FORD Focus Wagon
Generations Timeline, Specs and Pictures
Ford made the Focus Active Wagon as an alternative to classic station wagons.
It provided more ground clearance while it kept the same fuel-efficient engines.
With its vertical slats, the grille sported the blue-oval badge, which moved there from the hood as on the non-facelifted version. An important upgrade was for the headlights, which were LED for the entire range. It marked a big step forward to modern-era cars. The daytime running light pattern was moved inside the headlamps and encircled the darker central section. In addition, the carmaker tried to mix the classic station wagon bodywork with an SUV-inspired stance and parts for the Active Wagon version. Thus, the crossover featured black, unpainted plastic parts that underlined the lower side of the bodywork. In addition, a satin-chromed shield peaked at the lower part of the front bumper and was complemented by a similar-looking underbody protection element under the rear bumper.
For the interior, Ford focused on the technology department and installed the SYNC 4 infotainment system. It features a new 13.2” touchscreen placed atop the center stack. Unlike other carmakers in the compact, mass-market segment, it provided more features, including voice commands for accepting calls and navigation and controlling the audio and climate control systems. Since it shared the same bodywork with the station-wagon version, the Focus Active Wagon provided a 608 liter (21.5 cu-ft) trunk, which the user could expand up to 1,653 liters (58.4 cu-ft) with the rear bench folded.
Ford Focus reached its fourth generation in 2018, and, after 16 million units sold since its first generation, it proved to be an excellent contender in the compact segment.
Ford played the design card for the Focus, and it won in many ways. For starters, it offered the car in all the necessary shapes. It was available as a coupe on the North-American market, while the Europeans didn’t get that. They were too concerned about station-wagons, and that’s why the blue-oval brand offered them the wagon they were looking for.
From the front, apart from the grille, the Focus didn’t look like a Ford. Its headlights had an Asian-inspired look while the lower apron resembled the Renault Megane Sport. Its sculptured side panels and doors offered a muscular look, in a classic Ford style saw on the Focus’ predecessors. Its sloped roof and raked forward tailgate made the car looks sportier, even in the station-wagon shape.
There was room for five passengers inside the vehicle, even if the central tunnel was somehow protruding inside the cabin. The 2.7 meters (106.3”) long-wheelbase allowed good legroom in the back of the car. Despite the lower greenhouse, the car had enough head-room. The trunk could have been enlarged via a split-folding rear bench seatback from a decent 608 liters (21.5 cu-ft) to a respectable 1653 liters (58.4 cu-ft).
For the powertrain, the Focus was available with few base engines and their variants: a 1.0-, 1.5- and 2.0-liter gasoline units and a 1.5- and 2.0-liter diesel. A special ST version had a 2.3-liter gasoline engine. Standard transmissions were of 6-speed manual, while the 8-speed automatic was available as an option for specific engines.
The third generation of the Ford Focus debuted at the 2010 North American Motor Show as a 2012 model.
In 2014, at the Geneva Motor Show, a mid-life cycle refresh was unveiled.
The Focus proved to be a success story for Ford. The compact vehicle was sold in many countries around the world and it was offered in various shapes and with different engines and transmission. From slow but fuel-efficient vehicles to tarmac shredding all-wheel-drive 300 hp monsters. The hatchback and the station-wagon versions were the most popular on the market.
The 2014 facelift enhanced the values that made the Focus so popular. There were new grille and lights up front and some minor changes to the rear. The roof-rails remained a standard-fit for the car. The main flaw of the hatchback, when compared to other vehicles in its class, was the trunk space. But for those who knew they will need roomier interior, the station-wagon was a good option.
Inside, the 2014 model came with a new infotainment system with an 8” touch-screen monitor on top of the center console. The Focus was the first Ford to receive the SYNC 2 in-car connectivity system in Europe. The biggest interior advantage for the station-wagon version was the headroom for the rear passengers, due to the extended roof. The trunk offered 476 liters (16.8 cu-ft) with the seats in place, but that can be expanded to a hefty 1502 liters (53 cu-ft).
Ford presented the European variant of the new Focus Wagon at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, only a few months after its worldwide debut at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The two versions (European and North American) are not so different from one another, as Ford implemented their new One Ford strategy when building the Mk3 Focus generation (80 percent of the car remained the same, no matter the market it was sold on). Just like the 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback configurations, the Focus Wagon now came with a more roundish exterior and improved interior.
Ford introduced a facelift for the second generation of the Focus in 2008, fixing some issues and updating the drivetrains.
Starting with January 1st, 2009, Europe switched to Euro 5 emissions regulations, and most carmakers had to improve or update their vehicles. While some carmakers already had their engines ready for that, others waited until 2008 to improve them. Ford chose the latter option, and along with the engine range, it applied a mild facelift to the entire Focus range, including the station-wagon.
Ford followed its kinetic design trend and introduced a new front fascia to the Focus. The bigger headlights swept back over the fenders, and the bigger lower grille in the bumper made the car looks better and more aggressive. Depending on the trim level, a chromed bar was mounted on the upper grille. In the back, the long roofline and the vertical cut for the tailgate defined the car as a vehicle designed to maximize the interior room.
The carmaker enhanced the interior with the introduction of new features. For the Sony infotainment unit, there was new connectivity via Bluetooth and, for the navigation system, an SD-card based unit. In 2008, Ford introduced the keyless system plus a “Ford Power” push-button to start the car. A cap-less refill system was introduced to avoid fueling the car with the wrong fuel.
Under the hood, the engineers installed a new 2.0-liter turbodiesel unit that offered 110 hp. Depending on the engine choice, a 5- or 6-speed manual was fitted as standard. Selected models could have been ordered with the new PowerShift automatic (dual-clutch) transmission.
Ford introduced the second generation of the Focus at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, and, like its predecessor, it was available in a few body shapes, including a station wagon.
Focus’s first generation was a huge success. Regardless of its body version, either as a hatchback, sedan, or station wagon, the customers went for it. It was an important step ahead of its competitors due to its new design language and independent suspension in all corners. The second generation was one step further, and Ford improved the car in every possible way.
From the outside, the headlights followed the triangular shape from the New-Edge-Design theme, but they were smaller. That left more room for the grille, which was broader and narrower. Unlike most compact vehicles on the market, it featured a profiled hood in a V-shape that connected the grille to the raked A-pillars. The station-wagon sported a longer roof, extended over the trunk area. Despite its general appearance, it wasn’t the most elongate Focus in its lineup. That title went to the coupe-cabriolet version.
Inside, Ford offered the vehicle in a few trim levels, including the Ghia, as the top-luxury version. The most significant upgrade was the safety cell, which placed the Focus on top of its class in the EuroNCAP crash-tests results.
Under the hood, the carmaker installed a wide choice of engines ranged between an 80 hp 1.4-liter engine to a 145 hp 2.0-liter engine. The ST version was not available for the station-wagon.
The Focus was one of the success stories for the blue-oval brand.
Its compact-segment lineup was introduced in 1996 and refreshed it in 2001.
While the Escort was a highly appreciated car, the Focus exceeded the customers’ expectations. It was named a “love-it or hate-it” vehicle due to its controversial design. But that worked well, and the Focus broke the records and jumped to the top of the sales charts in Europe. The carmaker tried to keep the momentum and introduced a mid-life cycle refresh in 2001 for its compact-segment vehicle.
The Focus was designed within the Edge-design trend, which combined long, arched lines into sharp angles. A set of new headlights was installed, with lenses for the headlights that improved the night-driving visibility. The designers moved the turn-signals from bumpers inside the headlights. On the lower apron, a wider grille was installed to increase the cooling capacity. In the back, the taillights received an improved design, and despite all the expectations, they were mounted above the rear bumper, not on the C-pillars.
The interior kept the same unusual design that combined curved lines with sharp angles for the dashboard. Other than that, there was an improvement in the material’s quality, an area where some customers had some complaints. Unfortunately, the hood kept the same key-only opening mechanism, which required the driver to stop the engine, move the blue oval from the grille aside, insert the key, turn left and right and then pop the hood.
Ford Focus was a true, love-it or hate-it car, due to its controversial look and the new-edge styling promoted by American brand with other vehicles such as Puma or Cougar.
Introduced at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, the Focus was replacing the Escort on the European market or Laser in other parts of the world. It was a new concept that brought the car into attention with its revolutionary design and engineering solutions. Moreover, apart from a convertible version, it covered all other body versions.
The triangular-shaped, with curved lines, emerged into sharp angles at the front, were part of the new-edge-design philosophy. The smiley front fascia look was obtained due to the lower wide opening, which mimicked a mouth, while the narrow grille at the front resembled an oval shape. A particular feature of the car, which was hated by many, was that behind the front badge, it was the hood’s unlocking mechanism, which couldn’t be opened from inside the car like in any other vehicle. The car looked sportier due to the molds on the wheel-arches, despite its long roof as a station-wagon. At the back, the Focus featured vertically mounted taillights on the upper side of the D-pillars.
Inside, the new-edge-design language was continued on the dashboard. The upper lines of the instrument cluster emerged in sharp angles with the rest of the panel. There were some aesthetic contradictions with the stereo-CD system’s squared-shape and the round controls for the HVAC unit. The car featured flat seats and a split-folding seatback for the bench to expand the trunk area.
Ford installed a wide choice of diesel and gasoline engines, which was paired as standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox. A 4-speed automatic was on the options list for specific engines.