The following is an extract from a TopGear Review on the new Mk4 Ford Focus Hatch.

The hatches with the smallest, lowest-power now have a torsion-beam setup. Sounds like a retrograde step given it’s the first time we’ve had one of those on a mid-size Ford since the Escort. But the engineers swear it’s actually well-enough refined that it rides as well as the current Focus, and it’s closely related to the Fiesta ST design.

Meanwhile, more powerful hatches get a short-and-long arm setup. This one, they say is better developed and gives a quieter ride than the torsion beam, and more precise steering response.

Is the above correct as the dealers I spoke to before I took delivery of my car didn’t appear to know.

This is the Email reply from Ford Customer Relationship Centre to my enquiry.

"I have spoken to our technical team who have advised me that the 1.5l ecoboost/1.5l petrol will be standard fitted with the short - and – long arm suspension, however the continuously controlled damping option is an option you can opt out or in for."

I have a Focus Titanium X 1.5 EcoBoost so therefore if the above is correct it should have the short-and-long arm setup.

I have had a look underneath but to be honest I don’t really know what the differences would look like.

You're looking for something like the following examples. These are general examples but should make sense once you compare what you have on the car. 

The MK7 fiesta torsion bar setup looks like this:

 

 

Notice the long single tube across the car. The idea is that tube/beam twists under use giving some measure of independent movement but without the expense of a proper independent suspension setup

 

This is the MK3 Focus independent rear suspension:

 

 

 

Notice how each side of the rear suspension has a top and bottom arm and its own pivot point. On this setup each wheel can move independently of the other (anti-roll bar aside). 

 

If you're still stuck try taking a photo from underneath the car and we'll have a go

The 1.5EB does have the 'decent' independent rear suspension.  It's the 1.0EB that gets the crap one.  But it's no different to Ford fitting small front discs and drum rear brakes to the 1.0EB of previous generation Focus.  The 1.0EB isn't designed for 'fun' essentially, just meant to be an A to B car for tight people so Ford can get away with cheaping out on certain parts to reduce the overall cost of the car.  Of course, it doesn't really work out like that in the real world, but that's how they're designed!

5 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

The 1.5EB does have the 'decent' independent rear suspension.  It's the 1.0EB that gets the crap one.  But it's no different to Ford fitting small front discs and drum rear brakes to the 1.0EB of previous generation Focus.  The 1.0EB isn't designed for 'fun' essentially, just meant to be an A to B car for tight people so Ford can get away with cheaping out on certain parts to reduce the overall cost of the car.  Of course, it doesn't really work out like that in the real world, but that's how they're designed!

Fitting rear drums is understandable cost-cutting as on most cars you don't really need that much braking force at the back and the driver will probably never notice. Changing the entire rear suspension for something considerably inferior is IMO a step too far. I've not driven any of the new MK4s but our MK3 1.5 TDCI pool cars handle and ride very well while my folks' MK7 Fiesta on a rear beam just doesn't...

15 hours ago, rhyds said:

You're looking for something like the following examples. These are general examples but should make sense once you compare what you have on the car. 

The MK7 fiesta torsion bar setup looks like this:

 

 

Notice the long single tube across the car. The idea is that tube/beam twists under use giving some measure of independent movement but without the expense of a proper independent suspension setup

 

This is the MK3 Focus independent rear suspension:

 

 

 

Notice how each side of the rear suspension has a top and bottom arm and its own pivot point. On this setup each wheel can move independently of the other (anti-roll bar aside). 

 

If you're still stuck try taking a photo from underneath the car and we'll have a go

Thanks for all the interesting replies guys.

Just had a look under the car, and yes as you can hopefully confirm from the photos it looks like I have indeed got the independent suspension set up.

Looks to me similar to the MK3 set up with independent pivot points either side of the exhaust pipe.

 

That looks like an independent setup to me. 

2 minutes ago, rhyds said:

That looks like an independent setup to me. 

Thanks Rhyds,I was hoping you would confirm that.👍

Happy now.☺️

On 4/8/2019 at 11:13 PM, rhyds said:

That looks like an independent setup to me. 

Yup, it's 100% the independent setup.

36 minutes ago, 1979Damian said:

Yup, it's 100% the independent setup.

Thanks,  👍

On 4/8/2019 at 8:58 AM, rhyds said:

You're looking for something like the following examples. These are general examples but should make sense once you compare what you have on the car. 

The MK7 fiesta torsion bar setup looks like this:

 

 

Notice the long single tube across the car. The idea is that tube/beam twists under use giving some measure of independent movement but without the expense of a proper independent suspension setup

 

This is the MK3 Focus independent rear suspension:

 

 

 

Notice how each side of the rear suspension has a top and bottom arm and its own pivot point. On this setup each wheel can move independently of the other (anti-roll bar aside). 

 

If you're still stuck try taking a photo from underneath the car and we'll have a go

 

3 hours ago, Musa said:

 

If your looking at this post thinking you’ve got SLA suspension , about a month after that post (May 2019) Ford started putting torsion beam in almost every mk4 focus they make.