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New Ford Focus: full details on the iconic name’s SUV return

An all-new Ford Focus is set to make a comeback and our exclusive image previews how it could look

Ford Focus exclusive image

If you thought the Ford Focus was dead, you could be in for a surprise! The iconic hatch went off sale in 2025, but now it looks like a new Ford Focus is on the way and it could look a little different.

Ford isn’t giving up on Europe and recently confirmed it’s working on a new C-segment crossover, which is said to be inspired by the brand’s ‘motorsport’ heritage. It is this model that could well carry the iconic Focus nameplate.

It would be a remarkable return, but perhaps not unsurprising given that the Ford Fiesta nameplate is also set to be revived in 2028 as an all-electric rival to the Renault 5 and Nissan Micra.

What will the new Ford Focus look like?

As you can see in our exclusive image, the new crossover will feature a four-point headlight design inspired by iconic racers and models from Ford’s past. These are offset with a combination of muscular surfaces and some rugged design elements to remind buyers that the car is still an SUV. 

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It might be a stretch to call this new model a traditional hatchback like previous generations of the Focus. Rather than challenge the Volkswagen Golf rival, it will instead rival crossovers such as the T-Roc, a model that has an even bigger appeal to European buyers. Other mainstream rivals will include the Nissan Qashqai, Toyota C-HR and Cupra Formentor. 

New Ford Focus to get hybrid tech

Ford future teaser

A few technical details of the new Focus are already known, such as whether it will run hybrid, plug-in hybrid or range-extender hybrid engines. The decision will depend on whether these new models are built from their own joint-venture partnership; Ford refused to elaborate, but it did say it has entered into strategic partnerships to boost scale on these projects and speed up development times.

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“These aren’t just deals, they are strategic levers,” said Jim Baumbick, president of Ford in Europe. “We partner with the best to move with speed and scale, and we obsess over the product to deliver passionate, unmistakably Ford vehicles.”

We asked whether this would result in the revival of the Focus nameplate? “I’m not in a position to share anything, but certainly the history and the heritage of some of those names are not lost on us,” he responded.

Other new Ford models coming by 2029

The Focus isn’t the only hybrid-powered crossover coming, though, because 2029 will also bring the introduction of a larger D-segment model that’ll in effect replace the current Kuga. This more dynamic model will join Ford’s new European Bronco due in 2027, creating two options for buyers looking for family-focused SUVs at opposite ends of the style spectrum. 

These new models will complement the existing Explorer and Capri electric SUVs, which are based on Volkswagen underpinnings from an earlier Ford partnership. But these won’t continue unchanged either, as Ford Europe’s general manager of passenger vehicles Christian Weingartner explained. “The Volkswagen partnership is a really good one,” he said. “We can tap into all of their developments and the advancement of the platform, and that's what we want to do.” 

Can't wait for the reborn Focus to arrive? You can buy a used Ford Focus through our Buy a Car service, with prices starting from less than £2,000.

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News editor

News editor at Auto Express, Jordan joined the team after six years at evo magazine where he specialised in news and reviews of cars at the high performance end of the car market. 

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