Ford Focus MY09 inc TDCi Powershift

Ford Focus TDCi Powershift

What we liked
>> Focus remains head of the class for dynamics
>> Large-car composure and refinement
>> Good value package

Not so much
>> Minor question marks over build quality
>> Getrag box not quite as capable as VW's DSG
>> Subtle changes aside, interior borders on bland

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

OVERVIEW
Ford will commence retailing the facelifted LV-model Focus this month (May). In the past, the small car has had all the good gear, it's been an outstandingly dynamic car for its price and market position, yet it hasn't really fired up in Australia.

In Europe, the Focus has been at or near the top of the sales chart and it's been the Opel Astra which has struggled. Here in the southern hemisphere, it's not just the gurgling toilet water that runs in the opposite direction -- although Holden's Astra is finding life a bit tougher than in the halcyon days of the highly-marketable TS models.

The history of Focus in Australia is rather bewildering. Ford introduced the original first-gen Focus as the LR model in 2002 -- about five years after the same car was launched in European markets.

The second-generation model followed in Australia, not long after in 2005. This vehicle was marketed here as the LS model, subsequently upgraded very subtly with extra safety equipment in LT guise from 2007.

For 2009, Ford has announced this new car, the LV model, which looks like a facelift and is based on the LS/LT/second-gen platform, but has all-new external body panels.

This new Focus follows the Kinetic styling of the Mondeo and the latest Fiesta -- a look that has also been previewed with the introduction of the Focus XR5 late last year. In addition to the new visual cues, the Focus is upgraded on the inside and introduces a Getrag-built twin-clutch transmission as an 'automatic' option for the diesel Focus TDCi.

For the Focus LX variants, the price increases by $2300 over the CL to $24,290. At $27,290, the Zetec hatch is nominally top of the range, despite the Focus TDCi hatch being priced $1000 higher -- at $28,290. There are no Zetec or TDCI sedans (the XR5 is also hatch only).

A four-speed sequential-shift automatic option will cost buyers an extra $2000 for all variants other than the Focus TDCi, which is fitted with a six-speed manual transmission as standard or the six-speed Getrag Powershift dual-clutch automated manual box. The Getrag transmission is also a $2000 option.

Standard features for the entry-level Focus CL include: air conditioning, tinted glass, four-speaker CD audio system with input facility for iPod1/MP3 player, remote keyless entry, electric front windows/mirrors, trip computer and variable-dwell intermittent windscreen wipers.

Ford has aligned the Focus LX grade and the Focus TDCi, so the standard equipment list is the same for both, as follows: 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, cruise control, leather-bound steering wheel with remote audio controls, front-and-rear electric windows, driver's seat map pocket, a large centre console with sliding armrest and a rear seat centre armrest.

At the top of the range, the Focus Zetec is sold with the following standard features: 17-inch alloy wheels, sport suspension, sports body kit, six-disc in-dash CD audio system with USB port, sports instrumentation with rheostat, footwell illumination, leather-trimmed gear knob (manual transmission only) and rear cupholders.

In this grade, the body kit consists of side body skirts, sports rear bumper, body-coloured front fog light bezel, body-coloured lower grille surround and body-coloured rear spoiler.

Safety features for the Focus extend to dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for the front seats, antilock brakes (ABS) and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). 

Stability control (in Ford speak: DSC – Dynamic Stability Control) with traction control, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and side curtain airbags are available as part of the optional Safety Pack ($1300) for the Focus CL. The base-grade Focus's safety pack option is fitted as standard to the Focus LX, TDCI and Zetec variants.

The XR5 is priced at $36,990 and comes with: 18-inch alloy wheels, a pollen filter, front map lights, keyless start/power button, leather gear knob, three-spoke sports steering wheel, Recaro seats, adjustable lumbar support for driver, eight-speaker MP3-compatible six-disc CD audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, twin exhaust, body kit and alarm.

MECHANICAL
Ford claims that the external panels for the upgraded Focus are "virtually" new, the small car remains based on the same platform shared with the Mazda3 (albeit in modified form for the new Mazda) and the Volvo S40/V50 siblings.

It's a conventional small car platform with MacPherson struts at the front and Ford's Control Blade IRS system. For the upgrade model, suspension engineers have reworked the drop links with lower-friction ball joints for the rear anti-roll bar. This improves initial roll-control for flatter cornering.

Steering is assisted by means of an electric pump driving hydraulic pressure when driver input demands the enhanced assistance. This provides better feedback through the wheel than electric servo-assisted steering systems and uses less fuel than a conventional engine-driven hydraulic system.

The two engine alternatives are the 2.0-litre DOHC petrol Duratec four-cylinder or the 2.0-litre DOHC Duratorq four-cylinder turbodiesel. Only the Focus TDCi is powered by the latter engine and the petrol powerplant propels the other variants in the Focus range.

