All-new 2018 Ford Focus will start from £17930

The 2020 model will have an all-new suspension design and a stiffer chassis, along with a reworked steering system, in the interest of making the auto more fun to drive.

As you might expect, the new vehicle is laden with tech; adaptive cruise control now features a stop and go function for navigating through traffic. Feature upgrades include new adaptive cruise control with stop and go, speed sign recognition and lane centering. There’s also a wireless charging-pad option.

Ford says it will offer the most sophisticated range of driver assistance technologies ever seen in the Focus range. Inside there’s also more interior room and that more sculpted, upscale looking exterior is now more aerodynamic. This will solve the current model’s lack of rear-seat space with 71 millimetres of extra rear-seat legroom, 61 mm of extra shoulder room and 51 mm of extra kneeroom.

The recent focus is on “reducing complexity and improving quality”. Ford also said it relocated some of the multimedia system’s switches to the touchscreen, a move we question since the buttons make the system much easier to control (and Cars.com editors much happier).

Globally the new Focus is offered in sedan, five-door hatchback and wagon body styles, but North America will likely only get the hatchback and sedan. The Vignale is spruced up with satin aluminium finishes and a signature grille mesh, while the Active has an elevated ground clearance and protective black wheel arch claddings with front and rear skid plates. There’s also an ST-Line from the off, although we’ll have to wait a while for a proper ST model (and somewhat longer for a new Focus RS). A 675 watt Bang and Olufsen 10-speaker stereo system pairs up with the latter.

Head-up displays are no longer relegated to luxury vehicles, so it makes sense the Focus has this feature. There’s also full LED lights with a matrix function.

We’ll have to wait to learn what will power the USA version of the Focus, but in Europe, Ford is adding two new options: a 1.5-liter EcoBoost gas engine and a 2.0-liter EcoBlue diesel.

The 1.0-litre turbo is offered in 62kW, 75kW and 92kW varieties, with the 1.5-litre turbo available in 110kW and 134kW grades.

Diesel choices include the 1.5-liter EcoBlue and the 2-liter EcoBlue powerplants.

But the engine line-up is familiar from the old vehicle, with most United Kingdom customers likely to opt for the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol (with 85bhp, 99bhp or 123bhp) or 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel (at 95bhp or 118bhp).

Thanks to a new chassis and suspension, the fourth-gen Focus promises a 20 percent improvement in torsional rigidity compared to its predecessor and a weight reduction of 110 pounds on average.

The wheelbase – that’s the distance between front and rear axles – has also been increased, and there’s a shorter overhang at the rear, along with a lower overall profile.