Ford Focus redesign revealed ahead of New York auto show

Ford is set to reveal a redesigned 2015 Focus sedan at the New York Auto Show next week, on the heels of the debut of the Focus hatchback in Geneva last month. The automaker will present the whole range of Focus cars, which are due to go on sale later in the year.

The Focus sedan will feature a heavily reworked exterior design, adopting the hexagonal corporate grille of the larger models, a redesigned front fascia, and new headlights. The new fascia lends the Focus a slightly more upmarket look, which will again remind some of the front fascia of onetime FoMoCo Premier Automotive Group brand Aston Martin, and which has also been seen on the Fusion/Mondeo. This resemblance certainly won't hurt, though the rest of the exterior design is a bit on the softer side. Ford has also reworked the rear fascia, introducing resculpted tail lights.

The SE Sport package will offer new body treatments, paddle shifters, 17-inch black gloss aluminum wheels wearing P215/50 HR-17 tires, and a revised touring suspension. On the inside, Ford has added new seat trims and switches, satin chrome detailing, and an optional heated steering wheel. A rearview camera will be standard on cars optioned with MyFord Touch, which will feature either a 4.2-inch or an 8-inch screen. Ford's MyKey parental control system will also be standard. A few extra gizmos like blind-sport monitoring and lane-keeping assist will be optional.

Ford
The front and rear fascias have been given a serious facelift.

Under the hood, Ford has added to the lineup the 1.0-liter EcoBoost that's available in the Fiesta, a unit expected to produce around 123-hp and 148 lb-ft of torque when it debuts in the Focus. The small direct-injected and turbocharged powerplant will be coupled with a six-speed manual transmission only. Unfortunately EPA fuel economy figures aren't out for this combo, which should make for an interesting counterpoint to some hybrids. A 2.0-liter engine producing 160-hp will also be available for those who are in a bit more of a hurry, and the sedan will of course receive the 141-hp electric powertrain from the current Focus Electric.

Those in the market for even more power will have to wait a bit for the Focus ST, which will debut separately later this year. The output of that model is expected to remain at 252-hp and 270 lb-ft of torque as offered in the current ST model.

The 2014 New York auto show runs April 16-27 and is expected to attract a range of production and concept cars including the 2015 Mustang convertible, BMW M4 convertible and the next Hyundai Sonata. Check out Autoweek's complete coverage at autoweek.com/new-york-auto-show.

By Jay Ramey