By Craig Cheetham

12th May 2004

In what is the undisputed scoop of the year, the mag has even more pictures, plus all the facts and all you need to know. On the first spread of the mag you can see two amazing photographs - the world's first of the showroom-ready model complete with its blue oval badging. Turn the page and you'll see the vehicles it was lined up against at a secret customer clinic in Germany, plus new details of its interior.

The mag's pictures have already stunned Ford bosses. The blue oval's top brass were hoping to keep the newcomer's styling a close secret until the Paris Motor Show in September. Insiders tell us that the photographs' publication sent a shockwave through the maker's European headquarters in Cologne, Germany. But back to the mag's pictures. They clearly reveal how the new five-door model will be longer and lower than the current Focus, with a sloping back end and angled rear screen.

At the front, the car has a very distinctive bonnet bulge, similar to that of the new Volvo S40 with which it shares a platform. Meanwhile, the grille and headlights echo the look of the C-MAX and Mondeo, showing that Ford is giving its line-up a distinct family look.

While the designers have obviously played it safe with the styling, rather than create a stir as they did with the original Focus back in 1998, the newcomer will be given a more sporty profile in three-door form, with a smaller glass area and thicker D-pillars. Initially, customers will be able to take their pick from four petrol and three diesel powerplants. The former will incorporate engines already fitted to the existing model, although they will be modified in order to comply with strict new Euro IV emissions legislation.

The range will kick off with a 79bhp 1.4-litre motor, while 99bhp 1.6, 113bhp 1.8 and 129bhp 2.0 units will also be offered. Diesel choices will include the 1.6 and 2.0-litre engines available in the C-MAX. Entry-level cars will have a 90bhp 1.6, plus a more powerful 110bhp version of the same engine will feature in mid-range models. The flagship oil-burner will initially be a 136bhp 2.0-litre, but a 150bhp version is expected to appear at a later date.

At launch, the 136bhp diesel will be the most powerful Focus, although performance versions are expected later. In early 2005, the 2.0-litre unit from the current ST170 will be carried over into a lively Zetec S variant, to give the range a sporting flagship.

But Auto Express has learned that the blue oval's performance engineers have even bigger plans for the new car, with a wider range of racy models on the horizon. The first of these will be a replacement for the ST170, known simply as the ST. It will get the 2.3-litre four-cylinder motor from the Mazda 6, giving 160bhp in standard tune.

A 175bhp variant is also expected, but the hottest Focus will be an all-new RS, due to hit the roads in 2007. It will feature a turbocharger bolted to the 2.3-litre engine, and develop in excess of 200bhp. Until then, customers may be able to make their own additional performance modifications. Ford in America has been experimenting with turbocharger kits that owners can specify as an option, and it's likely that these could be offered as a dealer-fit accessory in Europe, too.

Performance versions of the Focus are bound to prove popular, with our sources hinting that the car will be one of the best handling in the class. We have already been impressed by the firm's new C1 platform, which underpins the C-MAX, Mazda 3 and Volvo S40, so we are expecting great things from the newcomer's dynamics.

Meanwhile, Ford is sticking to its guns regarding the secrecy surrounding official photographs and details of the newcomer. Bosses have stressed that there will be no indication of either specification levels or prices until September at the very earliest.

However, we can tell you that the next-generation Focus will go on sale in UK showrooms on 1 January 2005. Hatchback models will be the first to appear, with both three and five-door cars arriving simultaneously. A saloon will follow alongside an estate, both of which are set to debut in the spring.

As well as playing it safe with the Focus's exterior styling, the designers have adopted a reserved approach to the cabin. Instead of the dynamic, edgy look that marked out the original Focus, the blue oval has taken a more sober line with its new replacement.

Although the mag's spy took these pictures in a hurry, they clearly show how the model has a similar facia to the C-MAX's, thanks to a smart four-spoke steering wheel, chunky dash and deep centre console. The air vents differ from those in the MPV, with their oval shape echoing the famous Ford Motor Company logo. But the stylish Sony stereo is identical to that fitted to the compact people carrier, following a tie-up between the two firms.

Ford has hinted that the emphasis of the new car's interior will be more on quality than on practicality, with soft-touch plastics and plush fabrics throughout. The current Focus's folding passenger seat option won't be carried forwards, as bosses believe the C-MAX will cater for those seeking more usability. Sporty models will get white dials, along with leather steering wheels and gearknobs to differentiate them from lesser versions.

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