After seven years on the market, it’s time for the third-gen Focus to be put to rest as an all-new generation comes to life with major improvements in tow. Ford designed the fourth-gen Focus from the ground up, giving it some design cues from the now-defunct third-gen Focus RS to go with some seriously upgraded tech, new safety features, and a range of new engines that are not only more powerful but more efficient as well. Europe and China will see the fourth-gen Focus hit dealers by the turn of the year, but the U.S. won’t see the new model until sometime in 2019.

How different is the exterior of the 2019 Ford Focus?

The 2019 Ford Focus is the definition of evolution done right. It’s still recognizable as a Focus, but everything about it has changed in one way or another. The beltline is nearly the same but is more angled, the headlights are a little slimmer and recessed, and the grille has more of a curve to it up top and below with the overall design looking almost like Ford flipped the old grille upside down and inside out. The body lines of the hood have been pushed outward while the fascia is largely more aggressive with some interesting cures and even a pair of winglets flanking the air dam.

Ford actually listened and did away with the boring body lines of the outgoing model. Now, a single body line feeds from the headlight and hood seam rearward, almost disappearing before picking up in intensity above the rear wheels. The line itself is wavy a nice improvement over the straight, boring lines found on the third-gen. The lower body line is more angled and protrudes twice as much from the doors giving more character and definition.

More important than any of this, however, is the fact that Ford finally did away with those ugly and annoying taillights. The Focus now sports two-piece units, and most of the lens is still mounted in the rear quarter, but they don’t have such a weird design. The reverse light is also split between the rear quarter and the hatch, giving it a unique look. The rear glass is larger and more curved on the bottom while the rear fascia is more aggressive with higher trim levels getting diffuser-like elements.

Oddly, the new Focus features the same exterior dimensions but appears longer thanks to a longer wheelbase. That comes more into play on the inside, though, but you can see it in the shorter overhangs and overall sportier appearance. All models also get the extruded form out back that was originally found on the third-gen RS. I guess you could say that the new C2 platform and 53 mm (2.08 inches) of wheelbase can do a lot for appearances huh?

What Does the inside of the 2019 Ford Focus Look Like?

The interior of the 2019 Focus is a huge departure from the outgoing model. All of the superfluous panels and design cues are gone. The center stack has been completely deleted thanks to a floating infotainment display and flat-top dash. The instrument cluster doesn’t even have those annoying overhangs above the analog gauges. The center cluster screen is also larger. Ford seems to love that stretched hexagon design, though, as it can be seen not only on the radiator grille but around the central HVAC vents and the instrument cluster.

The seats were also redesigned as was the center console. The latter no has a rotary shifter and a wireless charging pad. There’s a head-up display, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, and – if you’re willing to pay for it – a 675-Watt B&O sound system with ten speakers and a subwoofer. In the rear, you’ll also find redesigned seats with extra padding for better comfort and the pull-down armrest has been redesigned as well. And, thanks so that C2 platform and longer wheelbase, the rear passengers get a lot more space. Shoulder room has increased by nearly 2.5 inches while knee room has climbed by two inches. Legroom has increased by 2.8 inches – this is a huge improvement over the outgoing model and now makes the car more suitable for people above the age of 14 or taller than five foot tall.

What Kind of Safety Features Does the 2019 Ford Focus Have?

Safety is where Ford excelled even more as the new Focus comes with Ford’s CO-Pilot360 suite of assistance features. We’re talking about active cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane centering, adaptive front lighting, active park assist, park-out assist, pre-collision detection, blind-spot monitor, cross-traffic alert, rear camera, post-crash braking, wrong way alert, and evasive steering assist. When equipped, this is – as of what we’ve seen so far – one of the most comprehensive lists of safety features out there, and it comes along with decent powertrain options and good looks too.

2019 Ford Focus Performance

Ford has chosen not to disclose U.S. market specs for the Ford Focus, but over in Europe, it will be offered with a pair of gasoline engines and a pair of diesel engines. On the gasoline front, there’s a 1.0-liter EcoBoost that can be had with 84 horsepower, 99 horsepower, or 123 horsepower. There’s also a 1.5-liter EcoBoost that delivers either 148 horsepower or 180 horsepower depending on trim level. You can choose between a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic, the latter of which is a new option but probably won’t get much traction in Europe.

On the diesel front, Ford offers a 1.5-liter EcoBlue or 2.0-liter EcoBlue engine. The smaller unit will be tuned to deliver either 94 horsepower and 118 horsepower, with both putting out 221 pound-feet (300 nm) of torque. The larger diesel mill puts out 148 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque and, for the first time in a diesel drinker from Ford, it also has steel pistons – something that should increase reliability.

The Focus rides on Ford’s new C2 platform which is what enabled the longer wheelbase and increase in space for rear passengers but is also responsible for a weight loss of 88 kilo or 194 pounds. Its drag coefficient has been lowered to 0.250 for the sedan and 0.275 for the hatchback. All of this leads to improved fuel consumption and a drop in CO2 emission. Final figures have yet to be released, however, so you’ll have to wait a little longer for those.

As for U.S. Market specs, we’ll update you as soon as they become available probably in the next six to eight months.

Final Thoughts

The 2019 Ford Focus is a fine vehicle. It takes the DNA of past models and effectively evolves it into something that’s sporty, sleek, and attractive. It has a much more modern look in comparison to the outgoing model, and it’s got all of Ford’s latest tech which should give it a big jump on competitors like the Volkswagen Golf, Honda Civic, and Chevy Cruze. As for what we’ll end up getting in the U.S., you can expect to see the Sedan and the hatchback, but if you’re hoping to see the wagon any time soon, you may want to take a trip to Europe. We’ll eventually get the Focus ST and Focus RS, when they do come to life, with the Focus RS expected to come much earlier in the fourth-gen’s life cycle than what we saw with the last RS. In the end, Ford has done a good job with the fourth-gen Focus and, hopefully, we’ll see all the same design and tech goodies make their way to the United States in 2019 as well.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Focus.

Read our full review on the 2015 Ford Focus.

Read more Ford news.