|
WHEN
designing a mini-MPV, there is a large pool of options
open to car manufacturers. They can maximize interior
space but at the expense of drivability and style.
Now,
Ford’s recent renaissance has been built upon making
cars that are a delight to drive. So, it’s no surprise
that their Focus does not resemble a hulking block. It
has so subtle lines that many would have to glance at it
twice to distinguish it from its hatchback sibling.
Add it
up with an economical TDCI common-rail diesel engine
up-front, and the Focus comes out both economical and
very fast. Question is, will it be enough to steal sales
from their more established rivals?
Let’s
take a look at some background information. Ford adopted
the Johnny-come-lately tactic into the lucrative mini-MPV
sector. When the market was first created, Ford was
caught on the hop, their market analysts confident that
these egg-shaped wonders would soon fade away. Well they
were wrong there. Six years after Renault popularized
the genre with the Scenic, Ford responded with the
Focus.
The
ongoing excellence of the two TDCi diesel engines
available to Focus buyers helped it recover a lot of the
lost ground, but it still has a lot of convincing to do.
But 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.
If you
really want to take advantage of the Focus’s excellent
dynamics, the punchy 134-bhp 2.0-liter TDCi engine makes
a capable partner. Backed up by a six-speed gearshift,
this unit develops more torque than a Porsche Boxster S.
This means that as long as you keep the needle in the
sweet spot around 2,000 rpm, you’ll have plenty of
acceleration in reserve whether its just you at the
wheel or even if the car is fully stacked.
It gets
to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds and will hit 125 mph where
conditions permit. The thing that may prove a deal
breaker to some customers is the fact that whereas the
Volkswagen Touran can be specified with seven seats and
the Renault Grand Scenic is also thus equipped, the
Focus only offers five seats.
This
raises a perplexing question. Just as the Ford Fusion
has found little favor with buyers who could not really
see what it offered, there may be a significant
proportion of possible Focus buyers who cannot see the
point of a car that seats no more than five.
But if
the exterior may be a little low-key, the Focus more
than makes up for it with the ideas factory that is the
cabin. Although it’s not available on entry-level
versions, Ford’s rear-seat flexibility system really is
the ace in the C-Max hole.
A
40-20-40 “tip and tumble” rear seat sees the center
section flip rearward into the luggage compartment,
leaving the remaining two seats to slide diagonally
along a runner toward the center of the car, giving
unprecedented levels of space for four. The rear seats
are set high, which does away with the usual mini-MPV
complaint of virtually sitting on the floor and means
that the kids get a great view forward.
Of
course, if you have taller passengers, that sloping
roofline may cause a few grumbles. With 100 mm of extra
legroom and 60 mm of additional shoulder room, space is
otherwise pretty generous in the back of the Focus.
Even in
the standard three-abreast bench position there’s plenty
of room, offering 946 mm of legroom and 582 liters of
luggage compartment space. Remove the rear seats
altogether and there’s a monstrous 1,692 liters
available. One trick Ford did miss was the ability to
tumble the front passenger seat forward to a flat
position. The facial design of the Focus, however,
reflects the exterior lines in its calm maturity.
So if
one is looking for a car that can give lovely design,
elegant style, economical consumption and true power,
then the Focus could indeed be a bargain. |
