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Part of the family
Paul Talbot finds out if the newest Ford Focus can live up to its promise of maximum comfort.
The Ford Focus has been phenomenally successful and has topped the sales charts time and time again. This latest variant of the hatchback is the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) of the Focus family and features a taller bodyshell than that of the hatch but retains the Focus family feel.
Launched in 2003, the car is becoming an increasing sight on our roads and the car has already gained awards for its comfort and safety, hence the name Comfort Maximisation.
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The car rises to the challenge of its competitors such as the Citroen Xsara Picasso and Seat Altea and Vauxhall Zafira. It comes in four formats, the Studio/LX, Zetec and Ghia and I tried the Zetec 1.6 Duratorq TDCi auto.
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Exterior
Approaching the car, it has the family face and is instantly recognisable as a derivative of the Focus. It's obviously taller but has lost some of the sharp suit of the original Focus. The
lines have been softened and a medium height waistline allows plenty of glass, including a small triangular section forward of the door mirrors which came in useful when manoeuvring thecar. The flanks of the car are rather uninteresting when compared
with the previous generation Focus and it features an almost vertical rear with high level light cluster as previously.
A small roof-top spoiler completes the picture with only the rear bumper protruding at the back. With the squared-off rear and high level lights, it's similar to the Volvo, which is hardly surprising when Volvo is also part of the Ford empire.
One criticism levelled at the previous generation Focus is the lack of an external boot release. We're pleased to say that Ford have listened to the criticism and one has been fitted here.
At length: 4333 mm, width: 2022mm and height: 1595mm, it's an average size car and the Zetec trimmed model tested here sits on 16” spoked alloy wheels.
Interior
Opening the doors was easy and their wide aperture is excellent; perhaps the best we've tried so far. It would be easy to get a wheelchair next to the sill and transfer into the car with minimum fuss. There are also plenty of opportunities for those who use other mobility aids to store them comfortably. The black interior seats were set at a good height and were comfortable with side bolsters that would hold occupants firmly during enthusiastic cornering. However, it took us a while to get used to the angle of the headrest; I'm rather short and the forward angle was rather uncomfortable.
A central armrest on the driver's side was handy and the elevated gearbox housing protruding from the dash makes the gearshifting action easy. Ford still has some build-quality issues to deal with, though – towards the end of the loan, the screw holding the gearknob in place became loose and the gearknob came off completely.
Would this happen with German equivalents that were six months old with only 3,000 miles on the clock?
The cabin has a light and airy feel and the silver trim on the leather four-spoke steeringwheel was attractive.
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Chrome bezels surround the instruments and a driver information unit gives information on miles per gallon, ambient air temperature etc. A single slot CD player was good to listen
to and easy to use, with its large buttons and steering wheel controls.
Silver trim running across the dash lifted the cabin but the quality of the plastics were only average, without the tactile feel of its competitors. The dash-top cubby was useful for items such as a blue badge wallet or CD cases and it's large but not very deep.
If yet more storage is necessary, there are plenty of spaces (11 in total) inbetween the front seats, and a very useable glove compartment.
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Air conditioning was standard on this model and came on automatically when the fan was switched on, which is slightly irritating if you just want a draught rather than cooled air.
However, this facility can be switched off. Electric windows are fitted to the front only in this model and door mirrors are electrically operated, assisting manoeuvring where necessary.
Clearly with family use in mind, there are drop-down airline-style tables at the rear of the front seats and a decent amount of legroom for rear seat passengers. Our usual guinea
pigs travelled in the rear three abreast and no complaints were received. The car's party trick is that the middle seat can be removed completely to form a four-seater car or rolled forward for a picnic table, and the seats themselves can be removed completely to help move that wardrobe or other bulky item.
The parcel shelf in our test car had a mind of its own too, rolling forward and backwards occasionally allowing passers by to view our cargo. In terms of storage space, the height
from ground level to the floor of the boot measures 700 mm, the floor area of the boot 855 mm, maximum cargo height 925mm and aperture 1000m giving 460 litres of storage space.
On the road
Once on the move, the car's TDCi engine is very quiet but the gearbox is a disappointment. Arriving at the subdued engine note means enduring a rising muted whine which gives no indication of what gear the car is in – and it's slow through the gears. We also used the manual shift and found this preferable as we felt much more informed about the car's in-gear acceleration and also discovered that it had a 6-speed gearbox.
The dash layout indicates what gear the car is in when manual mode is selected. Whether the 2.0 engine would be a better match for the diesel format would be worth investigating.
Whilst driving around town, though, the car is quiet and refined; it's only when the pace picks up that there's noticeable noise intrusion.
The car's power-assisted steering makes easy work of manoeuvres, helped by high levels of visibility due to the amount of glass, but the front of the car can be difficult to place in tight positions. We used our regular test route which on this occasion had roadworks, and we found it tricky to manoeuvre the car through a narrow gap as it was quite difficult to judge where the front corners of the car were.The typical Focus handling is as pin-sharp as the hatchback version on which the car is based and try as we might, we couldn't detect much, if any, body roll through corners. On the open road this car is good to drive – it's involving, there's plenty of feedback through the steering and it is hushed at speed. The car seemed to be fairly fuel efficient too – during a week-long loan, we managed to use only three quarters of a tank of fuel during commuting and localised journeys.
Technical Information
Max power output: 109 bhp at 4000 rpm
Max torque: 240 at 1750
Max speed: 112 mph
0-60 time: 11.9 seconds
Kerb weight: 1,449
Towable mass: 1200 kg
Fuel consumption Urban: 39.8
Extra Urban: 57.6
Combined: 49.6 mpg
Specification
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As standard on all models:
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ESP with traction control
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side curtain airbags
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steel safety cage with engine compartment crossbeam
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key locking bonnet
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space saver emergency wheel
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air recirculation ailluminated glovebox
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two storage boxes under passenger's foot area
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upper instrument panel map storage adriver and passenger vanity mirrors
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one shot electric driver's window
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'tip and tumble' rear seats
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anti-submarining seats
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non woven carpet
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pollen filter
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reach and rake adjustable steering wheel
Verdict
Ford are on to a winner with this car, with its easy access and good boot storage space together with the driving experience.
The car is also a high performer in the Euro NCAP tests, accruing four stars. However, Ford could deal with that lethargic gearbox when teamed up with the TDCi engine and address some build-quality issues. At £17,540 the car is priced competitively with its rivals and can be obtained for less if you're VAT exempt.
Thanks to Peter Stranack at Ford (Halewood) for the arrangements. Contact Ford on 0845 711 1888 or at www.ford.co.uk.
The Disabled Drivers' Motor Club wants you to spend your money wisely. There are a number of assessment centres around the UK for you to discuss your mobility requirements and we urge you to contact them before you commit your funds to a vehicle that may not be suitable. We can provide you with a leaflet with contact details of your nearest centre.
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