IT can’t be easy to compete in the compact passenger market. The level of competition in the C-segment is immense and this section of the market is known for its increasingly premium offerings. Point in case: the venerable Volkswagen Golf, which has set a new benchmark in terms of perceived quality and refinement. This means the new Ford Focus does not only have big shoes to fill – its predecessor was highly rated throughout its tenure in our market – but also faces stiff competition from the likes of the Golf, Opel Astra, Kia Cerato and Citroën C4, to mention but a few.
The Ford Focus has always been a solid performer in this segment and is of paramount importance for Ford’s global recovery, which is why the company has gone all-out with the latest generation, improving on its quality, performance, practicality and looks.
Generally, we refrain from passing comment on something as subjective as styling, but the new car’s lines warrant a mention: the style forms part of Ford’s Kinetic design language and shares many traits with the current Fiesta, such as wrap-around headlamps, a three-part air dam and strong character lines. When the first test vehicle arrived, most of the test team weren’t convinced, especially questioning the amoebic rear lights, but the design does grow on you and it has an athletic look. The Sport derivative, featured here, boasts 17-inch alloy rims and a boot spoiler.
The exterior’s sharp and angular design continues inside; the interior is fresh, modern and glammed-up with swathes of brightwork and brash blue backlighting.
As we’ve come to expect from a modern-day Ford, perceived quality is good – not quite up to the Golf’s level, but close – and the use of dark soft-touch material on the facia and front doors lends the cabin a sophisticated feel. However, our test vehicle and a few others on the local press launch exhibited a number of rattles, most notably from the plastic surrounding the instrument panel.
This is the top-of-the-range Sport, which means it’s packed with standard equipment, including six airbags, Isofix anchorages for the outer rear seats as well as keyless entry and go. But, while the cabin’s equipment level is impressive, the controls are less than intuitive. The steering wheel has a multitude of buttons scattered on two of the spokes, while no less than four paddles control the audio, cruise and voice control systems. The hang-down section of the facia houses the interface for the Sport’s dual-zone climate control system as well as a large number of buttons and knobs for the audio system, including a 107 mm screen on top of the facia.
One very handy feature is the information display in the instrument cluster that is big enough to clearly show all the relevant vehicle data (including the vehicle’s average speed, current and average consumption and fueltank range) on one screen.
The cabin is roomy and comfortable, although our evaluators did find the driver seat somewhat cramped due to the interior’s driver-oriented layout. The Ford Focus Sport has six-way electric adjustment on the driver’s side as well as heating functions for the two front seats. Rear legroom is impressive and, with utility space ranging between 288 and 1 000 dm³, the Focus never feels compromised in its role as a family hatchback.
The new range consists of both a five-door hatchback and a fourdoor saloon. The five-door models are available with two engine options: a 92 kW/159 N.m 1,6-litre petrol engine coupled with a five speed manual gearbox and available in Ambiente and Trend specification levels, as well as the new direct-injection 2,0-litre petrol engine of our test unit, which delivers 125 kW and a healthy 202 N.m of torque and is available in both Trend and Sport trim levels. In hatchback-guise, the 2,0-litre is only available with a five-speed manual gearbox, while the 2,0-litre saloon is offered with Ford’s sixspeed Powershift auto ‘box. The saloon also has a new 2,0-litre Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engine in its line-up, which is coupled with the same automatic transmission.
The 2,0-litre petrol engine uses variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) and performs admirably when prompted; we recorded a very impressive 0-to-100 km/h sprint time of 9,10 seconds. Its maximum power output is available at 6 600 r/min, just 250 r/min below the red line. The engine is far from lazy but the Sport doesn’t feel as punchy as the performance-test results would suggest. Most vehicles in this class now make use of smaller-capacity turbocharged petrol engines coupled with six speed ‘boxes, and the Ford’s taller ratios (especially the top two) have two drawbacks; it requires more effort and a few more gear changes to keep the engine on the boil, and the lack of a sixth cog means that this naturally aspirated engine can’t match its turbocharged competitors for fuel efficiency, especially when travelling longer distances and at higher speeds.
That said, the five-speed manual ‘box is typical sound Ford-fare, offering a short throw and a secure shift. Some team members did mention a slightly too light clutch action, requiring modulation at pull-away. The Sport comes standard with traction control and hill-hold systems which, for the most part, bypass this problem during trickier driving situations.
Where its powertrain is by no means class-leading, once the wheels are rolling the new car really shines. Handling and dynamics have always been the Ford Focus’s strength and the newcomer builds on that. Ford’s engineers have managed to make the car’s body structure lighter and more rigid, which not only aids noise and vibration in the cabin but also, along with the reworked suspension, adds to its ride quality and road holding. The Sport derivative features a sport-suspension system (enhanced over the standard suspension to offer greater cornering stability and agility, while offering good ride comfort) as well as 17-inch alloy rims with a set of 215/50 Michelin rubber. All Focuses use a torque-vectoring system, which acts as a limited-slip differential on the front axle by making use of the brakes and, in so doing, limits understeer. And it seems to work, because the Focus does not only exhibit little body roll when cornering, but it also takes a lot to push its nose wide.
Steering-wise, it features a new electric power-steering system which, thankfully, doesn’t feel nearly as wooden as we’ve come to expect from these systems. The steering is precise and rationally weighted, and offers a fair amount of feedback through the steering column. The result is a car that is quick on the turn-in, steady during the middle part of a corner and willing on the exit. Yet, surprisingly, the ride is also compliant without being soft over undulations.
During our gruelling 10-stop emergency brake test, the Focus also excelled, recording a very impressive average stopping time of 2,79 seconds.
TEST SUMMARY
Ford has done its homework with the new Focus. The new car successfully bridges the gap between the outrageous design of the first-generation Focus and the sophistication of the previous model.
But, entering the Golf-class and beating the German at its own game was never going to be easy and, while it offers better value than the Golf in terms of standard specifi cation, the Focus is not without its faults. That said, it’s certainly a close-run thing.
