Ford Focus News

The new year promises plenty of fresh metal in showrooms. We look at 10 key arrivals.If you've resolved to buy a new car in 2016, these are the standout models among 50 new vehicles already confirmed to arrive in showrooms this year.Small hatches and SUVs dominate the list, reflecting our continued obsession with compact and high-riding cars respectively. The intense competition in Australia means we're spoiled for choice and carmakers are reacting by lifting interior quality and features to lure buyers with more than just a price tag.Truth be told, we're also becoming automotive snobs, as evidenced by the ever-rising proportion of top-spec models being sold and the growth of prestige brands outpacing mainstream marques. The good news is these cars are more likely to have standard active safety features … and the quicker new car buyers adopt the technology the sooner it will flow down into the secondhand market.In no particular order, here is CarsGuide's top 10 list of key contenders in 2016.Ditching the thirsty V6 was a given for the upgraded seven-seat SUV but many wondered if Mazda would do a diesel version. The new 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine renders the question moot by delivering diesel-like fuel economy and torque with the responsiveness of a petrol engine. Throttle response has been softened to smooth out short stop-start hops in peak-hour traffic and the steering ratio has been eased so the CX-9 now isn't quite as quick to turn the front wheels, both traits buyers of the big SUV should approve of. CarsGuide guestimates a price of around $42,000 when the Mazda arrives mid-year.There's no little irony in the fact a lower, stiffer body will make the new Prius handle better than ever before … and be no quicker because the people who buy Priuses value fuel economy above all else. As a result power from the 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motor has been substantially trimmed in search of better fuel numbers, rumoured to be as good as 3.2 litres/100km. We'll still make do with nickel metal hydride batteries, though, while US and Euro buyers will get lithium-ion packs. Interior upgrades extend from gloss white highlights throughout the cabin to an instrument cluster that has been shifted to the centre of the dash and angled towards the driver. Expect prices to start around $35,000 when it arrives in February.It is a case of evolution rather than revolution for the new Elantra, despite a major overhaul inside and out. The car is longer and wider than the current model and adopts the corporate trapezoidal grille, yet the overall shape and panel creases are very similar. The engine is a carryover 2.0-litre four-cylinder and the interior quality has been lifted with classier materials. A reversing camera will be standard on all models in the range. Don't expect a dramatic jump in the existing $20,000 starting price when the new Elantra goes on sale early in the year.Quality plastics take on a new meaning with the Megane, which adopts plastic front guards and a tailgate to help cut weight. Renault has focused on improved quality to help the Megane stand out in the congested small car pack and top-spec versions will use an 8.7-inch touchscreen. Engine choices will include turbocharged 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrols and a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel. The 1.6 will be reserved for the GT model, which bridges the performance gap between the regular cars and the sporty RS specials. Prices are expected to start close to the existing model's $21,000 mark when the new range arrives in September or October.More boot space in the second-generation Tiguan addresses one of the main criticisms of the first model and should improve the car's prospects with small families. The small SUV is wider, longer and lighter than its predecessor. The expected equipment upgrades include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane-keeping assist. Expect to see the VW Group's 12.3-inch digital driver's display — first used in the Audi TT — on top-spec models. Touchscreen sizes range from five to eight inches. Due late this year, the Tiguan should start at $30,000 for the entry model.Expect to see more attention to styling and interior detail when the new Impreza arrives as the first model to use Subaru's modular platform. The concept car shown in Tokyo in October points to a more style-driven look intended to complement Subaru's safety reputation. The concept is shorter and wider than the current production car meaning the new model should have significantly better shoulder room without losing too much boot space. The engine is expected to be a revised version of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit. Subaru hopes to have the Impreza in by late 2016 and it should come with a low-$20,000 tag. The brand will also launch the Levorg, a high-performance wagon that should whet the appetites of those who remember the 2003 Liberty GT. It will arrive mid-year with a price just north of $40,000.The fourth generation of Kia's popular mid-sized SUV has grown by 40mm and has a much more dramatic front end, highlighted by the four ice-cube styled daytime running lights sitting high at each corner. It shares its chassis with the Hyundai Tucson and overseas reports indicate that's no bad thing. The interior is typically austere but loaded with soft plastics in all the places occupants are likely to touch and an eight-inch touchscreen sits in the centre of the dash on top-spec models. The Sportage is due next month with prices predicted to start around $28,000.When a car is replaced three years after launch, there isn't much doubt it didn't do the job. The good news is the 10th-generation model looks and reportedly drives better than its predecessor. This car is a big deal for Honda and potentially for buyers as it will debut the company's first turbocharged engine, paired with a chassis Honda says is 25 per cent stiffer. Base models are expected to continue with the naturally aspirated 1.8-litre engine. The Civic was a staple of the small car sales mix and the Australian arm will be desperate to recover some of the lost ground. Expect prices to start shy of $20,000 before on-road costs when the Civic arrives mid-year.A UK-sourced five-door Astra will give Holden the ammunition to take aim at class leaders like the Mazda3. The top-spec cars are fitted with high-tech features including autonomous emergency braking, auto-dimming high-beam headlights and a massage seat for the driver. The turbocharged 1.6-litre engine proved the pick of the engines tested at its international launch and is already doing duty in the three-door Astra on sale here. Transmissions will be six-speed manuals and autos. Australians bought 235,000 European-built Astras from 1996-2009 and Holden needs this model to emulate that success. Prices are expected to start around $22,000 when the Astra goes on sale late this year.The cult-following for the go-fast Focus is likely to become mainstream mania when the new model arrives. Power from the 2.3-litre turbo engine exceeds that of the Golf R and WRX STi, making this one of the bang for your buck specials of the year. To tame the 257kW/440Nm Ford has switched from front-wheel to all-wheel drive. It is also the first time the RS will be sold as a regular production model rather than a limited edition special. Software-based party tricks include torque vectoring (where power is shifted to the wheels with the most grip through corners) and a "drift mode". The speedy Ford hatch is due mid-year starting at $50,990.

