The Ford Focus is New This Year With More

More tech. More performance. More for you. Ford Focus.

My husband and I had the opportunity to join Ford Motor Company earlier in the week for lunch and an exclusive opportunity to drive the next Focus.  Ford offer a Focus for everyone; including an all-electric, an EcoBoost fuel-saving 1.0-liter and an AWD 315 hp RS and a few more members that make this the largest Focus family ever.

2015 Focus Titanium

Great looks and intuitive technology come standard. Other advanced features that also come standard on 2015 Focus Titanium:

• Efficient 2.0L Ti-VCT I-4 engine*
• Torque Vectoring Control
• Rear view camera
• AdvanceTrac^® with electronic stability control (ESC)
• SYNC^® with hands-free technology

*EPA-estimated rating of 26 city/36 hwy/30 combined mpg. Focus Titanium with 5-speed manual transmission. Actual mileage will vary.

1.0-Liter EcoBoost^® Engine

The 1.0L gasoline, direct-injection, turbocharged EcoBoost^® is the first-ever three-cylinder engine from Ford. This 3-time International Engine of the Year** is available on SE.

• SE Sedan with 1.0L SFE has an EPA-estimated rating of up to 30 city/42 hwy/35 combined mpg*
• Turbocharged direct injection
• Oil-immersed timing belt
• Variable-pressure oil pump improves fuel efficiency
• Stiff, yet compact block to reduce vibrations
• 1.0L EcoBoost engine has 123 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque.

*Actual mileage will vary.
**Presented by Engine Technology International Magazine.

SYNC^® with MyFord Touch^®

Available SYNC^® voice-activated technology and customizable interactive screens help you stay connected to your world while you keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

• Hands-free calling means you never have to miss a call. If your phone rings, you can answer with the push of a button, and you can make a call with the sound of your voice
• Use the automatic phone book download to find the names and numbers programmed in your compatible phone
• Plug in your compatible digital music player, USB drive or SD card and browse your music collection using voice commands
• 911 Assist^® can use your connected mobile phone to help call 911 when you can’t
• Send/receive audible text messages

After the terrific lunch we were treated to at The Rustic in Uptown Dallas, we had a drive session to experience a couple of journeys that are uniquely Dallas in a vehicle that fits into an active lifestyle.

So one of the first impressions my husband had when we took our little adventure drive through uptown and downtown Dallas with the Focus was that the Focus had “pretty good pick up.”  😉  And indeed the new Focus does.  There’s no delayed response when pressing on that gas pedal.  Acceleration is quick and there is no lag.  As is braking.  He found the brakes quite sensitive, not needing nearly as much pressure to engage compared to his VW Jetta.  Keeping in mind though that his Jetta is 13 years old.

Likewise the steering is remarkably responsive.  The power steering is fluid and makes sharp turns with ease.

On any other day, I would have used the built in navigation to get us where we were going, but since we were given a road map and instructions to take our adventure drive, we were on our way.  I’ve got this!  Oh really?  I probably should have spent the time programming the route in the navigation before we left The Rustic.  Navigation is not my strong suit apparently, and so we took to the wind and just drove around after my delayed lane and turning instructions were getting my husband frustrated 😉  Hey, in my defense I was too busy taking in the premium materials and craftmanship of the Focus’ interior.

If you’re familiar with the road surfaces of North Texas, you’ll know that bumps, dips and potholes are part of a normal driving experience around here.  The Focus made for quite a smooth ride on these roadways.  We encountered a fair sized dip in the road cruising at a good speed, and while noticeable it was certainly not jarring.  I’m pretty sure that my husband’s Jetta would have bottomed out there 😉

There was a little more road noise than we would have liked, but honestly that’s about the only thing we could find an issue with while driving the Focus around town.

Ford has really stepped up with these Focus models.  For someone looking for a vehicle with good fuel economy and decent performance the Focus is worth taking a look at.  As a second vehicle for commuting, but with enough room to still tote the kids around, the Ford Focus offers an interesting potential for families looking for a new vehicle.