Road TestCar reviews - Ford - Focus - SportFord modelsOverviewFord's impressive Focus Sport is a worthy alternative to the Mazda3 and VW Golf30 Mar 2016 WHEN the third-generation Ford Focus launched in 2011, it came close to being the best small car around. As they say, though, coming close doesn’t result in having a chomp of Joe Hockey’s cigar. Burdened by an undersized 1.6-litre engine as its entry point, the step to the 2.0-litre models brought more of a premium than the equivalent Mazda3, which Australians purchased in droves. In 2012 – the first full year the LW-series Focus was sold – the small Ford recorded 18,586 sales the Mazda tallied 44,128 units. By 2015 a miserly 7112 Focus hatchbacks and sedans were sold, 53 per cent down on the year before and a fraction of the 3’s 38,644 sales. Context is important, as this facelifted LZ Focus aims to right the few wrongs of the LW-series while offering more compelling pricing to lure in buyers. The middle grade Focus Sport is now $700 cheaper than before, but includes a more efficient and powerful 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic. The now-entry grade Focus Trend shares this new drivetrain with the Focus Sport tested here, but it fails to deliver the showroom appeal of the model with a red ‘S’ badge on its bootlid. This could be the sweet spot of a facelifted range that is trying to win back buyers. Click here for the full review... GalleryClick to see larger images Model release date: 1 September 2015 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen |
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