Ford has done things a little differently with the new Focus, especially the four-door sedan model. It launched the Focus range at the Paris Motor Show in late September last year, but the prototype Focus Concept, a thinly disguised Focus sedan, was actually revealed three months earlier in June at the Beijing Motor Show.
Why would Ford showcase its best-selling European model in Asia before its world premier in Europe? Perhaps it is because, unlike the previous Focus, the new one - especially this saloon version - is targeted at the Asian markets.
The first thing one notice about the sedan is that it looks well-proportioned and neat, unlike the last model, which looked like it had its boot grafted on as an afterthought. What has also helped is that the new Focus has leaner and more elegant lines and these lend themselves better to a four-door sedan than the aggressively bold styling of the previous model. From the rear three quarters, the Focus sedan comes across as crisp and discreet, with triangular rear lamps that make it look like a scaled-down Mondeo, an important point in status-conscious Asian markets.
The last Focus set a benchmark in its class, and the new sedan has been developed to expand the Focus' reach even beyond its better-known three-and five-door siblings, even if the cabin space is the same as offered by the five-door hatchback, boot aside. It's also interesting to note that apart from the Renault Megane sedan, the Focus is the only other European engineered and built 1.6-litre car in the market.
One thing that remains unchanged is that Ford has not forgotten to give the new Focus an impressive list of technical features. Even on the entry-level 'Trend' spec, four-wheel disc brakes with a sophisticated Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) are standard equipment. More commonly found on large, high-performance cars, an ESP system acts like a co-pilot, monitoring the traction at each wheel, either braking or cutting power to should the vehicle begin to lose composure or grip. While the Focus' chassis set-up is inherently impressive and allows the car to handle beautifully, it is reassuring to know that the car is actually intelligent enough to Intervene should its road holding limit* be reached. On the other hand, 11 rivers who want to pretend to be Mr Colin McRae, slipping and sliding on loose gravel, there is the option of switching the ESP off.
The other high-tech feature on the new Focus is the three-mode automatic gearbox. On the face of it, this might seem outmoded - after all, the latest auto boxes have intelligent adaptive programmes that 'learn' driving patterns, negating the need for the driver to choose between 'economy' or 'power' modes. That being said, no matter how clever a transmission is, it doesn't read minds, and can only react to, and not predict situations. Ford has partially solved this problem by allowing the driver to select from three programmed modes: adaptive, sport or economy. True to their titles, the transmission behaves differently in each mode, with 'economy' making the car feel under powered because it changes up at the earliest opportunity and is reluctant to change down when the accelerator is floored.
Instead of buttons next to the transmission gate, switching transmission modes is performed through the left stalk on the steering column. This stalk also manipulates the trip computer and there is even a thumb wheel to scroll through the different readouts on the instrument binnacle. While it is impressive that so much information is handled through a single input device, it does take some time to fully comprehend and use this one-stalk computer mouse.
In fact, this multi-functional stalk best sums up the new Focus. As with the previous model, it is well-engineered and entertaining to drive, but the new model comes fully-loaded with the latest technical equipment to once again raise the bar in the family car segment. On the other hand, most of these goodies are largely invisible, and while they are tangible, they are also unseen. In 'Trend' trim, this is particularly obvious, as being the price-leader, it appears well-built but quite spartan, and does not have the bells and whistles that come with the Ghia trim. At the moment, only the five-door hatchback is offered in Ghia trim, with the sedan version only available later in the year.
This means the Focus' success in Asia is still not the fait accompli as Ford had planned, crisp styling notwithstanding. The sedan looks better than it ever did, but in Trend trim, it does not feel luxurious nor as well-appointed as some of its rivals.
Get behind the wheel though, and one will be impressed with the Focus' engine, chassis and overall ability. The problem is, there is already a good looking, 1.6-litre family sedan that drives and handles well, replete with the Focus' impressive chassis and suspension set-up - it's the Mazda 3. How ironic that the car that probably poses the greatest challenge to the Focus sedan is from Mazda, a company that Ford also owns.
