Ford Focus (third generation)

The design was built on Ford's Kinetic Design. The lights at the front have a different shape. The trapezoidal grille has triangular features. At the rear, the hatchback tail lights are positioned lower, similar to the Ford Fiesta. The interior has been changed from the second generation in the NA and International versions. Ford wanted to make the Focus more upmarket so it offers two types of central consoles: the basic is associated with smaller engines and the premium is available to more powerful engines.

This generation of Focus incorporated a redesigned cabin, changed materials, and a new "infotainment" system. Following the industry trend towards contending, and in keeping with the sedan's downmarket "economy car" image vs. the "premium" hatchback, the earlier sedan's space-saving gas strut trunk hinges are replaced with cheaper, intrusive gooseneck hinges. The Focus also has Ford's patented capless fuel tank, which doesn't require a cap to prevent siphoning.

In designing the Ford Focus, a group of young designers used what's called the Third Age Suit in order to simulate the physical limitations of an elderly person. The suit, which restricts the wearer's movements, allowed for insights that were implemented into the car's design.[10]

The Focus is being promoted as a global car,[11] built in several different factories around the world, with changes to engine line-ups and trim levels to suit regional markets and regulations. Production locations include:

• Saarlouis,  Germany, production commenced December 2010 for the European market.[12]
• Wayne, Michigan,  United States, production started in February 2011 for North America and Chile.[13]
• Vsevolozhsk (St Petersburg),  Russia, production commences in July 2011, with the estate (wagon) model starting in January 2012.[14]
• Rayong,  Thailand, commenced May 2012 for the Asian and Australasia markets, and replaces the previous Philippines plant used for the last generation Focus.[15]
• Chongqing,  China started production of the Focus for the Chinese market in May 2012.[16]
• Taoyuan,  Taiwan started production of the Focus for the Taiwanese market in November 2012.
• General Pacheco,  Argentina started production of the Focus for most of the South American market in 2013.

Along with the Ford Fiesta, the Focus equipped with the Ford DPS6 PowerShift transmission has received much criticism due to transmission shuddering, including several lemon law claims.[17] The issue is due to the dry type clutches associated with gasoline models. Ford's current response is to replace the clutch pack assembly (with updated parts) when shuddering exceeds 250 rpm (upon customer complaint).

There have been at least 6 revisions of clutch packs and transmission control modules since inception. Newer clutch packs and transmissions are more resistant to wear and fluid contamination, as the source of many shudder issues involved an improperly installed seal which was leaking transmission fluid onto the dry clutches.[18] Ford also claims there are "Changes to the clutch material for better performance across temperature ranges (new for 2016)."[18] Some consumer complaints are due to the normal operating characteristics of the transmission, because the DPS6 does not contain a torque converter fluid coupling and does not behave similarly to traditional torque converter transmissions, instead sharing some characteristics found in traditional manual transmissions.[19]

Like in most other non-European markets, only the 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback are offered in the United States and Canada. The EPA rated fuel economy at 28 city/38 hwy MPG for the 6-speed automatic, and 26 city/ 36 hwy MPG for the 5-speed manual.[20] The SFE package, which can only be added to the sedan SE trim with PowerShift automatic dual-clutch transmission, improves highway fuel economy to 40 MPG.[21] The platform that the new Focus is based on is 25% stronger than the previous North American version.[22]

The UK range is available in hatchback and estate (wagon) in a large number of trim variants including. Most other European countries, including the Republic of Ireland, also include the four-door saloon, unlike Britain, as previous generation sales did not sell as well in comparison with the hatchback and estate.

Announced in 2010, the Australian Focus was set for arrival in August 2011. Going on sale would be a hatch and a sedan, in 4 trim levels and 3 powertrains. The Focus range starts with the base Ambiente, Trend, mid-range Sport, and top-of-the-line Titanium. Powering the Ford Focus are 2 petrol, a 1.6 petrol with 92 kW and 159 Nm, a 2.0 petrol with 118 kW and 198 Nm, and one diesel, a 2.0 turbo-diesel with 120 kW and 340 Nm. Ambiente coming with the 1.6, and the Trend, Sport and Titanium standard with the 2.0 petrol, with the 2.0 diesel available as an option. Power was sent through a 5-speed manual on all models except the Titanium, and a 6-speed dual-clutch PowerShift automatic transmission is standard on the Titanium and optional on all others (standard with diesel).

