Ford Focus (2015) to be priced from £13,995

By Tim Pollard

Motor Industry

02 September 2014 06:00

Ford has frozen the starter price on its Focus mainstay for the new 2015 model year facelift. The news means that the Focus 1.6 Studio five-door hatch will cost from £13,995.

And the Blue Oval pledges it’s not just an entry-level pricing gimmick; well equipped Titanium and Titanium X models have actually dropped on the new facelifted Focus, costing £100 less.

You’ll spot the refreshed Focus by its Aston Martin-inspired front grille, but most of the changes occur under the skin.

There are still six Focus model lines to choose from, with starting prices as follows when UK sales start in November 2014:

Ford Focus Studio prices From £13,995
Ford Focus Style prices From £16,795
Ford Focus Zetec prices From £18,295
Ford Focus Zetec S prices From £20,045
Ford Focus Titanium prices From £19,795
Ford Focus Titanium X prices From £21,795

Big-selling engines are expected to include the new 1.5-litre turbodiesel tuned for 118bhp and costing from £17,995; it’s 10% more economical than before and CO2 tumbles to 98g/km (down from 109g/km - it’s now clean enough to dodge annual road tax in the UK).

There’s a new 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol, too, with a stout 180bhp and 199lb ft. These more powerful models will be better able to exploit the minor suspension changes, including new bushes and dampers.

The new Focus range now offers perpendicular parking, which parks the car at right angles to the kerb, as opposed to the parallel systems we’ve seen proliferate over the past few years.

The latest Sync2 smartphone integration brings an eight-inch touchscreen and voice control for many audio, sat-nav and climate control functions, while the MyKey system lets owners programme certain parameters to limit children’s speed limits and stereo volume.

A spin-off benefit of the new touchscreen? There are as many as 40 fewer buttons on the new 2015 Focus’s dashboard. Now that’s what we call decluttering…

By Tim Pollard