Ford Focus Titanium

The Ford Focus Titanium sits at the higher end of the trim range and has equipment that wouldn't look out of place on a premium hatchback. The Focus underwent a facelift in 2015 which saw slight revisions to the trim range too. The most notable change with the Titanium is the inclusion of the SYNC 2 infotainment system, which has a large 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, AUX and SD card ports. The updated system clears up the rather cluttered dashboard that was a thorn in the side of the previous generation's version.

On the outside, the Titanium spec gets a lot of chrome inserts, including the front grille. The 10-spoke alloy wheel design is also unique to the Titanium trim.

Engines on offer include three diesels and three petrols. The 1.5-litre TDCi diesel is the most efficient, claiming up to 74.3mpg. With emissions at just 98g/km, there's no road tax to pay on this model. One of the quickest is the 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol; a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds is quick enough to keep up with most of the Focus' rivals. The engine is smooth and punchy, but although Ford claims a solid economy figure of 51.4mpg, real world measurements tend to be lower overall.

Good points

With the Ecoboost engine, the Focus has the power its brilliant chassis deserves. Together, they amount to an unrivalled combination in the compact hatchback class – great steering and handling plus an engine that’s strong and smooth at most revs. It makes the Focus quite expensive, but is worth every penny. The stop-start system is user-friendly and contributes towards a potential 47mpg.With Titanium spec, the Focus is a great car just to be in. It’s not just things like the SYNC 2 infotainment system and the climate control that add to your sense of wellbeing. Little touches like the chrome door handles, cool interior ambient lighting, leather gearshift knob and folding rear centre armrest are premium car features.

Bad points

Depreciation is the biggest bugbear with the Focus, and it’s going to be especially steep with a version that costs the best part of £20,000.Boot space, as with any other version, is only average at best, so the Focus can't keep up with rivals for practicality.Although the EcoBoost engines are a blast, they usually don't come close to official fuel economy figures.

What you get

• Alloy wheels
• Folding rear seats
• Electric folding wing mirrors
• Alarm
• Rear parking sensors
• Tyre pressure sensors
• Passenger & Driver airbag
• Front side airbags
• Curtain airbags
• Front fog lights
• Auto climate control
• Leather steering wheel
• Height adjustable driver's seat
• Front electric windows
• Single CD player
• AUX stereo input
• DAB Radio
• Cruise control
• Stop/Start
• Automatic wipers
• Reversing camera
• Sports seats
• Rear electric windows
• Bluetooth

Recommended optional extras

• Metallic paint
• Satellite navigation

Our choice

The turbocharged 1.5-litre Ecoboost petrol engine. It’s a gem, delivering strong performance across the entire rev band and gives the Focus some extra driving character. Fuel economy can't match the diesels, though.