With its new Focus, the blue oval brand has affirmed its place at the top of the hatchback market, writes M ICHAEL MCALEER, Motoring Editor
WHEN FORD launched the current Focus, BBC's Top Geardid a little test: they parked the new car on a typical middle-England high street, heartland of the family hatchback, and watched the reaction of passers-by. No one batted an eyelid. Not a head turned. No one noticed. All that effort, all those billions that went into creating new production lines and body panels, all for nought.
Admittedly, the same test could have been done with most of the big volume family hatchbacks launched over the last five years, with the same results. You need to be pretty astute on Volkswagen styling cues to identify the latest VW Golf from its predecessor for instance. In their defence, car firms are always going to find it incredibly difficult to be bold with cars that generate massive sales and cash. It’s a brave boardroom that signs off on a radical redesign for a car company’s cash cow.
That’s undoubtedly a problem that faced the folks at the blue oval brand: how do you take a car that’s already sold 10 million since it was introduced in 1998, launch what effectively is the European model onto the global stage, and hope to offer something fresh without killing the golden goose?
The answer it seems is to retain the fundamental shape that has defined the Focus range, but overhaul the detail. Yet Ford has gone much further. It has braved the choppy waters of redesign and come up with a car that will not only turn heads but will also raise eyebrows with the new technology on board.
In the metal this car looks really smart, a far more striking presence than the current model. This time there’s a solid, more coupé-like silhouette to the car, but it’s not just in its overall lines that the new Focus has improved. There are smart little touches like the way even the filler cap is moulded into the car’s curves. Ford believes the five-door version is sporting enough without the addition of a three-door variant, and we also won’t see a hard-top convertible. Neither will be missed, particularly the big-bottomed convertible. The new Focus will come in five-door hatchback, four-door saloon or estate format. A high performance ST version has been unveiled.
The interior has been significantly overhauled. While it was never spartan to begin with, the new Focus has certainly got a head start over many of its rivals. This is a real premium effort by Ford.
Yet there are minor annoyances in here. In their efforts to be relevant in the world of iPads and smartphones, they have over-complicated it with some features that are frankly the work of idle minds. The steering wheel controls scroll you through so many menus that even after two weeks of ownership, we reckon you’ll still be referring to the handbook.
Aside from an array of gadgets and connections, the car is also loaded with new safety features, many of them a first in this class. Thanks to a new camera behind the rearview mirror, there are five new driver assistance features. The camera helps the driver stay safely in lane, remain alert, monitor the latest traffic signs and operate the headlamp’s high beam.
Along with a lane departure assistance system that alerts you if you stray over the white lines, there is also a new lane-keeping system that actively steers the vehicle back into the lane, rather than just triggering an alert. Now, it’s a very smart feature and you feel a gentle tug on the wheel if you wander, but I ultimately found both it and the lane departure system, that operates a mild vibration in the steering wheel, really annoying. The good news is that you can switch it off.
Another of the camera’s functions is to monitor driving behaviour, alerting you if it thinks your driving performance has reduced. If reaction times start to slip then an alert comes up suggesting you take a break.
One of its most useful features is the automatic dipping and high-beam control of headlights. The camera identifies headlamps or tail lights of other vehicles or lighting from street lamps and dips accordingly. It works a treat and is a great boon in night driving.
The camera also operates the car’s low speed safety system, which continuously monitors the distance to vehicles or objects in front to determine the risk of a collision. If, for example, the car in front brakes suddenly, and the system foresees that a collision is imminent, it pre-charges the brakes. If the driver does not react, the brakes are then automatically applied and the throttle is released. Designed for heavy traffic or town driving, the system is active at speeds below 30 km/h.
While it’s not a first on the market – it was developed in conjunction with ex-Ford family member Volvo and a similar system features in the new S60 – it’s still surprising to find this level of technology in a family hatchback.
These are all features we have come across before, but only in models like the new Mercedes E-Class or the like. They are premium toys and safety gadgets you definitely don’t expect to find on a Ford Focus.
The innovation doesn’t end there. One key difference in the car’s underpinning is the move to a full-electric steering system. On paper it’s a smart thing to do, given the weight savings made by removing all the mechanical elements. That in turn means better fuel economy and lower emissions.
Yet to Focus fans the very idea seems anathema. Ford’s hatchbacks – all the way back to the Mark I Escort – built their reputations on benchmark handling. All-electric steering systems have had a less illustrious history. Think of the sort of feedback – or lack of it – you get from a computer mouse and you start to see the issues that might arise when accurately directing a car at 120km/h.
Thankfully Ford has mastered the fully-electric steering system with aplomb. The feeling is remarkably mechanical and accurate, without any of the spongy feel that is synonymous with other similar systems. Ford engineers deserve great credit for this masterstroke; the cornering ability and feedback through the steering is fantastic.
All the engines on offer fall into the lowest two tax bands, A or B, so emissions is not an issue. The car also boasts a new 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost petrol engine and updated 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines. While the majority of Irish sales will be diesel – particularly the 1.6 with emissions of just 109g/km – we’d be loathe to advise people to ignore the new EcoBoost petrol option. It’s still a low emissions powertrain – falling into Band B with 139g/km – but it offers an incredibly peppy performance and, courtesy of some smart work with the acoustics, a nice solid engine note. It has the sort of low-rev torque to challenge many diesel powertrains but with the greater rev range of a petrol engine. We tested it back-to-back with the 2-litre diesel and it was the star of the Focus engine line-up. Most buyers will go for the more economical diesels, but those who like a bit of performance, without sacrificing too much cash, should consider this EcoBoost engine.
The good news is not likely to end there either, for Ford is set to launch a new 1-litre EcoBoost petrol engine that’s likely to have emissions below 100g/km and may feature in the Focus range in the near future, though Ford refuse to confirm this as yet. A 1-litre powered Focus with Prius-level emissions sounds like a very competitive offering for cash-conscious Irish buyers if it comes to pass.
The new Focus has premium pedigree in a way that its predecessors never came close to approaching. It’s a great leap forward in everything from design to engineering and if they can keep the pricing at the same level as the current model then they are going to cause quite a stir in one of the most important market segments in the car market. It’s a really impressive car and, after two days of testing it on motorways and mountain passes in France, affirmed its place at the top of my list for best buys in the hatchback market.
Factfile
Engine details and motor tax
1.6-litre petrolwith either 105bhp or 125bhp, emissions of 136g/km, and 0-100km/h in 12.3 secs and 10.9 secs. Motor tax – €156;
1.6-litre EcoBoost petrolwith 150bhp/ 182bhp, emissions of 139g/km, 0-100km/h in 8.6 secs and 7.9 secs. Motor tax – €156
1.6-litre dieselwith 95bhp or 115bhp, emissions of 109g/km, and 0-100km/h in 12.5 secs and 10.9 secs. Motor tax – €104
2-litre dieselwith 140bhp or 163bhp, emissions of 129g/km or 139g/km, 0-100km/h in 8.9 secs and 8.6 secs. Motor tax – €156
PricesYet to be confirmed but unlikely to differ greatly from current range that starts at €21,490