Ford FOCUS TDCi RANGE
Fords Latest Focus Diesel Range Looks Set To Crush All Opposition. Andy Enright Reports
Its amazing that the
Ford Focus diesel we had sitting in front of our offices wasnt being crushed under a vast weight of expectation. Not only was it a second generation Focus, therefore having a lot to live up to, but it also sported one of Fords latest generation diesel engines. This was the car that the middle market looked to in order to show the current state of the family hatch art. Thats a big ask for such a modest car.
With diesel sales skyrocketing and prices in this case starting from £14,695 with a choice of three or five-door hatches, an estate and a saloon, its crucially important that Ford get their diesel offerings right. Fortunately, they had three great engines ready to roll from their Focus C-MAX
mini-MPV range into the car were looking at here. The 108bhp 1.6-litre diesel is a development of the existing 1.
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4TDCi common rail unit and, like the 1.8 and 2.0-litre TDCi powerplants, was developed in conjunction with
Peugeot and
Citroen, drawing on both companys shared expertise in the field. Fords Centre for Diesel Excellence at Dagenham has become a well-respected think tank when it comes to state of the art oil burning engines and the latest TDCi units do its reputation no harm.
The 1.6-litre engine is primarily aimed at customers with an eye on fuel economy, and will return a very creditable 57.6mpg on the combined cycle while emitting just 129 grams of carbon dioxide for every kilometre travelled. Despite the focus on frugality, itll still zip to 60mph in 10.
9 seconds and run on to a top speed of 116mph. Torque is delivered from very low in the rev range and this makes the Focus TDCi 1.6 agreeably quick off the mark when you need to accelerate out of a T-junction into flowing traffic.
"The Focus TDCi is a car thats difficult to fault"
Though the 115bhp 1.8-litre TDCi is worth considering, if you really want to take advantage of the Focus excellent dynamics, the punchy 134bhp 2.0-litre TDCi engine (from £16,145) makes a capable partner. Backed up by a six-speed gearshift, this is the biggest common rail turbo diesel in the entire
Ford line up and develops more torque than a
Porsche Boxster S.
This means that as long as you keep the needle in the sweet spot around 2,000rpm, youll have plenty of acceleration in reserve whether its just you at the wheel or even if the car is fully stacked. It gets to 60mph in 9.3 seconds and will hit 125mph where conditions permit. Despite this muscle at the command of your right foot, the 2.
0-litre model still manages an average of over 51mpg and emits 148g/km of CO2. Taking its cue from the C-MAX
mini-MPV, the Focus interior looks reassuringly expensive. The branded Sony stereo, the metallic detailing on the centre console, instruments and chunky-rimmed steering wheel, the soft-touch fascia and the silicon-damped hinges all smack of executive class investment. Developers have worked to ensure that the feel of the switches a push button in the door, for example should have the same sound, feel and travel as a push button in the centre console or the sunroof control and that rotary switches retain the same feel whether they marshal mechanical or electrical applications.
The riot of crazily intersecting hard plastics that was the first generation Focus interior has been replaced by something far more assured, more mature a word Ford repeat frequently in their release literature. Ford were the first of the major manufacturers to realise that people were growing in size both out and up and designed the original Focus to suit drivers of all sizes with wider opening doors and more headroom than the class norm. The latest Focus expands on this theme, offering an optional electrically adjustable pedal set. The multi-adjustable steering column helps in ensuring a comfortable driving position and Ford have integrated a number of practical aspects from the C-MAX mini-MPV including a glove box big enough to house a 1.
5-litre bottle, a sunglasses holder, a dash-top cubby and class-leading luggage space. Although it seems hard to believe given that almost coupe-like silhouette, the MK2 Focus design actually improves the rear
seat accommodation and luggage space. This is partly due to Ford increasing the length of the rear overhang slightly to give a hefty 385-litre carrying capacity. The compact control-blade rear suspension helps here, as the load bay is completely flat and unencumbered by suspension intrusion.
The lines look agreeably sporting, even in traditionally frumpier five-door guise. Some commentators could see something of the SEAT Leon in the profile while others spotted
Rover SD1 but all were agreed that its a deft piece of penmanship. "The profile features two distinctive lines, "says Chris Bird, Director of Design for Ford of Europe. "First is the sharp crease that comes very tightly around the front wheel arch and actually runs the full length of the vehicle, which I believe expresses a milled out of solid metal look. Secondly, the very sharp line from the centre of the nose back over the whole length of the vehicle that highlights the fast lines of the A-pillar and C-pillar." Although sharing the same length and wheelbase as the C-MAX, the Focus appears a far more compact, sleeker car. It also shares its chassis with the Mazda3 and the
Volvo S40 and its a tribute to Fords designers that theres no overt commonality in the look and feel of the cars. Although its an amazingly complete car, the opposition have closed the gap on Fords Focus TDCi. Whereas once buying a family hatch other than a Focus was a mark of ignorance or wilful contrariness, these days it comes down to a more personal decision.
A Focus 2.0-litre TDCi would still be my personal pick.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Ford Focus TDCi range
PRICES: £14,695-£18,825 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 6-10
CO2 EMISSIONS: 146-148g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6] Max Speed 116mph / 0-60mph 10.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0TDCi] (average) 51.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4342/1840/1447
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