Ford's global 'One Ford' policy means that fewer and fewer cars in the manufacturer's range are sold in just one market--they need to be viable worldwide to be viable as a whole.

That's why you can buy Fiestas in the U.S, while Fusions and Mustangs will soon be on sale in Europe.

It's also why the 2015 Ford Focus, making its debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show with revised styling and a new engine, is as relevant to U.S. buyers as it is their counterparts in Europe.

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Buyers on both sides of the pond will get the car's stylish new face, heavily influenced by the larger Fusion and the aggressive new Mustang.

As with many recent Fords there's a hint of Aston Martin in there too, but from the hood backward the restyle is much more subtle and instantly recognizable as the Focus that's been on sale for several years now.

The new look is reminiscent of the Ford Focus Electric, which has had the new grille design since it was launched.

Changes to the Bi-xenon headlights have brought adaptive lighting into the fray, that analyze your surroundings and select the best beam pattern for the road you're driving on. On freeways that means a longer, straighter beam; in city driving the beam will point further down and give a wider spread.

The styling is certainly a lot more cohesive than before and those improvements have been carried over to the interior--the revised cabin is less fussy and less button-heavy, the design more grown-up and the car's infotainment display more prominent. An updated SYNC with MyFord Touch system is also now available.

There's a larger center storage console and center arm rest, thicker carpets, thicker side window glass and more engine bay insulation. The latter three changes should ensure the cabin is a quieter place than before.

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Suspension tweaks should improve the way the car drives--there's revised geometry, greater structural stiffness at the front, different suspension bushings, re-tuned shocks and changes to the stability control and electric power steering systems.

Biggest news though is the new engine--at least, the new engine heading to U.S. markets.

Ford has sold its Focus with the 1.0-liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost for a few years now in Europe, and of course the engine is just going on sale in the Fiesta in the U.S.

But it'll be coming to American Focus models too, giving U.S. buyers an alternative high-mpg option in the compact class. Full U.S. specs haven't yet been announced, but it's likely to feature similar 123-horsepower, 148 lb-ft figures to its counterpart in the Fiesta.

More unusually, the engine will only be offered with a six-speed manual transmission--so it should be good fun to drive and better for extracting good gas mileage from, with correct technique.

Ford is likely to announce more details on the updated car at the Geneva show itself--and you can follow all the latest show news on our Geneva Motor Show hub page.

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