Mid-life refreshes don’t come much more important than this. Now sold in 140 global markets, the Ford Focus is the world’s best-selling car, typically only outsold in Europe by the Fiesta, and over a million found homes worldwide last year.

But no car is without faults, and Ford has sought to rectify a few of the criticisms levelled at the outgoing model, the first Focus to really be sold as a World Car. It feels like the newcomer has taken its lead from European customer feedback, which is a good thing.

Simplicity is the keyword here. It’s a predictable transition to the chrome-barred grille from the Fiesta and forthcoming Mondeo at the front, while the rear lights which used to melt over the bodywork like a Salvadore Dali clock are now smaller and neater too.

But it’s the interior which has changed the most. The awkwardly large handbrake gone, the centre console now features clever cupholders with moving dividers capable of holding a large water bottle, and there’s a consistent use of satin aluminium accents throughout which all helps it feel more upmarket.

Significantly, Ford has also downsized on the mosaic of buttons that made the old dashboard so hard to get used to. Aside from climate control functions and basic audio controls, everything has moved to a fairly intuitive eight-inch touch screen, which can optionally be equipped with the SYNC 2 voice control package. This is a genuine driver aid, capable of recognising fast instructions in a wide variety of accents, rather than a frustrating distraction.

Beneath the aesthetic updates, the front end is stiffer than before, in turn enabling the suspension and steering setup to be re-tuned. Ride quality claims are lofty but realistic, even on rough roads, yet it corners with the agility of a smaller car and responds quickly and naturally to steering inputs, aided by a new traction control system which can anticipate and correct skids.

Diesel engines now follow the Fiesta and B-Max, moving from the 1.6-litre TDCi engines to new 1.5-litre low-friction units with 90hp and 120hp. Both emit 98g/km and consume 3.8l/100km, but were unavailable to drive on the launch.

Instead, we tested the 150hp 2.0-litre TDCi, now 15% more fuel efficient than its 140hp predecessor, and significantly more refined than before thanks to improved noise suppression up front. All diesel engines are Euro 6 compliant, and feature a maintenance-free NOx trap rather than an additive, to keep a lid on servicing costs.

The perky 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol is unchanged but will soon enable the Focus to become the sub-100g/km non-hybrid petrol in this sector. User-choosers with more of a need for speed will also enjoy the new 1.5-litre EcoBoost, again downsized against its predecessor, which offers a wide spread of torque and 182hp, with CO2 emissions of 127g/km.

With CAP indicating residual values close to the benchmark Golf, and improvements to the driver assistance systems likely to shave a little off fleets’ running costs, the Focus has all the right ingredients to set an example for the rest of the segment.

What we think:

Ford has systematically addressed all of the old car’s weakest points, introducing more coherent styling, an improved driving experience and simpler controls.