Ford has added a sedan to its Focus range to give buyers “a functional yet elegant alternative”, while the hatchback has been given a facelift.
Ford has added a sedan to its Focus range to give buyers “a functional yet elegant alternative”, while the hatchback has been given a facelift.
The sedan shares the hatchback’s front-end design, but the four-door has individual rear styling. Ford says it provides a more traditional, luxurious tone with six-light profile and short tail containing a wide, deep luggage compartment.
A single model will be equipped with the two-litre Zetec E engine, which delivers a maximum power output of 96 kW at 5 500 r/min and 178 N.m of torque at 4 500 r/min through a manual gearbox. It shares this engine with the facelifted hatchback.
The Focus is capable of scampering from zero to 100 km/h in 9,2 seconds and has a top speed of 201 km/h. It consumes 8,5 litres/100 km.
The high-torque capacity of Ford’s MTX75 five-speed transaxle makes it the ideal match for the sporty two-litre Zetec E. Low-friction, needle-roller bearings and low viscosity mineral oil are a further aid to low fuel consumption, FMCSA claims.
The sedan has a high level of specification, including body-hugging front sports seats, ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), driver and passenger airbags, a silver metallic instrument cluster surround and gear lever insert, a leather covered steering wheel and sports instrument cluster. The Focus four-door furthermore delivers on its sports sedan feel with a chassis that is rated as the best in its class around the globe. It also boasts the lightest body structure.
New Edge design elements include the backswept Halogen headlamps with integral turn indicators, which are fitted flush with the forward edge of the bonnet line.
According to Ford, thanks to the all-new platform, the four-door Focus sedan is 100 per cent stiffer than typical cars in the segment and better than the best of the competition by 15 per cent.
Unlike the Focus five-door, which has 16″ wheels, the four-door has 15″ alloys with 195/60 VR 15 tyres. This move gives the sedan a slightly less compromising ride than the five-door (but does not affect handling). The 195/60 tyres have the same rolling radius as the 205/50 16″ tyres of the five-door, and do not feature any difference in “space” between tyre and wheel arch.
The four-door is about 200mm longer than the five-door and offers 40 per cent more luggage capacity (the luggage compartment also features carrier bag stowage hooks).
Other exterior features on the sedan include full depth front and rear bumpers (body coloured), bumper protector inserts (self colour) and body side protection mouldings (self colour). Tinted windows all round, a roof-mounted antennae, front driving lights and an electrically operated exterior door mirrors.
According to Neale Hill, Ford Marketing Manager at the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, the new car has lots of appealing traits. “It comes from a family of cars that has been an unrivalled success within the motor industry.
“For the first time, we can offer a Focus to sedan buyers. Although the South African market is slowly changing to a more Eurocentric market that prefers hatchbacks, this remains a large and important market – sedans still make up by far the largest percentage of the small car market. We think that South Africans will soon see lots of Focus sedans on our roads,” Hill said.
Hill said the changes to the five-door are set to further entrench the Focus in the hearts of spirited motorists who want a hatchback offering a New-Edge design theme inside and out. “The five-door Focus has always represented a superb package. Now it offers superb craftsmanship and unbeatable ride, braking, steering and handling,” he notes.
The three areas that have been subjected to this rejuvenating and invigorating process are the exterior, interior and engine. “Ultimately,” says Hill, “the vehicle is even more irresistible.”
The front and rear bumpers have evolved, with the front one boasting a 2cm thick protective rubbing strip. The front bumper has also been enhanced by new-look fog lights.
The integral headlight unit gives the Focus an even more aesthetically distinctive look. Add to this the new grille, black rear suspension housing and body colour side sill protectors.
A new addition is the dribble wipe that waits four seconds before stopping so that visibility is always crystal clear and the rear wiper that is automatically activated when the front wipers are on and reverse gear is engaged.
Ford says the highlight of the interior renovation is the new design centre console. The cup holders are now deeper so that nothing can tumble out and stain the beautiful new Harlequin II Pattern seat material. The glove box and ashtray are now illuminated so as to facilitate locating them while driving at night.
Passengers at the back have easy access to a 12-volt power socket, which should prove useful for telephones, laptops and games.
“The four-door is therefore targeted at the more conventional buyer who still wants a sporty and distinctively styled car, but without the radical rear-end treatment of the five-door. As a result, the four-door is more practical, offering a much larger boot and added security benefits. However, this doesn’t mean that the four-door lacks when it comes to style, originality and sporty appeal,” Hill said.
Both the sedan and hatchback are priced at R177 530.
