| Published
on 24
Jan 2011 |
All rights reserved.
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Being great fans of the
first generation Ford Focus and having been disappointed by the second
generation, we sincerely hope the Mk3 to succeed. We hope it will bring
back the innovative style and great driving fun that marked out the
original car. We also hope it will be a "world car" again, so that not
only motorists in Europe and Asia but also those in America can enjoy
driving it. Hopefully this could break the domination of Volkswagen
Golf.
Ford seems to have answered most of our requests. The third generation
Focus will be a global offering again. It will be produced in Germany,
USA, China, Spain and Russia. Its underpinning platform will give birth
to 10 variants in total, including 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedan (for
China and US mainly), a station wagon, a coupe-cabriolet and sister
cars like C-Max and Kuga etc. There won't be a 3-door hatchback
anymore, but expect a Scirocco-style "New Capri" will fill that gap.
These cars will push its annual production volume to 2 million units a
year, even though Mazda has left the camp - by the way, this mean the
new Focus no longer needs to share its dynamic know-how with Mazda 3.
Compare with the dull-looking Mk2, the Mk3 Focus looks far more
aggressive – some may think it is probably too aggressive for a family
car. Its profile is very sporty, with a steeply raked windscreen and
rising waist line to promote a coupe shape. The arc-shape side windows
also promote the misconception of coupe while leaving enough headroom
for rear passengers. They just hamper the airiness of the cabin. The
best to view the car is from the sides, where it appears to have some
family resemblance with the original Focus. Not so great are both ends.
Up front, you see a fairly characterless front grille and three
oversized lower intakes that pretend to be a rally car. In fact, the
two triangular ones are actually blocked, so they are purely cosmetic.
The same can be said to half of the central intake. Men may prefer this
killer style, but ladies are unlikely. The rear of hatchback breaks no
ground from Lancia Delta or Opel Astra, but the taillights are
obviously flamboyant. Overall, I would say Martin Smith (Ford's
European design boss) is too heavy-handed this time. It's not as
tasteful as Fiesta, although it does mark itself out by its
aggressiveness.
Cabin is where the new Focus falls short of competition. Like Fiesta,
its center console is designed with inspiration from mobile phones.
Unfortunately, the reference it took is obviously Nokia rather than
iPhone, which means the design is quirky and outdated. On the top
Titanium X trim, the dashboard is made of high-grade plastics and
nicely decorated with faux metal and piano black treatment. On cheaper
Zetec model, they gave way to low-rent plastics which rob the car of
quality feel. Golf and Astra will be safe from its challenge in this
respect.
Cabin space is not its strongest suit either. Despite of a competitive
wheelbase at 2648 mm, the Focus' cabin room is just average. Rear
passengers will find less legroom than in the case of Astra and less
headroom than in Golf. The smaller windows also make the ambience dark
and confined. On the positive side, the driving position is excellent,
thanks to fully adjustable steering wheel and a driver seat that
finally adjust low enough. The latter answered our criticism on the Mk2.
The new Focus is about the same size as the last one. It also rides on
similar (but further polished) suspensions consisting of MacPherson
struts up front and control-blade multi-links at the rear. Predictably,
the chassis employs high percentage of high-strength and
ultra-high-strength steel, so its solidity and crash protection is
significantly improved. The electro-hydraulic assistance in the
steering is finally lost to a pure electric setup in the view of lower
costs and energy consumption. New Dynamic Cornering Control adds
brake-actuated "torque vectoring", just like many rivals already did.
Engines are just as we have seen in sister car C-Max. It starts from a
1.6-liter Ti-VCT (twin-variable cam timing) with 125 hp, then a couple
of turbo diesels (115hp 1.6TDCi and 163hp 2.0TDCi) and finally two
versions of 1.6-liter Ecoboost direct-injection gasoline turbo engine,
producing 150hp or 180hp. Considering the new Focus gets heavier again
(by 75-100 kg depending on engines), it needs the turbocharged engines
badly. Ford's 2.0 turbo diesel is a willing and refined performer, but
the 1.6 turbo petrol is even better for its sweeter revving manner and
lighter load on the front axle, which puts less stress on handling.
This bring us to the most important part of assessment – ride and
handling. Can it repeat the success of Mk1 ? Regretfully, it cannot.
The new Focus continues to shift towards mass-market tastes – higher
refinement, more directional stability and safer handling. It sounds
very much like Golf. The first impression of the drive is a remarkably
quiet environment. Its sound insulation matches the best of the class,
ditto the filtering of vibration and harshness from the suspensions.
The electrical power steering is free from kickback (what else would
you expect on such systems ?). The powertrain (in case of Ecoboost or
TDCi) is refined yet flexible. The gearshift of the 6-speed manual
gearbox is slick, too. The new car is so much more relaxing to drive
than the outgoing car. Not even Golf can fend off its challenge.
Moreover, the absorbent ride does not come in the expense of body
control. It still attacks corners with the same vigor of the old car.
Its front tires still bite hard on the tarmac, and the torque-vectoring
program brakes the inside wheel to aid tight maneuver very effectively.
So why do we say it cannot match the Mk1 for driving fun ? The answer
lies on the steering and chassis balance. Although this electrical
power steering is one of the best on the market, being quick, precise
and progressively loading up in corners, it still lacks the ultimate
communication that keen drivers adore, sadly. If you have never driven
the original Focus, or to less extent the second generation, that will
be fine for you. Otherwise, you will be disappointed to see the
successive degradation of steering feel.
As we have pointed out, the new chassis is tuned to favour directional
stability. This mean you will encounter understeer more easily than
before. It also loses the previous keenness to oversteer at lift-off
throttle, giving the driver an impression of a safer but less
adjustable handling. Yes, the Mk3 might corner faster and more stable
than the old cars, but that is mainly down to its improved front end
grip rather than a dynamic chassis balance.
