FOCUS MK1

About the Focus Mk1

Ford Europe designed the Focus Mk1 to kill the Escort and it worked on the first try. The multi-link rear suspension was the trick, a setup lifted from cars costing twice as much that gave the Focus a handling advantage nobody in the segment could match. The Zetec 2.0 made 130 hp, enough when the chassis did this much work. The SVT/ST170 pushed to 170 hp with variable valve timing and a six-speed manual. Inside, the "New Edge" design looked like Ford had hired someone who'd actually sat in a car before. The dashboard wrapped around the driver in a way that made sense. These won European Car of the Year and every comparison test thrown at them. The Mk1 Focus was the last time Ford of Europe made something that felt genuinely ahead of everything else.