Ford Focus 1.5 EcoBoost Trend

On the day I was supposed to pick up my latest test car in Cape Town, the Ford Focus 1.5 EcoBoost Trend (R 271 900), I was feeling a bit under the weather. So my husband elected to fetch it for me. Around lunchtime, I get a call from him via the Focus’s Bluetooth, which is part of Ford’s standard SYNC system. “Where are you?” I ask. “I’m halfway there already, Hon”, he answers. “But why is it so quiet?” I ask. “It’s this cabin that’s so quiet!” he exclaims. And my next question was how fast he was going, because the faster you go, the noisier it becomes. He said he was driving at 120 km’s per hour, which means I can add about 20 km’s more to that figure. And for the rest of the conversation I had to listen to him talk about how good the Focus’s handling, engine and steering is.

The new Focus is also a lot nicer to look at than the previous generation. Gone is that gaping mouth with downturned corners, instead the new face of the Focus looks all grown-up, attractive and approachable, with similar styling to the Ford Fusion, where the Aston Martin influence can be clearly seen. In the rear, the sleeker headlamps contribute to a more streamlined appearance.

On the inside, quite a few changes are to be noticed, in terms of cabin quality and dashboard layout. For starters, there aren’t as many bamboozling buttons as there were before. A few chrome embellishments liven things up, and the soft-plastic surfaces are pleasant to the touch. On the back seat, things feel a little cramped, due to the small windows and the dark interior. I would also have liked to have leather seats as an option.

Sure, it’s no Volkswagen Golf, but you have to remember how expensive Golfs are, and at this price, you’re getting an awful lot of specifications and kiloWatts for your money.

If you were wondering, our test model in question is fitted with Fords award-winning EcoBoost engine. It is a four-cylinder,1.5 litre, turbocharged powertrain with a seriously spritely 132kW and 240 Nm of torque. But surely it won’t be cheap to run, then? Well, 7.5 litres per 100km’s (combined) is hardly a lot, when you take its swiftness into account. The 97 kW Toyota Auris 1.6 XR I had previously, used more or less the same amount.

As previously mentioned, Ford’s SYNC system (with Bluetooth and voice activation) is fitted as standard in every Focus. If you articulate your words clearly, the “Ford Lady” will dial your contacts for you, change the radio station and so forth. You just have to press the button on the steering wheel and say a command. This all leads to fewer distractions, which translate to fewer accidents. Every Focus is also equipped with ABS, EBD, ESP, traction control, and Hill Launch Assist, which applies an “invisible” parking brake so you don’t roll backwards when stationed at an incline. Six airbags are standard from the 1.0 EcoBoost Trend variant upwards. If the Trend Driver Assistance Pack is specified, one gets even more advanced safety spec such as Park Assist (also in the Opel Adam), a rearview camera with parking sensors, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Aid, Active City Stop and Cross Traffic Alert. This will set you back an additional R14 810.

But the Ford Focus’s strongest point has always been its nippy handling. And it still is. As lithe and nimble as a Pyrenees Mountain Goat, the Focus just powers through corners with perfect execution. (All it desperately needs is a leather-covered steering wheel.) So for the driving enthusiast, the 1.5 litre EcoBoost Trend with its smooth, 6 speed manual gearbox is undoubtedly the Focus to have. And with performance figures like these, there’s not much else that comes close. Unless you can wait for the fiery Ford Focus ST, which launches in July.

Facts & Figures
[M 8

Price	: R271 900
Transmission	: 6 speed manual
Engine	: four-cylinder, 1.5 litre, turbocharged petrol
Power	: 132 kW @ 6000 rpm
Torque	: 240 Nm @ 1600 - 5000 rpm
Top speed	: 224 km/h
0 to 100 km/h	: 8.6 sec.
Fuel tank	: 55 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: About 7.5 litres per 100 km’s (combined)
Boot size	: 316 litres
Warranty	: 4 year / 120 000 km’s, 4 year / 80 000 Service Plan,   Service Intervals every 20 000 km.
Also consider	: VW Golf