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| Photos by Ulysses Ang and Ford Press |
KRABI, THAILAND – A sweeping right-band bend appears on the horizon. You settle
yourself into the bucket seat, brace your right foot against the dead pedal, and
tighten your grip on the steering wheel. Do you slow down or speed up? A
split-second later, you mash the throttle and take the bend. Your car remains
planted. Secure. Without a tire squeal from the front Michelin tires. You crack
a satisfied smile, and continue on with the rest of your journey. This is your
new family car. This is the all-new Ford Focus.
More often than not, driving dynamics and family
car aren’t mentioned in the same sentence. But what’s exactly what Ford did
with the Focus. It introduced cutting-edge driving dynamics in a mass market
car. The all-new Focus is no different. Riding on Ford’s new global C-car
platform, the Focus retains the dynamism and stability of the previous model
while adding better agility and comfort. This is achieved in three ways: first,
the Focus has a highly rigid body, employing 55 percent high-strength steel.
Second, the suspension system is retuned, with a thicker 23.5-mm front
stabilizer bar, optimized damper valve tuning and bushings and a re-packaged
rear Control Blade multi-link for excellent riding comfort. Lastly, is the
addition of Torque Vectoring Control system which distributes the power between the
driven wheels during cornering.
The
difference is immediately apparent when the Focus starts rolling. Despite the
sporty, almost-lowered stance, the Focus is much more comfortable over rougher
surfaces, allowing it to soak potholes without transmitting too much shock into
the cabin. The suspension between the 4-door and 5-door Focus is different,
with the latter receiving a sportier tune at the expense of a slightly firmer
ride. At lower speeds, the Focus is very “pointable”—allowing you navigate
traffic with tremendous precision and accuracy. As the speeds pick up, and you
lean into a corner, the Focus serves up a sharp turn-in with very little
understeer. As the speeds go even higher, the Focus feels very planted, secure,
and stable. Indeed, in one fell swoop, the all-new Focus has knocked out
everyone (including its predecessor) off the fun-to-drive throne.
Aside
from making fun-to-drive more mass market, the Focus also introduced a choice
of body styles: a 4-door sedan and a 5-door hatchback. And while the previous
Focus was considered a looker in its time, the new Focus is smoking hot. It
brings Ford’s “kinetic design” to the next level and as a result, there’s no
mistaking the Focus for anything else. Designed in parallel with each other,
the 4-door and 5-door versions have a menacing fascia with a massive
trapezoidal grille with blacked-out detailing. The wrapped headlights then
carry your eyes around the side, where the Focus’s sloping shoulder line and
subtle strake give it a sense of movement. Out back, the 4-door benefits from a
remarkably short trunk deck with a nicely detailed lamp cluster; while the
5-door looks even sexier with a heavily sculpted rear fender and lamp cluster
that coincidentally integrates the fuel door and an attractive roof spoiler.
Finishing the look are 16-inch multi-spoke alloys on the 4-door Titanium+ and
17-inch split-spoke rims on the 5-door Sport+.
Opening
the Focus requires no fumbling around for the key. Thanks to Smart Keyless
Entry with Ford Power Start, it allows the driver to lock or unlock the doors
and start the car without taking the key out of a bag or pocket. It can also
lock or unlock the doors by the mere presence of the key.
Once
inside, the Focus offers a nicely modern, easy-to-use interior that’s simply
revolutionary. Although there’s no mention of added head, shoulder or knee
room, the all-new Focus feels much more spacious than the model it replaces.
The cabin is dominated by a large center cluster that is pushed outward and
then upward, creating much more usable space in the front. The Sport+ model
benefits from a charcoal black interior, creating a dynamic and young
appearance while the Titanium+ model has Asian-exclusive two-tone beige and
black interior for a much more mature feel. The seats both front and aft, offer
excellent bolstering and support. The driver’s seat also offers lumbar support
adjustment—something rarely seen, if at all, in the compact car segment.
The
excellent seats serve as an appetizer to the Focus’s driver-centric interior.
All the major controls, from the steering wheel to the position of the controls
to the font-type of the instruments are all designed to be understood and
operated at a glance. The instrument panel is deeply-set and large,
supplemented by a full-color LCD screen nestled between the tachometer and
speedometer. This screen can be set up to display a variety of information such
as the trip meter, fuel economy reading, Ford’s very own Eco Mode, and a host
of others. Handy 4-way controls on the steering wheel makes the screen easy to
use and easier to set up.
