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First Look: Facelifted 2015 Ford Focus

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#1 ·
World's Best Selling Car Gets Better
Ford Inside News
April 16, 2014
By: Austin Rutherford


The world's best selling car is just about to get even better for the 2015 model year. The Ford Focus has undergone a rather extensive facelift not only including the exterior and interior, but powertrain wise as well. Though we had already seen the hatch (and the wagon) in Geneva of this year, Ford chose to show the sedan in New York. The revised Focus ST will debut later this year.

Exterior


The 2015 Focus's exterior moves away from its "Kinetic" design to the new design methodology that debuted on the Ford Start Concept. The grill now looks very similar to that of the Focus Electric, which debuted two years ago. Gone are the triangle design elements, and it their place is the Ford family trapezoidal grill. The grill also has bars, which in different cases are painted or accented in chrome.The fog lamps have been redesigned from their round setting to having a swept back design toward the base of the wheels.

For the first time in North America, the Focus will offer an LED lighting strip in the headlights. This strip comes only with higher end models including the Sport package and Titanium.

LEDs are also featured on the revised rear end. The hatchback gains by actually losing some of the girth of what were large tail lamps. The sedan's taillights are the same shape as the pre-facelifted model, but have a new glass display.


Interior

Interior speaking, the center dash has been entirely reworked save for the air vents. The climate controls have changed to feature smaller, but better quality knobs. Buttons now are also featured in this space for some commands. The Sony designed MYFord Touch display in higher end models carries over through the facelift. However, no non-MyFord Touch photos or vehicles have been shown, so we can not tell you what the basic interface will look like yet.


The steering wheel has been redesigned with new placements for audio control and cruise control. Between the gear shifter and the driver, the rather unusable tray that once existed is gone. There is a new, more usable tray now in the lower center console below the climate controls. The cup holders are now deeper and able to keep those big-gulps from spilling.

One interesting tidbit is that the glovebox has been completely reengineered. With the current model, there was little space up front so if a lot of material was placed onto the door, the glovebox would not close. To make up for this, the glovebox extended well into the dash beyond the door. Though this did give more room, it was a struggle for a driver to reach that far back for something they might need. With the new model, the initial door area has been expanded and the elongated area removed so that it is easier to reach for materials.


Powertrains

In addition to the already offered 2.0L I4, the 2015 Ford Focus will now offer the two-time reigning International Engine of the Year, the 1.0L I3 EcoBoost. Though already launched in the Focus elsewhere, this is the first time the engine will be offered in the vehicle for North America. Like the Fiesta, it will only be offered with a manual in what Ford explains as a decision due to the better fuel economy the manual gives with the engine compared to the automatic.

FIN has also learned that the 1.0L I3 EB will also usher in its own on 'EcoBoost Package.' Though not released in the press release, we are told this will not only feature exterior and interior appearance upgrades, but will also have suspension improvements to provide better ride and handling.


The 2015 Ford Focus will launch this summer and will continue to be built at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. All plants around the world will switchover within about a year's period.
 
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#4 ·
Thanks for the pics.
I suppose Ford as usual did not specify what part of the sedan rear tail lamp set up would be LED.
My guess from studying the rear lamps without them being lit up, is only the turn signals will be LED and most
likely the third brake lamp.
With Ford making a point of pointing out the newly design glove box, it is interesting no one has an image of this new
design.

The new front gives me the impression of a softer image, especially with the new lower air dam being less aggressive in comparison
to the current design.

Rear end changes should make those happy that find the current one too busy.
I never understood the too busy comment.
IMO the new rear end toning down looks a tad VW boring to my eyes, at least in photos. I get a "looks like the Fiesta sedan" impression.
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A bit out of balance with the rest of the cars design language. Maybe it is just the softer lines and more red lens looks like fatter tail lamps even though they are the same shape as the current ones.
And I most definitely do not like the change to almost all red tail light lens.
For some reason if gives me the impression of cost cutting. I am sure this is not really the case, but it looks
down scale to me. But it does not surprise me as the Escort Concept showed this look.