Hatchback (pre-facelift)

Sedan (pre-facelift)

Wagon (pre-facelift)

Interior (pre-facelift)

5-door hatchback model, availability varies between markets.

Safety

The Focus in its most basic Latin American configuration received 5 stars for adult occupants and 4 stars for toddlers from Latin NCAP in 2013.[38]

Euro NCAP test results
Ford Focus (2012)[39]

Test	Points	%
Overall:
Adult occupant:	33	92%
Child occupant:	40	82%
Pedestrian:	26	72%
Safety assist:	5	71%

Ford Focus front facelift

Facelift Ford Focus hatchback

Facelift Ford Focus sedan

Facelift Ford Focus wagon

Interior (facelift)

The Ford Focus mid-cycle facelift (Mk 3.5) was shown at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, and features a raft of changes made to both the exterior, interior and engine line up.

Revisions made to the body were thinner and sharper headlights, a new trapezoidal grille, giving the front more sporting intent than the previous model. The new front end is similar to that of the 2014 Mondeo as well as the facelifted 2012 Fiesta, while also inspired by the 2011 Ford Evos concept as well as various Aston Martin vehicles. (Ford owns an 8% interest in Aston Martin.) The 2015 facelifted Ford C-Max and Grand C-Max, the 2015 S-Max and Galaxy, have also incorporated the new family face. On Titanium and Titanium X the grille is chrome, and on other versions, it is black mesh. The ST features a Black honeycomb grille. The front fog-lights were also changed. At the rear on the hatchback, the rear lights were changed, so that they appear sharper, and less clumsy. The estate and saloon, (saloon is not available in Britain), also had subtle revisions to their rears too.

For the 2015 model year the Focus range was offered with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder "EcoBoost" powerplant available in 110 and 132 kW (148 and 177 hp) outputs in place of the current older 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre offerings. A revised 2.0-litre turbo-diesel TDCi engine, with an output of 110 kW (148 hp), will also be offered. Another new feature is the 2016 Ford Focus RS's "Drift Mode", which allows the driver to more easily and safely drift the car.[40]

Inside, the multitude of buttons on the dashboard was removed and replaced by an all-new eight-inch touchscreen. The quality of plastics improved, and the steering wheel was changed to a three-spoke. Trim levels in the UK consist of Studio, Style (instead of Edge due to the Ford Mondeo based SUV), Zetec, Zetec S (including special Red and Black editions) - later replaced in 2016 by Zetec Edition, ST-Line (and later ST-Line X), Titanium, Titanium X and ST. Trim levels in Europe are similar to the pre-facelift model including Ambiente, Trend, Trend +, Titanium, and ST. The new 1.5 TDCi Duratorq diesel (95 and 120 hp) and 1.5 EcoBoost (150 and 180 hp) has been added to the line-up. The 2.0 TDCi Duratorq diesel has been updated to produce 150 and 185 hp.

The new third-generation RS model went on sale in 2016, with pricing from around £31,000 and the new 2.3 EcoBoost from the Ford Mustang, but updated to produce 350 hp. It was revealed in the production variant at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and featured at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Mechanical improvements to the facelifted Ford Focus are chassis revisions to all versions, to make the car more planted on the road, and the steering is also sharper than the pre-facelift model, while also offering greater feedback for greater driving pleasure and fun, which has been the trademark of the Focus since it launched back in 1998.

Front of prototype Series3 Ford Focus ECOnetic, showing closed lower grill and aerodynamic hubcaps on thinner low-resistance Michelin tyres

The second generation Focus ECOnetic for 2011 includes new technologies as Auto-Start-Stop system, Smart Regenerative Charging, Eco mode, Active Grille Shutter, ultra-low rolling resistance tyres, Shift Indicator Light and revised final drive ratio targeting 95g/km average CO₂ emissions and 80mpg.[41] Third generation Focus ECOnetic will have improved Ford's Duratorq 1.6-litre 105 hp engine with standard coated Diesel particulate filter (cDPF).[41]

The charging port in the production version is located on the left front fender

In January 2011 Ford launched its pre-production version based on the Focus Mark III under the new name of Ford Focus Electric at the Consumer Electronics Show, rather than the traditional North American Auto Show.[42] with sales scheduled in the U.S. market by late 2011[43] and in Europe by 2013.[44] The concept electric car was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show as the Ford Focus BEV.[45][46] The Focus BEV was based on the European second generation Focus.

