IS it really 16 years since the Focus saved Ford's bacon in Europe? Until 1998 buyers who wanted a C-segment Ford had to make do with the increasingly grim Escort, a sort-of lowest common dominator hatchback for the terminally unadventurous.
Eventually, enough middle-managers cottoned on to the fact that the Escort was, by the mid-1990s, absolutely awful to force Ford into doing something about it.
The result was a revelation.
Rather like Honda with the VFR750F, when Ford's back was to the wall it pulled a rabbit out of the hat: a car that instantly reset expectations in its class and set a standard that others would aspire to for more than a decade-and-a-half.
This 'new' Focus is really just a revamp of the third gen model (although Ford would like you to think of it as a Mk IV) - but that's no bad thing when you consider that the only thing holding that car back was its unadventurous styling.
However, the changes go beyond bolting on a new grille and changing the light units. There are exciting new engines, new safety tech, the latest gadgets and a new cockpit.
Is that enough to put the new Focus back in front?
ON THE ROAD:
The Focus has always been nice to drive - possessed of a hard-to-be combination of smooth ride and uncanny grip - but the last generation was rather let down by its mundane looks.
For the 2015 model year, Ford has taken the scalpel to the bodywork to craft a more sophisticated and advanced design that reflects the company's more ambitious styling language that will carry through to the new Mondeo.
It's amazing the difference a new bonnet, front fascia and grille. The bonnet is sculpted with a dynamic shape from the front pillar to the corners of the upper part of the inverted trapezoid grille to deliver a bolder look.
Slimmer, more chiselled front headlamps and more rectangular, elongated fog-lamps add to the front end while a sprinkling of subtle chrome detailing lends a feeling of elegance without going overboard on the bling.
At the back, the tail lamps are thinner and there's a new tailgate arrangement.
It must have been tempting to leave the chassis well alone. There was, after all, precious little wrong with it.
But Ford engineers have delivered a more solid, responsive and connected-to-the-road feel by increasing the structural stiffness at the front, revising the suspension geometry, increasing lateral stiffness of “steering-relevant” suspension bushes, retuning the shock absorbers and incorporating a new Electronic Stability Programme.
The Electric Power Assist Steering also has been retuned to make the driver feel even more connected to the road.
The result of these changes are that the '15 Focus has regained some of the handling alacrity that made the Mk I such a B-roads giant-killer without losing the 'big car' feel that made the Mk II and III models comfortable long-distance mile munchers.
ON THE INSIDE:
Ford's cabin treatment - based on an ancient Nokia mobile phone design, believe it or not - aged badly. All those buttons looked hopeless against newer cabins which placed the emphasis on simplicity and multi-function flat screens.
Unsurprisingly, the new interior layout does away with the confusing clutter in favour of a clear, more intuitive control scheme. The elongated air vents are still there but the wing-shaped buttons have gone; the audio unit, for instance, has been stripped down to just half-a-dozen big buttons and a central dial.
The new black satin trim and chrome detailing contribute to a cleaner, more modern look, and more logical and intuitive functions.
All Focus's should be quieter, too, thanks to thicker carpets, thicker side window glass and an engine bay that's liberally stuffed with sound deadening material.
Otherwise it's the same as the previous model: same room for four adults (five at a pinch) and the same boot capacity that's bang on the class average.
WHAT DO YOU GET:
Ford has always spec'd its best-sellers with laser-guided precision - adding goodies like electric front windows, power steering and air conditioning at the right time to keep its products just ahead of the curve.
Junking the clunky old interior has allowed Ford to spec the '15 Focus with the company's latest Sync 2 in-car connectivity system which features a high-resolution, 8-inch colour touch screen and advanced voice control for easier access to audio, navigation, climate control and compatible mobile phones.
And thank goodness the lousy old sat nav system has been swept away, replaced by a split-screen display with detailed intersections, spoken street names, 3D highway junction and landmark views, and info from the Michelin guide and Green Guide.
Sync 2 enables drivers to issue simpler “one-shot” navigation destinations, and to ask the system to “play” a desired artist.
When you're famished simply pushing the voice control button and saying “I’m hungry” will bring up a list of local restaurants, which you can then get directions to.
There are safety upgrades, too. Ford says the system can recognise more than 1,000 different commands.
Nervous drivers will appreciate the perpendicular parking mode, a new hands-free parking technology that helps drivers reverse into spaces alongside other cars. This didn't work on the previous generation Focus 'automatic parking' system - I know, in the interests of road test research I tried it and the Ford almost rear-ended a very expensive BMW before I took back last-minute manual control.
HOW PRACTICAL IS IT?
The new centre storage console offers more space as well as a new sliding, integrated armrest. It can accommodate a variety of bottles and cups with the capacity to simultaneously hold a 1-litre water bottle and a 0.4-litre cup. New Focus customers also will enjoy a quieter ride, achieved by thicker carpets, thicker side window glass, and improved engine bay insulation.
The Focus also sees Ford's controversial 'MyKey' technology imported to Europe for the first time.
MyKey enables owners to programme a key – usually for younger drivers – that restricts the top speed, reduces the maximum volume of the audio system, and can disable it altogether if driver and passengers are not using safety belts.
The system can prevent the driver from deactivating safety technologies such as Electronic Stability Control and Active City Stop, which can help mitigate or prevent low-speed collisions.
RUNNING COSTS:
Diesel or petrol, Ford makes some ambitious fuel consumption claims for the latest Focus.
The most improved diesel model will offer a 19 per cent reduction in fuel consumption (17 per cent for the best petrol).
New to the range is a 1.5-litre EcoBoost (150 PS and 180 PS) petrol engine and the new 1.5-litre TDCi (95 PS and 120 PS) diesel engine.
You can also still buy the cracking 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine in 100 PS and 125 PS guises but some internal fettling sees the debut of a 99g/km CO2 1.0-litre EcoBoost, the first non-hybrid petrol engine to reach such a figure.
Next year Ford promises an automatic version of the 1.5 diesel that will be 19 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessor.
For the moment, the older (but still game) 1.6 TDCi engine continues.
VERDICT:
Canny Brits love the Focus. In fact, we can't get enough of them, especially fleet managers who buy them by the hundreds. So far, we've bought 1.5 million of them, making the UK the biggest Focus market in all of Europe.
If a Focus is your company car you can stop fretting. The changes for 2015 only make a good car even better.
SPEC CHECK:
FORD FOCUS 1.0 EcoBoost Price: from £17,245.
Engine: 999cc, three cylinder.
Max power: 100 bhp @ 6,000 rpm.
Max torque: 150 lb/ft @ 1,500 rpm.
Top speed: 115 mph.
0-62 mph: 12.2 seconds.
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