The new Focus.

It's now on sale here in the UK which means I've seen it in the metal for the first time. Since I don't have much time on my hands, I'm editing tomorrows video blog, I won't go into the nitty gritty.

The first thing that's noteworthy about the new Focus is that it's a good looking machine. It's certainly less bland than the car it replaces anyway. I have to say that when viewed from the front it looks angry. I think that the shape of the grille coupled with the positioning of the headlights makes it look like it's growling at you.

The interior is also improved. In fact it takes after the interior that was debuted on the S Max very recently. It's a modern looking interior with a chunky steering wheel and plenty of standard equipment. It is, as one might say, stylish.

In 1.6 Zetec guise (middle of the road) it has 114bhp and 199lbs/ft of torque. They are rather impressive figures but the car will do 60 in only 10.7 seconds and it's not known yet what the top speed is. I would have to guess somewhere around the 115mph mark, but in my head that sounds like the estimation of an optimist.

As for how it handles, it's difficult to say if I'm honest. I wouldn't imagine it handles any worse than the previous car but it's hard to tell. The reason for that is down to the way the car feels to drive. Since the new car has new electrically assisted power steering rather than a hydraulic system it feels much less lifeless. Whether or not the car is deader than the old one would take a direct comparison around a race track to tell, and that's a luxury I don't have.

In any case speculation on how it drives or performs is pointless as I'm sure this car will sell in droves and unless you're planning on taking it around Donington Park, I can't see a reason why you should steer clear!