For the Focus Electric, Ford used a complete electric drive train developed and supplied by Magna Steyr,[47] and uses a 23 kWh, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, has a range of 100 mi (160 km) on a charge, and a top speed of 84 mph (135 km/h).

The Focus Electric was built at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan on the same line as the gasoline-powered version of the Focus, the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid and the C-Max Hybrid.[43][48] Initial production will be limited, with production to be ramped up in 2012.[49]

Sales of the Ford Focus Electric were slated for late 2011, and it was available initially only in 19 metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Houston and Austin, Texas, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York City, Orlando, Florida, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, Portland, Oregon, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Virginia, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.[43]

The Ford Focus Electric was awarded the 2011 Green Car Vision Award at the 2011 Washington Auto Show.[50]

For 2017 and 2018 the Ford Focus Electric came standard in North America and Europe with DC fast charging utilizing a CCS instead of a standard J plug.[51] As well as a larger 33.5KWh battery [52]

Ford ended European series production of the full-electric version of its Focus by April 2017.[53]North American Ford Focus production ended in May 2018 effectively ending full-electric production with it.[54]

As of 2021, Ford has confirmed plans for an all new Focus EV as it moves toward full electrification.[55]

Ford Focus ST hatchback

Ford Focus ST wagon

Beginning Summer 2012 (UK)/late 2012 in the US, Ford offered a new performance-oriented hot hatch Focus ST, as first revealed at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and then at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show when more details were announced, including the availability of an estate(wagon) version for European markets, and the possibility of a sports sedan version for North American markets.[56]

The ST features a new, more aggressive exterior design, including a redesigned front bumper with larger air intakes and grille, larger rear wing, wider side sills, center-exit exhaust, and alloy wheels. Inside, the car receives a trio of additional gauges mounted in the dashboard, faux-carbon fiber trim, and sport seats with body-colored inserts and stitching. The car will be offered three trim options: ST1, ST2, and ST3; the same three options that were available with the MkII ST.

The ST will use a 252 hp (188 kW) & 366 N⋅m (270 lb⋅ft) version of the 4-cylinder 2.0L EcoBoost engine, a gain of 25 hp above the previous Focus ST which used a larger 2.5L 5-cylinder engine.[57] It is resultantly estimated that the ST will reach 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in 6.1 seconds, while its top speed will be 248 kilometres per hour (154 mph). Compared to the previous ST, the new model has the same 0 to 100 km/h time and has a 2 mph higher top speed. Another significant improvement is weight; the new car is 30 kilograms (66 lb) lighter than its 5-cylinder powered predecessor.

[58]

The ST was featured in the 2012 film The Sweeney, a remake of the 1970s TV series of the same name. Ford gave six ST-badged Focuses to the production team.[59]

Facelift (2015–2018)

2018 Ford Focus ST-3 TDCi Automatic 2.0

For the 2015 model year, the ST continued to use the 252 hp (188 kW; 255 PS) 2.0L EcoBoost with a 6-speed manual gearbox in ST1, ST2 and ST3 trims for the European and US markets, and the single ST trim in the Australian market. Updates were made to the front and rear fascias to coincide with the changes implemented in the standard Focus, including the lights, grille, and rear diffuser. The availability of 5-door hatchback and estate (wagon) body styles remained unchanged. For the European markets, a 2.0L TDCi Duratorq Diesel engine was available for the ST with a 6-speed PowerShift automatic gearbox to rival the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTD and the SEAT León FR. The 2.0L Duratorq's rated output is 182 hp (136 kW; 185 PS), and 300 lb⋅ft (407 N⋅m) of torque in the ST. Pricing and badging is the same for petrol and diesel models.

