The previous Focus came in two- and four-door hatchback designs, as well as sedan and traditional wagon versions. The new Focus is just offered in sedan and coupe body styles. The sedan seems to pull off the new styling better than the coupe, but buyers are likely to miss the hatchback and wagon versions (see a side-by-side comparison with the 2007 Focus).

Ford replaced a lot of sheet metal on the new Focus, but the overall effect looks like a patch job. The front and rear are radically restyled, and around back you can really appreciate what the design team has done. In profile, though, there is less to like, especially on the new coupe. There's certainly no hiding the fact that the Focus isn't all new here, as the gawky profile doesn't mesh with the restyled front and back at all.

A non-functional air intake was added behind the front wheels to give an illusion of performance, but even if it were functional the ploy wouldn't succeed on an aesthetic front.