Australian details: New 2019 Ford Focus

Ford Australia has announced first local details of the all-new Focus, which will be powered as standard by the same punchy new three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine seen the fiery 2019 Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch due here next March.

The new 1.5-litre turbo triple pumps out 134kW/240Nm and although it doesn’t grind out as much pepper as the Fiesta ST (147kW/290Nm), the compact turbo triple should deliver a highly competitive blend of economy and performance.

Sporting a contemporary new design, the 2019 Ford Focus line-up also arrives in Australia from November boasting a wider model range and more standard equipment than ever.

Although Australian pricing hasn’t been announced, standard features across the range will include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), an eight-speed automatic transmission, 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus SYNC 3 voice control.

All models will also come standard with steering wheel mounted gear shift paddles and a fancy new E-shifter dial that replaces a traditional gear knob and is designed to free up space next to the driver.

All Australian vehicles will be built in Germany -- instead of Thailand -- and backed by Ford’s new five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, along with strong after-sales support including free loan cars while servicing, Auto Club Membership with roadside assist, and capped-price servicing.

Two body styles have been confirmed for local launch when the 2019 Ford Focus arrives in Australia within four months -- five-door hatchback and wagon -- while the four-door sedan and all-new wagon-based Ford Focus Active crossover will join the Australian range from mid-2019.

Three equipment grades will be offered – entry-level Trend, sporty ST-Line and burger-with-the-lot Titanium – but not for both body style. The entry-level Trend will be hatch-only, for example, while the ST-Line will be available in hatch and wagon form.

Ford Australia is yet to confirm whether the Titanium will be offered in hatch, wagon or both guises here. No official local details are yet available for the new Focus sedan or higher-riding 2019 Focus Active.

Entry-level 2019 Ford Focus Trend models come standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, automatic headlights, automatic windscreen wipers and a self-dimming interior mirror.

The Ford Focus ST-Line models add a sports body kit, 17-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, a flat-bottom steering wheel, red stitching throughout the interior, sporty ST-Line cloth upholstery, wireless phone charging and dual-zone climate control. A cargo blind and roof rails are fitted to wagon versions.

Top-shelf Ford Focus Titanium models add 18-inch alloy, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go traffic mode, leather seat trim, a 675-Watt B&O stereo with 10 speakers, cyclist and night-time pedestrian detection for the AEB, blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert.

A fully-loaded headlight package is also offered, comprising self-levelling and camera-controlled swiveling LED headlights, plus Audi-style dynamic strobing indicators, daytime running lights and automatic high-beam control.

While the Focus Active crossover will be unique in its class, the new 2019 Ford Focus hatch and wagon will take on small-car category sales leaders like the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30 and Mazda3, making Focus a key model in Ford Australia’s dwindling passenger car range, especially as Mondeo sales fade.

“The all-new Focus is a clean sheet design, offering customers the latest EcoBoost technology and adds a significant amount of new convenience and driver assistance features to the range,” said Ford Australia CEO, Kay Hart.

“From Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian detection across the range to the new B&O Play audio system on Titanium, we are confident the expanded Focus line-up will have broad customer appeal.”

In due course, the new Focus hatch range will be joined by redesigned Focus ST hot hatch and 300kW Focus RS hyper-hatch models.

Stay tuned to motoring.com.au for our first drive of the new 2019 Ford Focus next Thursday (July 26).