.

- John McIlroy

FORD is gearing up to resharpen its Focus when the new version of the Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astrarivalling family car hits showrooms in 2018.

The current third generation of the Focus has faced ever-tougher competition during its lifetime – not just from the likes of its age-old rival, the Astra, which has shed weight to rediscover a handling sweetness it has lacked for years, but also from the boom of ‘lifestyle’ vehicles, like baby SUVs and larger crossovers.

The Mk3 Focus moved away from the ultra-crisp handling of its predecessors because it was, at least in part, a global model designed and engineered as part of the ‘One Ford’ program, catering to all needs. The new model – previewed in our exclusive images – will be sold globally, too, but Ford appears to be prioritising European tastes in its development.

In a key move that shows the importance being placed on the new generation, Darren Palmer has been put in charge of the project. The Briton is rated highly within Ford for his work on the recently revealed Mk7 Fiesta and the cheaper, Indian-built Ka+ that sits just below it in the range.