Wheels & Deals: Ford reveals new Focus facelift and tech upgrade

Each now gains unique styling elements that express their individual personalities, with an available X pack bringing a high specification and expanded Vignale pack availability for those in need of luxury and exclusive design features.

The new range also introduces Ford’s next-generation SYNC 4 technology, enabling cloud-connected navigation and connected voice control with natural language understanding. This system is supported by an all-new, largest in segment 13.2in landscape centre screen with an intuitive interface designed to make it effortless to navigate a comprehensive range of driving and comfort features.

On top of all that Ford also revealed the new Focus ST, developed by Ford Performance. Featuring sporty new exterior styling and alloy wheel designs, a head-turning Mean Green paint option and all-new, in-house developed Performance Seats, the Focus ST continues to be offered with a high-performance EcoBoost petrol powertrain and five-door or estate body styles.

The new Focus ST is powered by a 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, delivering 280 PS and 420 Nm of torque supported by a twin-scroll turbocharger with anti-lag technology. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard with rev-matching technology when specified with the optional X Pack for smoother, more consistent down-shifts. A seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters is also available.

Pricing and specifications will be announced in due course.

NEW RANGE ROVER

Land Rover has given a first glimpse of the new Range Rover ahead of its world premiere next Tuesday.

Across five decades of pioneering innovation, the Range Rover has led by example. It has earned an unmatched status as the ultimate luxury SUV for royalty, politicians, business leaders, and celebrities across the world, combining peerless refinement and unmatched capability.

Professor Gerry McGovern, chief creative officer, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “The new Range Rover is a vehicle with a peerless character, from the impeccable restraint of its exterior to the flawless tranquil sanctuary of its cabin.

“Informed by creative intellect and a desire for perfection, it doesn’t follow fashion or trend, but by a modernist design philosophy, combined with over 50 years of evolution, it is quite simply the most desirable Range Rover ever created.”

We shall see next week.

TESLA MODEL Y

Tesla has unveiled its new Model Y in Ireland; prices start from €69,800 and first deliveries will be made in early 2022.

The Design Studio includes two options for Model Y with Long Range AWD and Performance.

Initial deliveries will be Model Y Long Range AWD. With 507 km of WLTP range, plenty of storage space and a medical-grade HEPA air filter, Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive is the ultimate combination of performance and utility.

Tesla says Model Y is an all-electric, mid-size SUV designed for maximum versatility and safety, offering leading range, superior performance, and the most advanced technology.

Inside, Model Y’s panoramic glass roof and high seating creates a feeling of spaciousness and offers an expansive view from every seat in the vehicle. The front trunk and split-folding second-row seats provide more than 2,100 litres of storage space.

Like Model 3, Model Y requires no keys, but instead connects to your smartphone for seamless entry and exit, with a single 15in touchscreen interface inside for all of the car’s controls. Model Y also connects with the Tesla mobile app for unique, easy-to-access features like remote unlock, summon, remote pre-conditioning, location tracking, speed limit mode, and much more.

Model Y is also compatible with the current Supercharger network of more than 6,000 Superchargers across Europe, as well as the company’s new V3 Superchargers, which can charge at rates up to 1,600 km per hour.

A visit to Tesla’s Irish Design Studio will allow people see available options and delivery timelines.