Ford Focus gets Aston face, 1.0-liter Ecoboost engine

The Focus, currently the world’s best-selling car model, is about to receive a new look and a new engine. The new look is the Aston Martin-style front grille that has already been seen on the Fiesta. The engine is also one from the Fiesta—the 1.0 liter Ecoboost turbocharged gasoline engine.

Aside from the new grille, the Focus also gets a new hood, headlamps and taillights and redesigned trunk lid. Ford promises an interior with a clean and modern look, featuring satin chrome trim, new switchgear, a new center console and easier-to-access glove box.

The 1.0-liter Ecoboost produces 125hp and 170 Nm in its Fiesta application, about double the horsepower of a typical non-turbo 1.0-liter. The Engine has been awarded as International Engine of the Year twice. The Ecoboost  will be paired with a six-speed transmission. It will be offered as an alternative to the 2.0-liter gasoline engine. Ford recently doubled its capacity to manufacture the engines, to more than 1000 a day, at its factory in Cologne, Germany.

The Focus will also feature a rear view camera, blind-spot monitoring system, lane keeping system, and an enhanced Sync entertainment system.

The new Focus will be available in the second half of 2014. In a nod to how the automotive and gadget worlds are becoming more interconnected, the new Focus was revealed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, an event focusing on cellphones and other mobile devices.