Ford Focus Vignale review (2018-2021)

Driving position

Just like in the standard Focus, it’s easy to get comfortable behind the wheel of the Vignale, and there's plenty of forward visibility.

The driver’s seat has a wide range of adjustments, and the steering wheel is adjustable for reach and rake, so finding your perfect position won’t be a pain.

Tech and features

The whole purpose of the Focus Vignale is to provide a larger range of equipment than you’ll find in the standard car, and in this respect, it doesn’t disappoint.

There’s an eight-inch display with Ford’s latest SYNC 3 infotainment system, featuring built-in sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a wide-view reversing camera, a head-up display and Active Park Assist.

The Vignale also features full leather trim with Vignale badging, contrast stitching on the dashboard and seats, an audiophile-worthy B&O sound system and multi-colour ambient lighting.

Apart from that stitching, the rest of the interior is as you’d find in the standard car.

That means it’s well built, with quality plastics and pleasing soft-touch materials that are almost on par with the premium German competition.

Handling and ride comfort

The Vignale also shares its driving dynamics with the standard car, and that’s no bad thing.

There’s plenty of grip and weighty, direct steering, so taking high-speed B-road corners with the minimum of fuss won’t pose much of a problem.

The Vignale rides well, too, making light work of rough surfaces and potholed city streets. The cabin is also pleasantly insulated from excessive tyre and wind noise, making longer journeys a breeze.

Engines and power

The Focus Vignale’s range of petrol and diesel engines offers an attractive combination of refinement and power, with enough oomph to handle backroad blasts, motorway driving, and everything in between.

Especially surprising is the three-cylinder, 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. With the assistance of a turbocharger and mild hybrid power, it's capable enough for most driving conditions.

Rear seats

The Focus Vignale offers near-class-leading cabin space, with plenty of leg and headroom up front and in the back, which wasn't the case with the previous-gen Focus.

Boot space

Boot space is not quite as impressive, although it’s still in line with rivals in the family hatchback class.

It will happily swallow a couple of mid-sized suitcases or the weekly shop, and the standard 60:40 split rear seats can fold flat if you need to carry more luggage or larger items.

The Vignale also comes with a handy load-through ski hatch for more carrying flexibility.

Storage solutions

There’s an acceptable amount of interior storage, with a decent-sized glovebox and a cubby in the central armrest as well as large door pockets and two cupholders up front.

Fuel economy

When it comes to fuel economy and efficiency, the Focus Vignale is among the best in its class.

The three-cylinder, 1.0-litre EcoBoost hybrid petrol engine version returns over 56mpg, while the 1.5-litre model delivers 57mpg.

Emissions figures for the petrol engines are impressive when compared to the competition.

The Vignale’s diesel engines also deliver strong fuel economy figures, although CO2 emissions are more in line with rivals.

Reliability

And, while older Focus models occasionally suffered from reliability issues, Ford has made a concerted effort to improve its build quality of late. So, the Focus Vignale should be pretty dependable.