Ford is busy finalising it's testing of the upcoming Focus, concentrating now on the three-door version due out alongside the five-door model.
The car was caught undergoing cold weather testing in Lapland, Finland, and despite padded disguise front and rear, sources confirm that the three-door follows the five-door's more sporting roofline which slopes down the rear hatch at a steeper angle than the current car. Otherwise, it's a distinctly understated styling evolution from Chris Bird and his Cologne-based team, with the front-end styling lifted from the current Focus C-Max midi-MPV.
After the dramatic shift from the Escort to radical Focus in 1998, Ford is happy to stick with a design language that is ageing well. The three-door will go on sale late this year alongside the five-door. The estate follows six months later, for launch alongside a saloon in summer 2005.
Improved interior quality has been a major goal for Ford, and the more expensive-feeling cabin materials used in the C-Max will at last make their way over to the rest of the Focus range. Only minor modifications have been made to the front strut/independent control blade rear suspension.
Engines should mirror those of the C-Max, which means 99 bhp 1.6-litre, 118 bhp 1.8-litre and 143 bhp 2-litre petrols, along with TDCi diesels of 108 and 134 bhp. A 220-bhp Focus ST will follow 18 months after launch and the 300-bhp Focus RS Cosworth is likely to appear at the end of 2006.