Ford Focus

Stepping inside the cabin, passengers cannot help but notice the use of outdated plastic trim which gives away the age of the 2019 Focus. Focus also comes with ill-designed glasshouse elements which further add to the claustrophobic feel inside the cabin. The company does offer ‘SYNC 3’ touchscreen infotainment system as an optional extra and if buyers can get their hands on the SEL and Titanium trims, they will be greeted with a superior 8-inch touchscreen unit. Both infotainment systems are compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.

Weirdly, Ford also does not offer seatback pockets on the driver-side for SE and SEL models and single-disc CD player is no longer offered in the S and SE models. Rest of the focus lineup no longer gets a door release handle, an auxiliary input Jack or even ambient lighting elements.

As mentioned earlier and similar to Ford Fiesta, the rear cabin space in Focus is also inferior to that offered by its competitors and it would be a tight squeeze for passengers to fit in the rear seats, especially for adults. Also like the Fiesta, the congested conditions in the rear do not change for the sedan body type.

The outgoing model of Ford Focus comes with the company’s SE EcoBoost Appearance package which Ford offers on all SE models regardless of the engine option. Surprisingly, the equipment options in the S, SE, and SEL models have now been reduced and instead of getting features like four adjustable headrests, the outgoing models only come with two-way adjustable units. The turn signal indicators on the exterior mirrors which were earlier offered on the S trims have now also been removed and Ford also does not offer rear seat floor mats in S trim models.

Not only is Ford Focus a desirable piece of Americana but it is also an amazing car which gets best in class handling characteristics and also manages to offer impressive fuel economy. Focus is also famous for outperforming its average EPA estimates and the most frugal one liter, three-cylinder powerplant when mated with to a 6-speed manual gearbox manages to offer up to 40 mpg of highway fuel economy, as per EPA estimates.

The 2019 Ford Focus is offered with either a 2-liter 4-cylinder unit or a 1-liter Turbocharged EcoBoost motor. In its non-turbocharged iteration, the 2.0-liter unit managers to produce 160 bhp of power whereas the turbocharged ST model comes with a 252 bhp powerplant and the top of the range RS model boasts of 350 bhp and an all-wheel-drive system. The one-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine also manages to hold its own not just being famous for being able to fit in an A4 size sheet of paper but also for churning out an admirable 123 bhp of power output.

The S-trim of Ford Focus was priced at $18,825 and the top of the line Titanium trim featured at $25,145 price tag. Customers could also opt for the hatchback body type which in the Focus SEL trim comes well equipped with features for a price tag of $22,545. There are only limited units remaining in dealerships across America and customers would have to inquire with their local dealers regarding the prices of the current stock.

Safety is another aspect in which the 2019 Ford Focus does not manage to keep up with its more modern competitors. Even though in a crash test conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Focus managed to achieve a 5-Star safety rating, the car did not perform so well in the tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This can widely be attributed to the fact that Focus is only offered with few safety features as standard whereas driver assistance equipment like lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and blindspot monitoring are only offered as optional extras on the top Titanium trim.

As the fallout of Ford’s truck and utility vehicle business plan continues, another treasured fast Ford, the 2019 Focus faces possible extinction as the American automaker moves its concentration on revamping its portfolio to feature offerings which keep in tune with the growing popularity of the utility vehicle segment. Ford officials, including the company’s CEO, have confirmed that these beloved models are not being eliminated from the company’s lineup but are in the process of getting re-invented to better suit the needs of Ford’s loyal and dedicated customer base. Phrase it how they may, it is clear that 2019 will be the last year of Ford Focus which is quite sad considering that Focus was built in the outskirts of Motown city, Detroit which makes it as American as apple pie itself This makes 2019 Focus an easy car to recommend even though it comes with its flaws like inadequate cabin and cargo space and out of date features and equipment.