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By
EWAN KENNEDY
15 October 2007
Ford Australia is pushing its Focus hard these days. Firstly because it’s
just the right size for these times of uncertain fuel prices and
concerns over the damage we are causing to the environment. Secondly,
due to the fact that the aging Falcon is struggling in the sales race
and improved Focus results will put the focus back on a better balance
sheet.
Most importantly of all, Ford Oz is keen to push its European
products as a better alternative to Holden's small cars, most of
which come from South Korea. Though it must be pointed out that
the Astra, which is Holden's closest competitor to the Focus, is
sourced from Europe.
Add all these facts together and throw in the imminent
introduction of the new Ford Mondeo to Australia, and the Ford's
focus on Focus makes a lot of sense.
The second-generation Ford Focus, launched in Australia in
2005, is less visually challenging than the model it replaced,
though it does have some styling cues to the radical shape of that
car. It’s an attractive machine with good proportions and enough
nuances in its body to make it fresh and interesting.
Though Ford of Germany designed this new Focus, it had
significant input from engineers in several other countries,
including Australia. In particular, our local engineers had a lot
of say on the suspension. The result is a small-medium car that’s
well suited to Australian road conditions and drivers’ tastes.
The second-generation Focus is bigger than the first, and
although technically classed as a small car for statistical
purposes, it’s almost as large as many medium-sized competitors.
So there's good interior space and Focus can be used as a
family car, though you will need to make some compromises in seat
spacing if large teenagers are to be routinely carried in the
back. The front seats are comfortable, with plenty of adjustments
and are well suited to long trips, even on rough roads.
Boot space is most impressive, particularly in the sedan and
the space advantages of not having a differential under the floor
and the use of a space-saver tyre mean the Focus sedan’s boot is
similar in volume to that of the Ford Falcon.
The steering and suspension are just beautiful and justify Ford
Australia's decision to stick with European products. This is an
ideal family car for the keen driver. There's plenty of feedback
through the steering and the seat of the pants, and the car can be
thrown at corners in the knowledge it won’t let go unless you
travel at silly speeds.
Yet this highly competent sports handling is achieved with a
compliant ride that makes normal roads easy to negotiate with a
minimum of fuss. Some really harsh roads will upset the suspension
at times, but the car is hardly unique in that way, many other
Europeans have very similar characteristics.
All standard Australian Focus models have a 2.0-litre engine.
It’s smooth and refined and generally a real delight to sit
behind. Some may find it doesn’t have a huge amount of grunt,
others will feel that it’s more than adequate. Torque is strong
and the spread is pretty good across the everyday rev range.
Transmission is by five-speed manual and four-speed automatic.
The manual has a lovely shift action that belies the fact this is
a front-drive car. The automatic has tiptronic settings like those
on the Falcon so there's a good degree of manual control over it.
Our week’s road testing on a five-speed manual showed Ford
Focus to have typical fuel consumption of about 10 to 11 litres
per hundred kilometres in suburban running. On the open road this
dropped to eight to nine litres, with sub eights available if you
want to work at your economy driving techniques.
There's also a sporting model in the standard range, the Focus
Zetec, with slightly firmer suspension and changes to the steering
geometry. In reality only the full-on enthusiastic driver will
need this variant as the rest of the Focus range already has such
good dynamics.
And for those full-on tragics who want a red-hot hatch, Ford
can supply the turbocharged Focus XR5 with its blown 2.5-litre
five-cylinder engine and sports oriented suspension and brakes.
Ford Focus Australia is now far more serious about the Focus
than it ever was with the original model. It has the right product
at a good price and only has to continue its strong marketing push
to see it rise over the typical monthly sales of 1500 cars per
month.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
CL 2.0-litre five-door hatch - $19,990
CL 2.0-litre four-door sedan - $19,990
LX 2.0-litre five-door hatch - $23,990
LX 2.0-litre four-door sedan - $23,990
Zetec 2.0-litre five-door hatch - $26,490
Zetec 2.0-litre four-door sedan - $26,490
TDCi 2.0-litre diesel five-door hatch - $27,990
Ghia 2.0-litre four-door sedan - $29,490
Ghia 2.0-litre five-door hatch - $29,490
XR5 2.0-litre turbo five-door hatch - $36,490
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Not offered
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Not offered in CL, standard in all other models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Not offered in CL, standard in all other
models
Stability Control: Not offered in CL, LX or TDCi, standard in all
other models
Traction Control: Not offered in CL, LX or TDCi, standard in all
other models
SPECIFICATIONS (Ford Focus TDCi 2.0-litre diesel five-door
hatch)
ENGINE
Capacity: 1.997 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 18.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 85.0 x 88.0 mm
Maximum Power: 100 kW @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 320 Nm @ 2000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Not offered
Final Drive Ratio: 4.07:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4341 mm
Wheelbase: 2640 mm
Width: 1991 mm
Height: 1443 mm
Turning Circle: 10.7 metres
Kerb Mass: 1370 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 53 litres
Towing Ability: 680 kg (1000kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, lower L-arms,
coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Control blade independent
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 9.4 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 16.7 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION/EMISSION RATINGS:
Type: Diesel
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 5.6 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km
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Marque Publishing Company
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