FORD is on a roll at the moment with its range just getting better and better.
The Blue Oval boosted its image with the excellent S-Max and the new Galaxy before stunning the competition with the excellent multi-award-winning new Mondeo.
They also recently teased us with pictures of the all-new SUV Kuga and Fiesta models planned for next year.
And yet they have still found the time to turn their attention to the best-selling Focus and yet again they have produced the goods.
The Focus you will remember, took our breath away 10 years ago when it replaced the ageing Escort.
Since then it has notched-up five million sales, won Car of the Year titles in Europe and the USA and been Britain's best seller for a decade.
The current Focus is still very much in demand in the UK and is responsible for 1 in 20 sales.
The sharp styling of the first Focus was blunted for the current second generation vehicle and although the engines and dynamics were improved to unmatched levels its looks were a little bland.
With this mid-term facelift the Focus finally gets the styling it deserves inside and out.
It now looks much sleeker and the quality of the cabin has been lifted to new levels of refinement.
Ford has given the Focus its 'kinetic design' treatment to bring it bang up to date.
Every panel except the roof has been changed and it has a bold new face, swept back headlamps, wheel lips and a new tailgate and lights.
It goes on sale in January in three and five-door hatchback and estate forms and the hot ST, saloon and coupe cabriolet versions will arrive by March.
Astonishingly it will cost only £250 more than the existing model but safety system ESP is standard on the new car and it is presently a £250 option on the current model. A tyre deflation detection system is also on all cars to improve safety.
Inside the changes have raised both quality and comfort levels considerably. New instruments with a central display illuminated in red, brighten the dashboard, while a soft-touch material covers the upper facia and door trims.
The dash has also been given a new more modern look and the ventilation and stereo controls have been redesigned on all versions. Flagship variants get a new centre consule with a large LCD screen.
The trim line-up has also been streamlined with just four levels available, entry level Studio, Style, Zetec and Titanium. Ghia is no more.
A stack of options are available, including a power button to start the engine instead of a key, xenon adaptive headlamps and LED tail-lights.
The cabin is now a very nice place to be and feels much more upmarket. Every car also features Ford's Easyfuel capless system which makes it impossible to fill any car with the wrong type of fuel.
Because the power trains and driving dynamics were already excellent they have been carried over and pretty much left as they were.
But the springtime will see the addition of two choices ECOnetic and PowerShift.
ECOnetic will make its debut in the Focus 1.6 TDCi diesels before being extended to other Ford models. Basically adjusting electronics has enabled CO2 levels to be reduced to such an extent that the car will qualify for the £35 a year road tax band.
PowerShift is a new six-speed double-clutch automatic transmission and it will be standard on the 110PS TDCi and optional on the 136PS version. It lowers the consumption of a normal automatic by an impressive 10 per cent.
Prices for the new model start at £11,945, while the 1.6 Zetec model at £15,295 is predicted to be the biggest seller. ECOnetic will cost from £15,795 and the hot ST flagship will set you back £20,595.
It is thought that petrol will be responsible for 65 per cent of sales with diesel taking the remaining 35 per cent.
The new Focus is still a great car to drive and with the new changes it will keep its place as market leader.