Ford Focus Hatch vs Ford Focus Sedan: Which one to buy?

Ford products are held in a good reverence world over. Take the case of the Mustang or even the plethora of SUVs that the Blue Oval has to offer. There is also the Fiesta ST as well as the Focus hatchback. Both of them are known for their performance and because of a certain Mr Ken Block. There are also sedan derivatives of both these vehicles. However, since there isn’t any specific news or should we call it breaking news about this body shape, most of the folks don’t even know if they exist. A day ago, we carried the hatch vs sedan feature for the Ford Fiesta.

This time, it is for its bigger cousin, the Ford Focus. Ford Philippines offers both the Focus sedan as well as the Focus hatchback. So, which one should adorn your garage or be your daily driver? Scroll down to find out.

Design

First, let’s clear out the numbers for both the sedan and hatchback. The Ford Focus sedan measures 4,358 x 1,823 x 1,484 mm in length, width and height respectively. While the other dimensions are the same for the Focus hatchback, the length is slightly smaller at 4,354 mm. In terms of looks, both are the same with a grille that will not look out of place even on an Aston Martin car.

There are also the peeled back headlights. 17-inch wheels are standard while 18-inch are available on both the trims for the top spec models. The Ford Focus sedan variants are Titanium and Titanium+ while those of the hatchback are Sport and Sport+. Colors are shared between the two as well. The palette includes candy red, ingot silver, magnetic metallic, lunar sky, and infid black options.

Body-colored door handles, halogen headlights with auto on/off function, front fog lights, and a rear spoiler with a defogger are standard on all Focus trims.

Cabin comfort

The wheelbase of 2,650 mm is shared between the Focus twins. Dual-zone climate control is offered in the + trims while a single zone unit is there on the entry-level models. Sync2 comes in as standard and is offered as the infotainment system on the Titanium and Sport trims. According to the models, the screen size varies between 4.2-inch - 8.0-inch. Power adjust mirrors are also offered while the steering gets mounted audio and Bluetooth telephony controls.

Other common features between the 2018 Ford Focus hatchback and sedan are all four power windows, rear and front parking assist, auto dimming mirrors, push-button start, remote keyless entry, rain sensing wipers, and Ford MyKey. In terms of comfort, since the wheelbase is the same, there is no difference in the space. However, the hatchback is slightly more spacious especially when you check the headroom at the back. It, however, loses out on boot space to the sedan.

Safety

Safety is a core when it comes to Ford lineup. After all, they have learned a lot from Volvo Auto. Six airbags are standard and so are ISOFIX tethers, power door locks, ABS with electronic brake force distribution. On top trims, Ford offers Active City Stop, Parallel Parking Assist, cruise control, Electronic Stability Program, Hill Launch Assist, Traction Control and Perimeter Alarm. A reverse parking camera too is part of the standard fare.

Engines and transmission

Ford offers a choice of a lone turbocharged petrol engine with the Focus. The Ford Focus’ 1.5-litre GTDI engine makes 180 PS of power at 6,000 rpm while the torque generated is 240 Nm at 1,600 - 5,000 rpm. Ford pairs this engine with a 6-speed automatic and depending on the trim selected, will also offer paddle shifters. Given that there is not much of a weight difference between the sedan and hatchback body style here, performance is largely the same. We prefer the hatch’s performance more. Efficiency is also slightly better in the hatchback.

Chassis

Ford gives a 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat in the Focus hatchback and sedan. Both the cars can seat five passengers comfortably. Part of the ride comfort comes in from the Independent MacPherson struts in the front and Independent Control Blade Multi-link System with Stabiliser at the back. The steering has tilt and telescopic function and is an electrically assisted unit. There is also torque vectoring control on offer. Active grille shutters increase the aerodynamic efficiency at high speeds.
All around disc brakes provide for great stopping power in the Focus twins.

Price

It all boils down to the price, isn’t it? The Ford Focus sedan price starts from Php 1,088,000. This is the same as the Ford Focus hatchback price. Top variants though have a price difference.

Of the two, we will suggest the Ford Focus hatchback. It is more fun to drive, offers the same interior space but is more compact outside. The only thing you will lose out on is the boot space from the sedan.