Road Test

Ford Focus Hatchback 1.8i 16v LX

Test date Wednesday, October 28, 1998  Price as tested £15,350

Everything changed at Ford when the car world refused the accept the mediocrity of the 1990 Escort. Ford suddenly realised it couldn’t sell cars on the strength of its vast dealer network alone. The accountants, it was decided, would no longer get the final say, and the design-by-committee approach would be given a thorough overhaul. Since then the turnaround has been marked, and we’ve seen cars as brilliant as the Mondeo, Puma and revamped Fiesta. Rumour has it that the Focus was originally to be called Ikon, but was changed to Focus at the 11th hour when the Ikon name was leaked.

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