How the latest Ford Focus brings the future into sharp relief

It is part of a drive by the company to have virtually all its cars electrified by 2030. Others gone or going include the Mondeo, the Galaxy, the Fiesta and S-MAX.

When I say sharp relief, I also mean this may well be the last time I test drive a Focus. Maybe not – they may have runout versions, but this is certainly likely to be one of the last.

There is something quite sad about that. Maybe it is the inevitability of it all that wrings genuine sorrow from its demise. But time moves on and we will quickly embrace the replacement (I hope).

Ford has taken the first major steps towards electrification with the Explorer compact SUV battery electric we’ll see here early next year.

The old is giving way to the new across the board.

But driving this latest Focus reminded me of what a car it has been.

Think for a minute about what it has done for families and friends over nearly a quarter of a century. It tore up all previous ideas about what a family car could be.

I remember driving it on its debut, in northern France, and being overawed by its precision and tenacity under pressure on a special testing grid they had built to show just what the car could do. It was sensational for the time.

And its looks were, for a Ford in the family class, revolutionary. The Escort it replaced was hardly a head-turner.

Indeed, it was so revolutionary that Ford brought out a tamer saloon for the more conservative of its buyers. And the subsequent brand-new hatch was toned down a bit as well. I still think the first model was the one. I see the odd one around in my travels.

Anyway, the car tested for this week is the latest updated Focus, and I had the ST Line version.

It is a mild enough revamp with greater emphasis on connectivity. The mild hybrid version is not on the list. I’m not a fan of mild hybrids, but a model with the basic technology might have offered a minor – stress minor – step to buyers anxious about taking the giant leap from petrol to battery electric vehicle in a relatively short time.

This test car had the cracking good one-litre EcoBoost 125ps petrol engine under the bonnet. This has been highly acclaimed – it won engine-of-the-year awards incessantly.

It was perfect for longer-trip driving, but the 6spd manual transmission felt a bit clumsy around town – or was it my driving which has become so accustomed to an automatic given the high proportion of hybrids and electric vehicles that come my way? Maybe both.

Latest generation technologies on my Focus included intelligent SYNC 4 – for voice commands for phone, navigation – with a 13.2-inch screen.

The new screen also accommodates controls for functions such as heating and ventilation. These were previously worked by using physical buttons. Simple enough, really, and less distracting.

They have sharpened up the looks a bit across the Titanium, ST-Line and Active versions. Each has its own styling differences and there is an X pack to add higher spec if so desired.

Each variant gets its own unique design details, with upper grille and fascia designs highlighting differentiation across the range.

There is also an expanded Vignale pack, if you want it. It is luxurious but not really practical in terms of cost at this stage of the game, I feel.

The ST-Line version I drove also had side skirts, a rear diffuser and a discreet rear spoiler. It certainly smartened things up a good deal.

It was a nice tight and taut drive, showing how despite the years it hasn’t lost its handling and ride qualities.

But it isn’t the outstanding leader in that field any more. Several others, including the likes of the current Opel Astra, Peugeot 308 to name but two, are equally competitive on that front.

And so to the impossible question: should you buy it? This is difficult to advise on for obvious reasons. It’s still a fine family car – more than 800 new models have been bought so far this year so you are in good company.

And it will be in demand as a second-hand when the guillotine falls on production of new models for people needing a second car. And there are few potential rival EVs as well equipped at the money. It comes down to what you want now: stick with petrol or stretch to EV. If the former, then the Focus is a proven option.