Here's a recap of the year's stars, with impressive arrivals and value added to staples.

Ford's Hottest Focus to undercut Golf R, M135i, RS3 and A45 in Australia for just $50,990.

LW Ford Focus owners are being advised not to accelerate aggressively from take-off due to a potential driveshaft fault.

Want proof the Australian new-car market is getting tough? Several models have disappeared from showrooms because they can't handle the competition.

In June, Australians bought more new cars than in any single month in history, yet Ford sales were down by 17 per cent. Year-to-date, the slide is even worse.There isn't a major brand that is losing market share at the same rate. Or one that has slipped in share for as long as Ford. Sales have been in decline for more than a decade.In 2004, more than 135,000 Australians bought new Fords. This year, it's on track to be roughly half that number.And that's only half the story. Look more closely at the figures and the picture is bleak for the brand that twenty years ago topped the sales charts.How will sales improve when the brand has trimmed its line-up in the biggest segment of the market?Everybody assumes the sales slump is tied to the impending death of the locally-made Falcon and Territory, but the company's local products aren't the biggest problem.Sales of locally-made Fords are down 9.5 per cent year-to-date. Compare that with the imported Mondeo (down by almost 60 per cent), Focus (down 54 per cent) and Fiesta (down 32 per cent).Which makes this week's decision to drop the cheapest model from the Focus line-up all the more puzzling. How will sales improve when the brand has trimmed its line-up in the biggest segment of the market?There are promising products on the horizon, with Everest and Mustang due this year, but products aren't Ford's problem. Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo are all cars most brands would love in their line-up, but the Ranger is the only one that sells.Ford used to be labelled the Falcon car company. It's now in danger of becoming the Ranger car company.Ford says market share isn't everything and it is building a profitable business. But surely there's a point when the showroom traffic slows to a level where profit suffers?

The unusual strategy, which effectively means the price of the cheapest Focus increases by $3100, signals a deliberate move away from fleet sales.In place of four variants with three engines the revised range adopts a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine and the entry price rises to $23,390 for the Trend hatch with a six-speed manual.Ford Australia spokesman Neil McDonald says the decision to drop the entry Ambiente is based on the buying habits of existing Focus customers, most of whom are looking for vehicles with extra features."Essentially the Ambiente represented about 12 per cent of the share of total Focus sales (YTD 2015). The Trend is the overwhelmingly preferred model (about 60 per cent of Focus is Trend)," McDonald says."So by reprofiling the line-up and adding more features, there's a better opportunity for Focus customers, who want more features in their cars."The turbocharged EcoBoost engine is a pearler and its outputs of 132kW/240Nm are 7kW/38Nm up on the 2.0-litre engine it replaces. The previous 1.6-litre engine — used to power the Ambiente — has also been dropped, as has the 2.0-litre turbo diesel."We only had a less than 3 per cent take-up for the TDCi (diesel) engine and with the fuel efficiency being delivered by our EcoBoost technology, customers are getting performance and a broad spread of torque from low in the rev range," McDonald says.The price of the Focus Trend hatch is $1100 up on the outgoing car but the updated model adds Ford's Sync2 infotainment software, satellite navigation and a reversing camera. Opting for a six-speed auto costs another $1000.The most expensive Focus is now the Titanium hatch or sedan with a six-speed auto for $32,690.The price includes an updated version of Ford's Active City Stop automatic emergency braking that operates at up to 50km/h. It also gets blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert.Fuel consumption is 5.8L/100km for the manual versions, rising to 6.2L/100km for the automatics and topping out at 6.4L/100km on the Titanium.All models have updated suspension and retuned steering to improve feel. The exterior changes are minor but the button-blinged centre console has been replaced with an eight-inch touchscreen and accompanying decluttered look.The Focus also includes the MyKey control system, where the second car key can be programmed for inexperienced drivers. It limits the speed, controls the volume of the sound system and stops safety systems such as stability control from being disabled.The upgraded Focus range goes on sale in October and Ford will be hoping the revised positioning helps reverse a slump that has seen sales of its small car drop by almost 54 per cent to date this year.