Kenji Alexis has been writing car reviews in the automotive industry for close to a decade. Come visit his latest website over at http://www.motorstop.asia to check out the in depth Honda cars reviews and all the latest automotive news.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenji_Alexis
Why would Ford showcase its best-selling European model in Asia before its world premier in Europe? Perhaps it is because, unlike the previous Focus, the new one - especially this saloon version - is targeted at the Asian markets.
The first thing one notice about the sedan is that it looks well-proportioned and neat, unlike the last model, which looked like it had its boot grafted on as an afterthought. What has also helped is that the new Focus has leaner and more elegant lines and these lend themselves better to a four-door sedan than the aggressively bold styling of the previous model. From the rear three quarters, the Focus sedan comes across as crisp and discreet, with triangular rear lamps that make it look like a scaled-down Mondeo, an important point in status-conscious Asian markets.
The last Focus set a benchmark in its class, and the new sedan has been developed to expand the Focus' reach even beyond its better-known three-and five-door siblings, even if the cabin space is the same as offered by the five-door hatchback, boot aside. It's also interesting to note that apart from the Renault Megane sedan, the Focus is the only other European engineered and built 1.6-litre car in the market.
One thing that remains unchanged is that Ford has not forgotten to give the new Focus an impressive list of technical features. Even on the entry-level 'Trend' spec, four-wheel disc brakes with a sophisticated Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) are standard equipment. More commonly found on large, high-performance cars, an ESP system acts like a co-pilot, monitoring the traction at each wheel, either braking or cutting power to should the vehicle begin to lose composure or grip. While the Focus' chassis set-up is inherently impressive and allows the car to handle beautifully, it is reassuring to know that the car is actually intelligent enough to Intervene should its road holding limit* be reached. On the other hand, 11 rivers who want to pretend to be Mr Colin McRae, slipping and sliding on loose gravel, there is the option of switching the ESP off.
The other high-tech feature on the new Focus is the three-mode automatic gearbox. On the face of it, this might seem outmoded - after all, the latest auto boxes have intelligent adaptive programmes that 'learn' driving patterns, negating the need for the driver to choose between 'economy' or 'power' modes. That being said, no matter how clever a transmission is, it doesn't read minds, and can only react to, and not predict situations. Ford has partially solved this problem by allowing the driver to select from three programmed modes: adaptive, sport or economy. True to their titles, the transmission behaves differently in each mode, with 'economy' making the car feel under powered because it changes up at the earliest opportunity and is reluctant to change down when the accelerator is floored.
Instead of buttons next to the transmission gate, switching transmission modes is performed through the left stalk on the steering column. This stalk also manipulates the trip computer and there is even a thumb wheel to scroll through the different readouts on the instrument binnacle. While it is impressive that so much information is handled through a single input device, it does take some time to fully comprehend and use this one-stalk computer mouse.
In fact, this multi-functional stalk best sums up the new Focus. As with the previous model, it is well-engineered and entertaining to drive, but the new model comes fully-loaded with the latest technical equipment to once again raise the bar in the family car segment. On the other hand, most of these goodies are largely invisible, and while they are tangible, they are also unseen. In 'Trend' trim, this is particularly obvious, as being the price-leader, it appears well-built but quite spartan, and does not have the bells and whistles that come with the Ghia trim. At the moment, only the five-door hatchback is offered in Ghia trim, with the sedan version only available later in the year.
This means the Focus' success in Asia is still not the fait accompli as Ford had planned, crisp styling notwithstanding. The sedan looks better than it ever did, but in Trend trim, it does not feel luxurious nor as well-appointed as some of its rivals.
Get behind the wheel though, and one will be impressed with the Focus' engine, chassis and overall ability. The problem is, there is already a good looking, 1.6-litre family sedan that drives and handles well, replete with the Focus' impressive chassis and suspension set-up - it's the Mazda 3. How ironic that the car that probably poses the greatest challenge to the Focus sedan is from Mazda, a company that Ford also owns.
Kenji Alexis has been writing car reviews in the automotive industry for close to a decade. Come visit his latest website over at http://www.motorstop.asia to check out the in depth Honda cars reviews and all the latest automotive news.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenji_Alexis