Ford Focus RS

Ford Focus RS

Following the merger of Ford's North American Special Vehicle Team (SVT), the European TeamRS and the Australian FPV divisions[60] to the development of Ford's global performance vehicles, Ford's Advanced Product Creation and Performance Vehicles director Hermann Salenbauch said that the decision to sell Ford Focus RS/SVT to North America depended on feedback from the media and customers.[61] However, the product would only appear 2 years after the release of the third generation Focus models.[62] On August 4, 2011 Ford's global boss for small cars, Gunnar Herrmann, revealed to magazine Drive that the third iteration of the hot-hatch was in the works. The new RS was expected to arrive towards the end of 2015 in Europe and the rest of the world; in North America it will arrive after 2015.[63] On January 21, 2015, Ford released a teaser video previewing the 2015 Ford Focus RS and on February 3, hosted a web-streaming reveal event from Cologne, Germany.[64]

At the 2015 Geneva Motor Show the production-ready MKIII Ford Focus RS was unveiled packing the turbocharged 2.3 L; 138.0 cu in (2,261 cc) EcoBoost engine found in the Mustang with over 320 hp (240 kW). In the Focus RS, the engine itself produces 350 bhp (355 PS; 261 kW) at 6000 rpm and 350 lb⋅ft (475 N⋅m) at 3200 rpm of torque.[65] Power is sent to all four wheels via Ford's all-new Torque-Vectoring All-Wheel-Drive system with a rear-drive unit designed by GKN, as well as upgraded suspension and brakes. As well as that, the new Focus RS will be fitted with Drive Modes – including an industry-first Drift Mode that allows controlled oversteer drifts – and Launch Control. The RS will boast a model-specific aerodynamic package that helps to differentiate it from other Focus models.[66] The RS is capable of accelerating to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds.[67] 2018 marked the final model year for the Ford Focus RS. Ford Performance released Final Edition vehicles with a new Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential. However, there were no upgrades to the power and torque figures from previous model years. The 2018 Focus RS was only available in 2 colors, Race Red and Nitrous Blue. Gloss black roof, spoiler, and mirror caps were added to differentiate the Final Edition. Only 1,000 2018 Ford Focus RS were available for U.S drivers and 500 for Canada.[68] As a final tribute to the RS, the UK only Heritage Edition was revealed to celebrate the strong bond between the UK market and Ford's performance vehicles.[69] Finished in a unique Deep Orange color, and fitted from the factory with the Mountune FPM 375 package boosting power from 345 bhp (257 kW; 350 PS) to 375 bhp (280 kW; 380 PS) and fitted with the Quaife LSD, only 50 were made and cost £7k more than the standard UK Focus RS.[70]

The Ford Focus was promoted in The Amazing Race, a reality show featuring 11 teams racing around the world. The Focus was used in a few seasons as the mode of transportation for the racers. In the 18th installment, the 2012 Ford Focus was also used as a prize for the first team that completes a leg of the race.

The rallycross cars of Andreas Bakkerud and Ken Block

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates entered a Ford Focus in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Street Tuner class in 2014.

Hoonigan Racing Division fielded two Ford Focus RS rallycross cars in the 2016 and 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship with drivers Andreas Bakkerud and Ken Block.[71] On September 4, 2017, Ford Performance and Hoonigan Racing Division announced their withdrawal from the World Rallycross Championship after the 2017 season.[72]

A 2017 Focus RS appeared in Season 4, Episode 2 ("A Massive Hunt") of the Amazon Prime Video original show The Grand Tour. It was driven by Richard Hammond, who modified the car by removing the wheels and putting on caterpillar tracks. He also repainted the car from blue to black.[73]

On May 4, 2018, the final 2018 Ford Focus was assembled at Ford Motor Company's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. The Michigan Assembly Plant will continue to produce the all-new 2019 Ford Ranger for North America. A crossover named the Ford Focus Active was planned to be imported from China. It was planned to be sold in North America for the 2020 model year.[74] In August 2018, Ford canceled its plans to import the Chinese-built Focus Active to North America, citing tariff concerns.[75]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ford Focus Mk III.

• Ford Focus US – Official website
• Ford Focus Australia – Official website
• Ford Focus UK – Official website Archived March 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
• Ford Focus ST US – Official website
• Ford Focus ST Australia – Official website
• Ford Focus ST UK – Official website