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ALTHOUGH
a great passenger car, the current Ford Focus didn’t
exactly endear itself to motorists due to its really
compact dimensions, ho-hum styling and fuel consumption,
plus significant competition.
With
that in mind, Ford decided to cast a new ace. Realizing
that the passenger-car market was leaning toward the mix
of fuel efficiency and power, the Blue Oval decided to
launch a diesel version of the Focus hatchback.
But this
was not just an ordinary test-drive. In an interesting
twist, Ford Group Philippines gave this writer an
exclusive test of one of its Focus diesel models, with
never-before-available two-arm nine-spoke 17-inch rims
and Bridgestone Potenza tires. But did it pass muster?
Step
inside and one will see that the monochromatic black
interior is retained (along with the layout, seating and
inside material), but with less metallic trim than its
gas-fed counterpart. The irksome small center console
and front-door storage, engine bay access (you have to
stop the car and shove/twist the key inside a slot
hidden in the Blue Oval logo within the front grille)
and archaic power locking feature (push the silver
switch above the door tab to lock, pull to unlock) are
still there, but there are lots of new pluses. The
narrow side mirrors feature power-assisted folding and
the audio entertainment are major upgrades from the gas
model. Oh, and the cold air conditioning, tilt and
telescoping steering wheel, large gauge cluster readouts
and cavernous glove box were also retained.
A look
at this new Focus shows a much sportier front end than
the commercially available TDCi version. The mesh lower
front grille (and the massive intercooler behind it)
displays the raw aggression shared with its World Rally
Championship sibling, further highlighted by the test
unit’s 17-inch alloy rims and 205/50R17 tires.
Driving
the car is like trying to handle a caffeine-crazed
cheetah on a leash. The Powerband entry comes in WAY
early (1,000 to 1,200 rpm), along with the boost from
the variable nozzle turbo (3,000 to 3,250 rpm). Tested
top speed is a whopping 220kph, but this Focus is as
frugal as it is forcibly facile—a tested 15.4 km/l on
five days of mixed driving.
Ford got
one thing right when it coupled a six-speed M/T to the
Duratorq Turbo Direct Common Rail Injection (TDCi)
four-cylinder. Although second gear is tall and third
gear is rather short, there’s rarely a need to downshift
due to the quick torque delivery. Just don’t forget that
the M/T totes a dogleg reverse gear. To engage reverse,
depress the clutch pedal, put your right hand on the
shift lever, pull up a plastic ring around the stick and
move it to the upper leftmost side of the M/T box.
Conversely, just depress the clutch pedal, put your
right hand on the shift lever, swing the stick to
neutral (while on the clutch pedal and without pulling
up the plastic ring) and place it in the leftmost side
of the M/T box to go forward. To this writer, the
six-speed’s transition between reverse and first gear is
a big plus, which can save time and effort during
parallel parking.
As
expected of a car homologated for WRC competition,
handling is one of its strong suits. Traction now breaks
at 105 to 115 kph and the steering is light yet sharp.
The ride is a bit harsh (but expected) due to the
17-inch wheel/tire combo.
Also
expected from a car that shares a platform with the
current Volvo S40 is its safety features. The brakes and
handbrake grab hard with the slightest prod, and the ABS
wakes up at three-fourths effort. The wedge-shaped
profile of the rear end makes rearward vision difficult,
forcing the driver to occasionally get out and check the
car’s distance from inanimate objects.
Although
its arrival may seem a bit tardy due to the presence of
stiff competition, what this Focus iteration offers to
the public is arguably TDCi—The Diesel Compact (car)
Ideal.
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