Aside
from flipping through the various screens in the multi-information display
panel, the 4-way control on the steering wheel activates the Focus’s crowning
addition: Ford SYNC. This is the next-generation in hands-free, voice-activated
in-car connectivity which allows the Focus to connect to almost any mobile
phone or digital media player via Bluetooth and USB. It then allows the driver
(or even passenger) to make calls (including conference calling), reply to text
message or play tunes via different voice commands. Ford SYNC works most of the
time, with the system actually learning and adopting over time.
The
Focus’s in-car connectivity is bolstered by what’s found under the hood. The
previous-generation Focus set the standard in fuel-efficiency with its choice
of E20-capable gasoline engines and the TDCi engine. In the new Focus, Ford
blended these two engines into a brand-new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine
with twin independent camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) and gasoline direct injection
(GDI). The engine purrs silently on idle, but thanks to 170 horsepower and 202
Nm of torque, the Focus can hit its stride with considerable ease. The
dual-clutch PowerShift automatic is responsive, and has none of the low-speed
refinement issues that plagued the previous model. Plus, the Focus has a manual
shift override called Select Shift, though there are no paddle shifters. On the
hilly roads around Krabi, the Focus can reach speeds approaching 220 km/h, but
those wanting a more conservative drive can activate either the cruise control
or even a built-in speed limiter. And despite the spirited high-speed driving,
it managed to return an impressive 13.33 km/L (Ford quotes 14.90 km/L). And for
those wondering, there are no current plans to re-introduce the TDCi engine due
to weak sales in the Philippines.
The
high-speed capabilities of the Focus notwithstanding, it’s also equally adept
at handling the urban environment with a slew of smart technologies. First is
Active City Stop which uses LIDAR to monitor the road ahead for traffic and
then applies the brakes automatically if it detects that the car in front has
stopped unexpectedly. It must be noted that this system doesn’t work on
pedestrians, animals, or even bikes since it only picks out traffic with two
reflectors (the brake lamps) and a number plate. Second is Active Park Assist
in which the Focus can parallel park itself totally hands-free using sensors
around the car to detect a suitable parking space just 20 percent larger than
the car. Like Active City Stop, Active Park Assist is eerie and somewhat
counter-intuitive for seasoned drivers, but it’s a helpful tool for the novice
and those who consider parallel parking their Waterloo. Lastly is the Blind Spot
Information System or BLIS which uses radar sensors on either side of the car
that detects vehicles in the Focus’s blind spot and then issues a corresponding
warning (an orange light) on the side view mirror when changing lanes or
parking with limited visibility.
The
bottom line with the all-new Ford Focus is that buyers should no longer be
surprised with the notion of having a compact car with luxury sedan features,
sports car-like handling and eye-popping fuel economy. While its competitors
have squeezed every cent by offering discontented cars with cheap interiors and
dull driving dynamics for the sake of profit, the all-new Ford Focus proves yet
again that family cars can have a pulse. Thanks to Ford’s strategy of
developing its car globally, they’ve served up the perfect car for those who
want more than just basic transportation. This car certainly delivers more kilometers
per liter and more giggles per apex.
Thanks for the early review of the Focus.
ReplyDeleteSo no EasyFuel system on ASEAN Focus?
-AM
Hi AM.
DeleteNo the ASEAN Focus doesn't have the EasyFuel system. According to Ford, it was a conscious decision given that the market usually has "full service stations". And gas attendants just get confused with the EasyFuel system.
I see, that's a good move for Ford.
DeleteI did hear that a lot of Fiesta owners here had to educate the gas attendants on how to use the EasyFuel system. :D
- AM
Well, despite being a global Focus, that's one of the changes when they mentioned. 20% of the Focus's parts are unique to each market segment/region.
DeleteFantastic review Ulley! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks :-)
DeleteWhen will you give a full review... The preview is awesome ;)
ReplyDeleteWhen I get to drive it here in the Philippines. Currently, Ford is using their two test drive units for a campaign series called "Start It. Share It. Win It." You can read more about that by searching it in our blog.
Deleteshould i buy a ford focus hatch sport or a kia sportage 2WD GAS?
ReplyDelete