All-Euro drive
The driving experience is in fact rewarding. Top honours go to the electric power-assisted steering system. Its state of tune permits slop-free high-speed driving with direct linear response and low-effort manoeuvrings when parking.
A close second-position nod goes to Ford's Torque Vectoring control. On our drive, we covered Mulholland, Kanan Dume and Encinal, each road more twisted and challenging than the other. What torque vectoring does is balance torque between the drive wheels, mimicking a limited-slip differential. At mid to high speeds, the Focus displayed little or no understeer thanks to this technology. On the topic of grip, the 16” Continental ProContact tires fared well, offering up plenty of traction on our SE hatchback. The 18” Michelin Pilot Sport tires shod on our Titanium sedan demonstrated further adherence and improved turn-in.
The brakes on these low-mileage cars were seriously put to the test. Smelling like hot overworked brake pads, they remained fade-free and firm as we came barrelling down the canyon roads. Great pedal feel and immediate reply to pressure made us feel confident. Our minds were at ease but my stomach wasn't doing as well...
No half-assed moves here, or almost
Ford will not cut corners (thank the maker) with the new Focus. The initial car will be powered by a very respectable 2.0L 4-cylinder which develops a displacement-best 160 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. Questions hovering the potential for the introduction of the 1.6L EcoBoost to the Focus at a later date were raised but no clear answer came about from Ford. What we can look forward to is the ST. This one will be epic.
Base box for the Focus is a 5-speed manual. At time of planning, a 5-speed surely seemed like a reasonable offering but as many of you know, a number of subcompacts and compacts render a 6-speed gearbox as standard fare. The Hyundai Elantra is one such example. Whether or not this will affect anything as far as sales are concerned, as the take rate should be low, it's the 6-speed automatic that wins out anyhow.
The driving experience is in fact rewarding. Top honours go to the electric power-assisted steering system. Its state of tune permits slop-free high-speed driving with direct linear response and low-effort manoeuvrings when parking.
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| The 18” Michelin Pilot Sport tires shod on our Titanium sedan demonstrated further adherence and improved turn-in. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |
A close second-position nod goes to Ford's Torque Vectoring control. On our drive, we covered Mulholland, Kanan Dume and Encinal, each road more twisted and challenging than the other. What torque vectoring does is balance torque between the drive wheels, mimicking a limited-slip differential. At mid to high speeds, the Focus displayed little or no understeer thanks to this technology. On the topic of grip, the 16” Continental ProContact tires fared well, offering up plenty of traction on our SE hatchback. The 18” Michelin Pilot Sport tires shod on our Titanium sedan demonstrated further adherence and improved turn-in.
The brakes on these low-mileage cars were seriously put to the test. Smelling like hot overworked brake pads, they remained fade-free and firm as we came barrelling down the canyon roads. Great pedal feel and immediate reply to pressure made us feel confident. Our minds were at ease but my stomach wasn't doing as well...
No half-assed moves here, or almost
Ford will not cut corners (thank the maker) with the new Focus. The initial car will be powered by a very respectable 2.0L 4-cylinder which develops a displacement-best 160 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. Questions hovering the potential for the introduction of the 1.6L EcoBoost to the Focus at a later date were raised but no clear answer came about from Ford. What we can look forward to is the ST. This one will be epic.
Base box for the Focus is a 5-speed manual. At time of planning, a 5-speed surely seemed like a reasonable offering but as many of you know, a number of subcompacts and compacts render a 6-speed gearbox as standard fare. The Hyundai Elantra is one such example. Whether or not this will affect anything as far as sales are concerned, as the take rate should be low, it's the 6-speed automatic that wins out anyhow.
 |
| The initial car will be powered by a very respectable 2.0L 4-cylinder which develops a displacement-best 160 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |