Ford Focus review

Before this facelifted Focus, we consistently praised Ford for retaining its good ol' switches and shunning the trend for button-free interiors. The cabin may have lacked the refinement of some more premium competitors, but proper knobs meant it was all sensibly laid out and easy to use. 

Well… oh dear. All but the base spec Trend trim now come with the SYNC 4 infotainment system that shoves everything into a giant 13.2-inch touchscreen that is of course Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. It’s a great screen; the graphics are good and it’s responsive to your inputs (are you listening, VW?), but it means the climate controls are now housed on a strip along the bottom. They’re still easy to get to, but you’ll need to take your eye off the road for longer than you would if they were proper buttons. Shame.

Vignale trim levels get a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that’s much more successful though, with clear information and different displays for your different drive modes. 

In the fourth-gen Focus the dash itself is further forward than previous generations, but not so far that you can't reach the touchscreen, which is mounted high up. The significant pieces of its architecture are moulded from soft-touch plastic. The door bins are carpet-lined too, to quench rattles, while having an electric handbrake gives over useful console space to cupholders.

The front seats are a little flat in the cushion which is a pity – though ST-Line brings slightly improved ones – but it’s otherwise fine. The longer wheelbase does, however, mean it’s impressively roomy in the back, while a flatter rear floor means that anyone sat in the middle seat doesn’t suffer from a lack of foot space. Boot space is a useful 375-litres with the seats up too, just five less than the VW Golf.

Any drawbacks? Well, despite the more minimalist new look – there is still a lot of plastic in here – and it loses out in luxuriousness against some of its competitors. But it’s a pleasant enough place to be, and proves that sometimes less really is more.