Having said that, the Mk3 Focus still edges out Golf for handling.
Whether it can beat Alfa Romeo Giulietta on dynamics remains to be
seen, but for sure, it is no longer in a class of its own. Taking into
account the below-par cabin and controversial styling, it is hard to
recommend over these rivals. |
Verdict:  |
| Published
on 26
Feb
2011 |
All rights reserved.
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American Focus sedan
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Two things are crucial to American motorists - a trunk and a
large capacity engine. The American version Ford Focus is no exception.
Unlike the first generation Focus, it is designed as both hatchback and
sedan from the outset, no wonder the styling of the sedan is far better
resolved. American buyers will no longer feel being treated as
second-class citizens.
Concerning large-capacity engine, the American version skips Europe's
small turbocharged motors for a 2-liter naturally aspirated unit. It is
a development from Mazda's MZR family and packed with technologies like
Ti-VCT (twin-variable cam timing) and direct gasoline injection. The
latter enables a 12.0:1 compression hence a respectable output of 160
horsepower and 146 pound-foot of torque. Performance is brisk, if not
as strong as the 1.6 Ecoboost engine on European Focus.
While manual gearbox is standard, most American buyers are likely to
opt for the Powershift 6-speed twin-clutch gearbox. It is a good
substitution for torque-converter automatic, but its long gearing and
tendency to select higher gear at auto mode means little fun.
Obviously, the box is tuned to favour fuel economy. In manual mode,
driver satisfaction is spoiled by the lack of shift paddles – it uses a
rocker switch on the conventional gear selector to make gearchanges. It
is better to stick with the manual gearbox.
As expected, the 4-door Focus delivers a ride and handling with strong
European flavours because it shares the same suspension setting with
the European version. Its ride is firm but composed. The chassis feels
solid and noise level is remarkably low compare with its rivals ranging
from Honda Civic to Hyundai Elantra. For keen drivers in America, it
should be the first choice of the class. We wouldn't say so in Europe,
where Volkswagen Golf and Alfa Romeo Giulietta are present, but across
the Atlantic it is simply unbeatable.
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| Verdict: |
| Published
on 29
Feb
2012 |
All rights reserved.
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Focus 1.0 Ecoboost
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For decades, 3-cylinder
motors have limited presence in automotive world except on Japanese
K-cars. However, the landscape is going to be very different in the
next couple of years. Most mainstream manufacturers are having
3-cylinder engines on the pipeline – Volkswagen group has introduced a
1.0-liter unit on its Up / Citigo / Mii; Renault-Nissan has a 1.2-liter
unit on March; Ford is launching a 1.0-liter Ecoboost engine on Focus;
BMW is working on a 1.5-liter unit for its 1 and 3-series;
Opel/Vauxhall is going to build an all-new 3-pot engine; Ditto PSA
Peugeot-Citroen and Mercedes-Benz. The only exception is Fiat group, as
it bets on the even smaller TwinAir engine. Small motors have never
received such attention. The driving force behind the scene
is new EU legislation. Let me take some time to explain here.
EU regulation no. 443/2009 has been effective since the beginning of
this year. It calls for an
average CO2 emission limit of 130 grams
per kilometer for mainstream
car makers selling cars in the European Union. Failing to meet that
target
will have to pay a premium for each gram of excess emission, i.e. €5
for the first gram, €15 for the second gram and €95 per gram
thereafter. No wonder car makers work so hard on downsized engines. The
exact emission limit is actually weight
dependent, given by the formula 130g + 0.0457 x (EU weight – 1372 kg).
Take the
existing Ford Focus 1.6 Ti-VCT for example, its limit is calculated to
be 129 g/km. As its actual emission is rated at 136 g/km, theoretically
Ford has to pay a fine of €495 for each Focus 1.6 Ti-VCT sold (assuming
Ford cannot produce enough lower emission models to offset the fine).
This is why Ford developed the new 3-cylinder engine to replace the 1.6
Ti-VCT engine. The change will start with Focus.
The UK-engineered 1.0 Ecoboost is the most sophisticated 3-cylinder
engine ever reached mass production. It is engineered to be especially
compact and lightweight – some 30 kg less than the 1.6 Ti-VCT despite
of cast-iron block, partly because it abandons balancer shaft for
counterweights in the flywheel as means to cut the
typical first order vibration on 3-cylinder engines. To produce power
comparable to the already efficient 1.6 Ti-VCT, it packs direct
injection, dual-continuous VVT and a quick-spooling small turbocharger.
Initially there are two states of tune – 100hp and 125hp, both are
accompanied with 125 lbft of torque from as little as 1400 rpm. The
higher power unit is also available with a 30-second burst of up to 147
lbft on overboost. The flat torque curve makes the engine more flexible
than the old 1.6 engine, thus delivers better real-world performance,
although slightly slower figures are quoted. Moreover, the engine is
impressively refined - no perceivable turbo lag and vibration, just
like a good naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. It is quiet, too.
Its maturity makes the Fiat TwinAir engine sounds crude.
Assisted with automatic stop-start and direct injection, the small
motor delivers an emission rating of 109 g/km for 100hp version or 114
g/km for 125hp version, excellent for a gasoline-drinking
C-segment car. If you have no idea what these figures mean, read this:
an A-segment Volkswagen Up 1.0 emits 108 g/km.
In fact, the 1.0 Ecoboost is our pick of the Focus range. It combines
useable performance, good refinement and outstanding economy in one
package. The 30 kg weight saving on front axle also makes it a bit more
eager to steer. No other small engines could be as versatile.
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| Verdict: |
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