Ford Focus review

You hear so much about the rise of the SUV, and with good reason: they account for more than a third of all the cars sold in the UK. However, there's still lots to love about traditional hatchbacks, such as the Ford Focus.

The Focus still dominates the top end of the sales charts, and that success has much to do with perhaps its greatest asset: a legacy of serving up brilliant handling. That's something that's tricky to replicate in a taller, heavier family SUV. What’s more, for this latest version, Ford has worked to improve the areas where previous versions have dropped the ball, namely interior quality, rear leg room, boot space and on-board tech.

Of course, the family car class is many and varied. Chief among the Focus's rivals is the iconic Volkswagen Golf, which sits nearer the pricier end of the market, where you'll find premium models that include the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class. Then there are the more affordable rivals, which include the Kia Ceed, Mazda 3, Seat Leon, Skoda Scala and Skoda Octavia. And of course, there's the Focus's arch nemesis, the ubiquitous Vauxhall Astra. 

To usurp its rivals and broaden its appeal, the Focus comes in more variants than ever. You can have an estate, an upmarket Vignale (with distinctly premium aspirations) and an Active model (with butch, SUV-like styling), as well as the Focus ST hot hatch, which we've reviewed separately. 

So, should you add the Focus to your shortlist? To find out, read on. In this review we’ll cover all the bases, and, if you decide the Focus, or, for that matter, any other hatchback, is for you, check out our New Car Buying service. There you'll find the very best, hassle-free deals around.