Developing 100kW and up to 340Nm (dropping back to 320Nm after eight seconds of full-throttle operation), the diesel engine runs through a standard six-speed manual transmission or the optional Getrag Powershift twin-clutch transmission, which does all the shifting for the driver or allows the driver to operate the box manually.

The petrol engine develops 107kW of power and 185Nm of torque.

Fuel consumption figures are: 5.6L/100km (TDCI manual), 5.9L/100km (TDCI Powershift), 7.1L/100km (CL & LX manual), 7.3L/100km (Zetec manual) and 8.2L/100km (all automatic variants).

PACKAGING
Ford has set about improving the look and feel of the Focus employing softer plastics, new colours and trims in a redesigned layout.

Overall, it is a reasonably attractive car inside, with the soft plastics for the dash, door tops and armrests being quite conspicuous. The seat material seems durable and likely to hide stains.

That said, in the cooking model versions the cabin is a little bit drab. Other than the new chrome highlights for the needles and a sort of brown-tinted satin-finish plastic decorative trim for the centre fascia and centre console, the black and grey is unleavened.

We found the driving position much to our liking and the seats fitted to the TDCI we drove were very good.

They're a bit flat in the cushion -- much like other European small cars -- but the cushion itself is a bit softer than we're used to in cars like the Volkswagen Golf, for example. The driver's seat is quite well bolstered at the sides and there's good support under the thighs.

It will hold you in place very well during cornering, but the contouring of the seat is not so aggressive that you experience difficulty entering or leaving the seat.

There was a problem with driving position in that the driver's side external mirror wouldn't adjust outboard as far as necessary. This left a blind spot to the three-quarter rear, but may have been a problem for this specific car rather than other Focuses.

The footrest was large and a little bit deformable -- thus comfortable and supportive for the foot. Switchgear was easy to use and the upgrade instrumentation was fairly stylish with elements of chrome highlighting the needles. The steering wheel could be adjusted for a clear view of the instruments without having to look around anything.

Remote volume control switches for the audio system were mounted on a spur underneath the indicator stalk and it was finished in nice large lettering so you could see what you were doing at a glance. It's probably not all that stylish, but it is functional.

The trip computer was fairly easy to use from the indicator stalk and likewise, the variable-dwell adjustment for the wipers (on the other side of the steering column) was also easy to find and operate.

Headroom was probably on a par with many of the better cars in the class. It's not class-leading in that respect, but good enough for the vast majority of the population. There's enough room left in it for a sunroof, if you wanted to go that way.

Rear-seat occupants will find the headroom good enough for adults, as was kneeroom, but legroom is best described as better than adequate -- and no more than that. But even so, taller drivers in the front seats will leave enough room for adults in the rear for journeys of middling duration.

Boot space in the Focus is a stand-out in this segment -- 35 litres clear of the Holden Astra and the Volkswagen Golf, let alone other cars such as the new Mazda3 and the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback. There are small cars that boast more luggage capacity than the Ford's figure of 385 litres but they're few and far between.

Letting the Ford down in respect of quality was the carpeted trim on the Focus's rear seat back. The carpet was not securely fastened and had sloughed off the folding seat into the luggage compartment, leading us to wonder whether Ford's build quality may yet bring the Focus undone. Ford continues to build this car in South Africa.

On a gusty day admittedly, the indicators seemed too quiet. They virtually couldn't be heard -- even once the wind died down -- and they didn't stand out when illuminated, so the situation could occur whereby you the indicators are left on by accident and the driver wouldn't know about it unless he or she happened to take their eyes off the road and check the instrument binnacle.

SAFETY
For the Focus's safety-feature list, see PRICE AND EQUIPMENT above.

As part of the Ford's upgrade, the Focus gains hazard warning lights that automatically activate once braking force exceeds a deceleration speed of roughly 7m/s2 -- akin to 70 per cent (approx) of available braking performance, says Ford.

The hazard-warning light system is new to Ford, but is an innovation already introduced in other European-designed cars. This feature helps Focus to remain at the top of the game.

ANCAP rates the Ford at five stars for crash safety.

As mentioned in the MECHANICAL section above, most of the Focus's body shell has been improved, providing higher levels of torsional rigidity and improved load paths for better occupant safety in a crash.

COMPETITORS
The Focus, being an entry in the VFACTS small-car segment, will be pitched against small cars -- but not necessarily all of them. Since the Ford is marketed in a standard three-tier model range (excluding the XR5) and is built in both hatch and sedan, it could come up against all manner of cars in the segment.

Typically comparable for a combination of market position, durability, value and dynamics, the Holden Astra, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer... possibly Holden's Cruze when that arrives...

European cars like the Renault Megane and the Volkswagen Golf, as well as workmanlike small cars from Asia such as the Hyundai Elantra, Subaru Impreza, Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Corolla will all provide the Focus with a run for its money in the market.

