The all-new Ford Focus is bigger, more advanced and weighs less than its predecessor, while also featuring a less cluttered design for the interior.

Let’s face it, whenever a new Focus comes out, it’s a pretty big deal in most parts of the world as this is still one of the best-selling cars in its class, where competition happens to be pretty tight.

Ford knew they couldn’t afford to strike out with this car, which is why they made sure to fix nearly everything that held back its predecessor, focusing on comfort, technology, safety and as always, driving dynamics. But did it work?

According to John Mcllroy of Auto Express, it very much did – like a charm. He found the compact model to be quite comfortable to sit in, even as a backseat passenger (despite his over 6-foot frame). The rest of the interior he found well-built, with soft-touch materials on top and harder plastics only in places you’re not likely to touch too often.

On the move, the new Focus is described as comfortable at low speed, while also doing a good job smoothing out bumps and other imperfections on the road. In regards to its power train, the model tested was equipped with a 1.5-liter EcoBlue diesel, mated to the new 8-speed automatic transmission, a combo that also received praise.

As for what makes the new 2018 Focus stand out the most, it’s the chassis, according to the reviewer, who stated that regardless of configuration, this is the best-handling car in its class.