Ford’s ubiquitous C-segment car the Focus has been named used car of the decade by CAP.

A panel of judges comprising used car market and vehicle valuation experts at CAP voted unanimously for the Focus 1998-2005, declaring it as the vehicle which set new standards of quality in the volume car market during the decade 2000 - 2009 and brought easily affordable excellence within reach of everyday used car buyers.

CAP said the Focus was “a brave and radical departure from the norm, effectively reinventing every aspect of the small family car, from engineering standards, fit and finish to introducing a host of new innovations to the sector”.

Other winners in the Used Car of the Decade Awards included:

Overall winner and best medium used family car of the decade: Ford Focus 1998 - 2005

Small used car of the decade: Ford Ka 1996 – 2008

Large used family car of the decade: Volkswagen Passat 1996 – 2005

Executive used car of the decade: Audi A3 2003 – 2008

Luxury used car of the decade: BMW X5 2000 – 2006