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By
EWAN KENNEDY
9 July 2007
Ford Australia is getting very serious with its mid-sized
Focus model, not only adding extra models to the range, but also giving
buyers the option of a turbo-diesel engine for the first time.
Best news of all is the trimming of the price of several
models, and the offer of a 50 per cent cut in the price of safety
packages for the next three months. These packages vary from model
to model, depending on what is already included as standard. These
add additional electronic traction control devices and bring the
total of airbags up to six. The packages are normally priced
between $400 and $1600. The half price offer expires at the end of
September this year.
The lowest cost Focus is the CL manual hatchback. With a
recommended retail of just $19,990 you get Euro style at an Asian
price, and best of all, these European designed and built Fords
are a delight to drive. So it’s no surprise they are often the
vehicle of choice of the person who enjoys their cars, yet who
demands practicality at the same time as a pleasant driving
experience.
Styling changes are limited to a new front bumper, with a
slightly sportier look, revised door mirrors that now house the
side-indicators, and the deletion of the side rubbing strips to
give a neater appearance (though at the expense of losing some
protection from carpark dings).
Interestingly, the new bumper design is the same as that on the
Focus coupe-cabriolet that was so well received when previewed at
this year’s Melbourne Motor Show. That model is scheduled for
release in Australia late in the year. Colour choices have been
revised.
The Focus range has been expanded with the introduction of a
sporting Zetec sedan to complement the existing hatchback. And the
topline Ghia model is now offered in hatchback format in addition
to the previous sedan body. Leather trim in ebony is now an option
on the Zetec variants.
Focus' new turbo-diesel is a 2.0-litre unit used in a new model
called the TDCi. It is typical of the new-generation diesels that
are surging onto our market from Europe. With peak torque of 320
Nm it has plenty of grunt once the initial short period of turbo
lag has passed. It’s noisier than the 2.0-litre petrol engine we
also tested, but that’s much more obvious form outside the Focus
than inside.
The turbo-diesel engine is only sold with a six-speed manual
gearbox, something that may slow sales to buyers who do a lot of
slow-speed commuting. Having said that, we found the gearbox a
delightful unit during our 400+ kilometre initial test drive and
predict that keen drivers will love to sit behind it.
Handling is also something they will love. Focus is near
neutral in cornering, has a strong body that provides a good
platform for the suspension to work on, and there’s excellent
feedback by way of the steering wheel. It’s happy to change
direction mid corner and hard cornering speeds are achieved easily
and safely.
Coarse-chip road surfaces are often the nemesis of Euro cars,
sadly the Focus is no exception, with quite a lot of the din
created by contact between the tyres and the road being passed
through to the interior. Which is a shame, because on good
surfaces the Focus is even smoother and quieter than before due to
additional sound-deadening measures being taken in its
construction.
Ford Focus has under-performed on the Australian market to
date. These latest changes, allied with price reductions and the
choice of several important new models, should rapidly rectify
that situation and put this Ford of Europe machine firmly in the
sights of many more Australian buyers.
The complete 2007 Focus range with prices, excluding on-roads
costs, is (previous model prices in brackets):
CL manual: $19,990 ($20,990)
CL automatic: $21,990 ($22,990)
LX manual: $23,990 ($24,990)
LX automatic: $25,990 ($26,990)
Zetec manual: $26,490 ($27,490)
Zetec automatic: $28,490 ($29,490)
TDCi manual: $27,990 (N/A)
Ghia automatic: $29,490 ($30,990)
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Marque Publishing Company
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