Ford has confirmed specifications and pricing for the new LZ Focus sedan and hatch, ahead of its local arrival in October.This means the Thai-built mainstream LZ Ford Focus range will arrive five months after the update to the German-built Focus ST hot hatch.As part of the LZ update, Ford has consolidated the engine and model lineup for the Focus. This has also brought a rise in starting price to $23,390, up $3100 from the outgoing model's entry point.All of the 2015 LZ Focus range features a 132kW/240Nm 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, doing away with the 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol as well as the 2.0-litre diesel engines available in the outgoing LW MkII model.The new engine will be paired with a six-speed manual or a new six-speed torque converter automatic instead of the current model's dual-clutch unit.The new powertrain delivers an extra 7kW/38Nm over the outgoing 2.0-litre 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, while also improving fuel efficiency.With the manual transmission, the Focus achieves 5.8L/100km combined (down from 6.6L/100km), and 6.2L/100km with the auto (also down from 6.6L/100km). The heavier Titanium hatch uses slightly more at 6.4L/100km.The LZ Focus range starts with the Trend model grade in hatch form, with a starting price of $23,390 for the manual. Moving up to the auto adds $1000, with the hatch priced the same as the auto-only sedan. The previous model's Ambiente entry-point has been discontinued.Exclusively available as a hatch, the middle-spec Sport starts at $26,490, with the auto again adding $1000, while the top-spec auto-only Titanium is priced from $32,690 for either the hatch or wagon.Standard across the LZ Focus range is the 8-inch touchscreen with Sync2 smartphone connectivity seen in the Focus ST. The screen brings with it a reversing camera, previously only available on the higher-specced LW Focus variants.The entry-level Trend also features rear parking sensors, Ford's MyKey technology, cruise control, daytime running lights (DRLs), fog lamps and 16-inch alloys.A $300 Convenience pack adds auto headlights and wipers, auto dimming rearview mirror and "follow-me-home" lighting to the Trend models.Moving up to the Sport adds a body kit, sports-tuned suspension, keyless start, dual-zone climate control, nine-speaker audio system, leather steering wheel/shifter, auto headlights/wipers, LED DRLs and 17-inch alloys.Topping out the LZ Focus range, the Titanium adds AEB, park assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and leather sports seats.The 2015 LZ Ford Focus will arrive in local showrooms in October.

Ford has unleashed its new range of performance cars at the U.K’s annual Goodwood Festival of Speed exhibition.Headlining Ford’s display at the show was an appearance from drifting sensation and rally driver Ken Block who piloted the new Focus RS hot hatch up the Goodwood hill climb.Ken Block was a consultant during the development of the 257kW all-wheel drive Focus RS and played a role in defining how the car handles. We suspect Block who is famous for his viral drift videos may also be behind the ‘drift’ mode that has been integrated into the hot hatch’s selectable drive modes.Ken Block was a consultant during the development of the 257kW all-wheel drive Focus RS and played a role in defining how the car handles."I've had so much fun helping Ford develop this next generation of ultimate hot hatch and I'm stoked about the thought of blasting up Lord March's Hillclimb with 350 PS and all-wheel drive at my disposal," said Block before the run.During the run, Block kept it pretty tame adopting a fast and straight style instead of the sideways and smokey we're used to seeing from him and the Focus RS. The RS’s clever all-wheel drive system can send up to 50 per cent of the available grunt to the rear torque-vectoring differential which can then send up to 100 per cent to either wheel. Ford says this all-paw system in conjunction with the active stability control allows for controlled oversteer.The new Focus RS also incorporates a launch control function – a first for an RS – though Ford remains tight-lipped about any acceleration figures.Block made full use of the Focus RS’s tail-happy handling balance, sliding his way up the hill climb in the bright blue monster.Ben Collins, formerly known as ‘The Stig’ on Top Gear, also drove up the Goodwood hill climb in the hardcore U.S-spec Shelby Mustang GT350R track car.The Shelby ‘Stang features a 5.2-litre naturally aspirated flat-plane crank V8 pumping out over 373kW and rides on lightweight carbon fibre wheels sourced from Australian company Carbon Revolution.At this stage Ford is keeping the high performance coupe for left-hand drive U.S markets only, however the dynamic display in the U.K (a RHD market) could indicate the brand is considering a right-hook Shelby for the future.The new 447kW mid-engine Ford GT supercar also made its first official public appearance in the U.K but the carbon fibre stunner did not hit the track for a flat-out blast up the hill.It’s the second time this month we’ve seen the Ford GT in Europe with a race car version starring at the Le Mans 24 hour race a few weeks ago when Ford announced it would compete in the endurance event next year. 

Ford's new Focus RS hatch will have just 3kW less power than a Holden Commodore V8.