I do believe we will be seeing more chrome accents in up coming Ford vehicles as China market does like the shiny bits.
 

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#6 ·
I like the update quite a bit, although I wish they had done more to the interior.

Still not a fan of the lower rear fascia, sorry to see that wasn't touched.

It seems they are holding back on the upper-trim model with the LED projectors? Will that get a separate debut or something?
 
#9 ·
I love the updates front and back but I really do not like the wheel rims in these pictures. I'm sure there will be other options. I hope Ford improved the interior which seemed cramped and extremely dark in the outgoing model. Good job Ford!
 
#10 ·
It is still "cramped":sleeping: and "extremely" dark, unless of course you choose the light coloured seats as shown in the above image you posted. Or if they Ford N.A. still offers the interior option Arctic white/black combo :thumb:

Are not most interiors nowadays about the same shade of dark?
What would you suggest to brighten up those dark cabins?
 
#12 ·
Today at the NY Auto Show they added another 2015 Focus to the display....a SFE 1.0 Ecoboost sedan, which shows the base model grill too....looks nice actually!

View attachment 7329
Now that grille looks good on the Focus, I much prefer the black honeycombe mesh over the chrome slats.

Anymore pics of the SFE? Or a source were you found this image?

Seems Ford N.A. will use the same marketing/media approach with the 1.0EB Focus as they did with the Fiesta 1.0EB and that is
to keep it on the down low, under the radar, don't mention it unless asked.:lmao:
 
#14 ·
Ford provided an update about the 1.0L EcoBoost for the US spec 2015 Focus:


Will the 2015 Focus use the same small 123hp 1.0L EcoBoost engine of the Fiesta, or will there be a new larger 1.0L variant to be announced closer to launch?

We will have more information closer to launch.



Which indicates that the tiny 123hp engine is not coming to the larger Focus(400 lbs heavier) for the US. I am expecting to see a mild hybrid from the Ricardo partnership, or 160-170hp variant.
 
#15 ·
Sorry only took two pics, here's the other one...btw I couldn't get the hood open, was curious how the 1.0 Ecoboost looked in there.

View attachment 7337
Thanks.
Was the interior spec'd with the MyFord Touch as well?

I have been asking Ford on Facebook and Twitter why not images, but no one is answering.
 
#19 ·
Thanks.
Was the interior spec'd with the MyFord Touch as well?

I have been asking Ford on Facebook and Twitter why not images, but no one is answering.
No not that I can recall....I did sit in it and remember telling my partner how this is the base interior and the one next to us is the Titanium with most everything.

The only other thing I recall about this particular Focus was that each headlamp had a tiny bulb in the middle that I can only guess served as a daytime running lamp??? The Titanium didn't have this and instead has an LED strip.
 
#20 ·
No not that I can recall....I did sit in it and remember telling my partner how this is the base interior and the one next to us is the Titanium with most everything.

The only other thing I recall about this particular Focus was that each headlamp had a tiny bulb in the middle that I can only guess served as a daytime running lamp??? The Titanium didn't have this and instead has an LED strip.
Thank you again. Really appreciate your information on this Focus.

I have been tweeting and messaging Fords social media person that on the floor at the show, with little to zero response.

But finally after much prodding Brian Ford Social @Ford_Brian did send me this image of the car
View attachment 7338

I have replied asking if he can supply some more interior images, and will share them if he can handle such a task.:banghead:
 

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#26 ·
The EU model does have Sony radio. It says Sony on the A pillar speakers, just not on the audio face in the center stack.
View attachment 7474
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And this is the base audio system, from the Silver Focus at the New York Auto show which is now locked for the public access part of the show.
View attachment 7498

So when it was open for the media days, I am surprised none of these people would take pics, as this was the first time the base audio center stack was shown.
 

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