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The car uses MacPherson-strut suspension up front and a torsion beam axle at the rear, and Vauxhall has focused on tweaking the Astra’s steering, suspension damper tuning and bump stops, as well as the anti-roll bars to focus on a sportier feel and more high-speed stability.
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It’s linked to a six-speed manual gearbox that drives the front wheels. Given its prevalence across Stellantis group cars, it’s a known quantity, combining strong performance and economy but leaving better refinement to be desired. This engine produces 129bhp and 230Nm of torque. But it’s the more affordable pure-petrol 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo model we’re testing here. This multi-energy architecture allows for plug-in hybrid power, while a full-electric Astra will arrive next year. With Vauxhall part of the Stellantis group, this all-new Astra uses the same EMP2 platform as sister brand Peugeot’s 308. We’ve put the latest version up against its two oldest foes, the Golf, now in Mk8 form, and the Focus, in its new-for-2022 Mk4 facelift guise, to find out. Well, there’s an all-new Astra on the scene, which Vauxhall hopes will see it clamber back towards the top – both in terms of the sales rankings, but also to challenge the best models in the class. But are buyers wrong to move away from these cars? Do they still offer the same all-round ability they once did? The Ford and the Vauxhall have long since slipped away. Today, the rise of the SUV means that just the Golf is still in the UK top 10 list of new-car registrations, and only in ninth spot. Indeed, between 20, the Focus and Astra were the UK’s two biggest-selling new cars, with the VW consistently lurking just a couple of places behind. Add in practicality and there was little reason why anyone would choose to buy anything else. Sensible, affordable models such as the Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf were the default choice for most buyers. There was a time when the family hatch was the backbone of Britain.