There will also be some oddities that -- in the view of the beholder -- might also be competitors to the Ford. These would include such cars as Citroen C4, Fiat Ritmo, Kia Soul, Peugeot 308 and the like.

We’ll dismiss the bargain basement buddies (Holden Viva, Nissan Tiida and Proton Gen.2/Persona).

On price -- sometimes even with the option of the Powershift transmission specified -- the diesel Focus TDCi undercuts competitive diesel variants from Citroen, Fiat, Holden, Renault (other than the manual Megane dCi) and Volkswagen.

Hyundai's i30 offers a diesel variant below the price of the Focus TDCi, but you pays your money... The Hyundai is powered by a 1.6-litre engine rather than the 2.0-litre engine in the Ford. That will mean more to some than to others.

ON THE ROAD
Ford did not hold a formal launch for the MY09 Focus but rather put on a brief drive in the Focus TDCi on the day the company officially opened its new ACART facility at the You Yangs Proving Ground. We’ll follow up this launch review with individual Focus model drives.

En route to the ACART facility announcement at Ford’s You Yangs facility, the freeway drive from Campbellfield to Little River didn't elicit a lot of information concerning the new Focus, other than the fact that it's pretty unfussed in a gale.

Very strong crosswinds didn't affect the car's stability at the straight-ahead at all. The Focus was a very composed car in less than ideal conditions for most small cars. It just sits fixed on the road, not wavering from its line in the lane, nor needing constant correction of the steering. 

Once we turned off the freeways at Little River, it was clear that the Focus remains the class-leading car for steering and handling in the small-car segment. Steering feel was excellent and the combination of its turn-in and neutral handling made for lively but dependable cornering.

The ride was well controlled and yet nicely compliant across a range of surfaces. It's quite astonishing that a volume-selling small car can ride so well and still provide as much driving enjoyment and dynamic competence as the Focus.

The engine was a little more subdued than we recall from the previous model Focus TDCi. It was very quiet at open-road speeds and was also reasonably muted during acceleration, by diesel standards.

While they couldn't be heard over the blustery winds, the tyres were more audible on the country roads from Little River to the proving grounds. The Goodyears (205/55 R16) fitted were the major source of noise in the car driven over coarser bitumen, but to their credit, they were also the contact point between Focus and the road -- complementing the car's excellent ride and handling balance as well as the car's steering.

When we set out, the average fuel consumption figure for the trip began on a high of 18.0L/100km(!). After all the open-road driving from Ford's HQ to the proving grounds and the return trip, the fuel consumption figure fell to 7.9L/100km and was still falling when the journey ended. Ford's combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 5.9L/100km seems realistic and achievable in the right circumstances.

This figure applies to the Focus TDCi with the Powershift transmission -- a sort of default 'automatic' option for those who don't like manuals. Developed jointly by Ford and Getrag, the Powershift box employs the same principles as Volkswagen's DSG. The Getrag unit has six forward speeds but no paddle shift.

While the transmission worked well, it was not ultimately as smooth as the latest Volkswagen DSG.  It could be occasionally caught out with manual shifting on light throttle settings. We did experience a bit of a thump and the downchange from third to second was a bit sudden. It's almost as if there was a gap between second and third and leading to more pronounced engine braking in that circumstance.

Governed by the Powershift transmission, the engine would only rev as high as 4500rpm before the transmission changed up to the next gear, whether or not manually shifting at the time. It was quite a responsive box and worked well in combination with the diesel powerplant -- in the sense that there's negligible turbo lag, so the engine was always on the boil and pulled hard enough to stay ahead of traffic.

If left in Drive mode, the transmission would allow the engine to run down to below 1500rpm, even accelerating on a light throttle -- and that was when a miniscule amount of diesel labouring and vibration was felt, but NVH was actually pretty good. The torque was there for easy driving and Ford has done well to dampen that typical diesel vibration at that sort of engine speed.

One of the things that impressed -- and we don't always get the chance to check this in a small car on a drive program -- was the car's traction and braking on dirt, including the ABS calibration. Frankly, it's very good. There's nothing like the traditional ABS kickback of other cars. The pulsing of the pedal was a steadier, firmer push rather than a continual pulsing. This works better for drivers who might otherwise feel unnerved by the pedal pulsing in an emergency. Hard braking on dirt left the driver without sweaty palms.

The Focus's traction control applies as little or as much torque from a standing start to get some optimal wheelspin if you have the steering wheel slightly turned, but not a lot. It's very seemly and genteel, with virtually none of the typical open-diff axle tramp often experienced in lower-priced front-wheel drive cars.

That's the Focus all over. It's very adept and won't throw you any curve-balls. As a package, it's more refined and sophisticated than its pricing indicates. Taking into account its all-round capability, comfort and practicality -- at a fair price too -- the Focus has just re-written the rules for small cars.
 

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