An A-class C-Class?
The new 1.6L turbocharged direct injection EcoBoost engine is a very fine power plant. Available in two versions producing, respectively, 150PS (148HP) and 182PS (180HP). Generating, 240Nm of torque at just 1600rpm, the latter will get you from standstill to 62mph in 7.9 seconds and then to 138mph.
A very fine power plant
More relevant in everyday driving is the over-boost feature which increases the torque to 270Nm for 15 seconds under hard acceleration resulting in a fourth gear 31-62mph time of 7.7 seconds. For comparison, the 2.0L version of the old Focus took 11.9 seconds.
Despite those numbers, the 182PS motor still averages 47mpg and puffs out a only 139g/km of CO2, an 18 per cent reduction on the old 2.0L engine. It’s also a very refined motor that produces just the right amount of the right sort of noise. The slick and precise six-speed manual gearbox my test car came with complemented the engine perfectly.
The Focus has always handled well and the new model is no different. The multi-link independent rear suspension is neither cheap nor simple but it’s very competent and puts the Focus in a different league to the likes of the Honda Civic and Vauxhall Astra.
Verdict
In many ways, the new Focus is all the car many people will ever want or need. It’s spacious, refined, loaded to the gunwales with technology, enjoyable to drive and, with the 1.6 EcoBoost engine, not what you’d could call slow. With prices starting from £16,000 and climbing up to over £18,750 for the Titanium X model, it may not be the cheapest in its class, but it’s one of the best. ®
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Ford Focus 2011
COMMENTS
Sync
The underlying technology is actually called Microsoft Windows Embedded Automotive, which could be enough to strike terror into the hearts of some people. Which is possibly the reason I've only ever heard the final product referred to as Ford Sync, certainly for as long as Leo Laporte has had them as a sponsor on his network.
As for this bit...
"To prevent the system mistaking deliberate lane changes for accidental meandering the indicators cancel the system."
...forget add-on packages, that should be a standard feature on ALL cars. It might just discourage all those selfish cocks who think it's OK to change lanes at the last second without indicating or checking their blind spot.
If that works, the next step is a system that won't let a driver leave a roundabout until they've signalled their intent to other road users. We can't all be Derren fucking Brown you know. Some of us need a visible CLUE as to what you might be going to do next.
RE: Of course not.
"The Focus will actually make you indicate before changing lanes - can't be having that!"
That'll be why you won't see this technology on a BMW or Audi. As we all know, the indicator lenses on those cars are for styling purposes only.
(if they had bulbs in there I'm sure we'd sometimes see them used by the drivers)
Of course not.
The Focus will actually make you indicate before changing lanes - can't be having that!
(Mine's the one hanging next to the crash helmet.)
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