Ford Focus: First report

Millions of drivers are doing it … so I thought I’d have a go, too. Yes, the Hope household has embraced the downsizing craze that’s sweeping the country, and waved a sad farewell to our Ford S-MAX. In its place on our driveway sits the firm’s Focus hatchback.

The new car will have a very hard act to follow, as I had grown particularly fond of the MPV, which was a hugely capable all-round family car. But as our specced-up seven-seater had a high purchase price of £31,530, there are clearly more affordable options out there that could prove themselves to be a perfectly acceptable replacement… which is where the Focus comes in.

The figures certainly stack up. A price of £19,750 and claimed economy of 47.1mpg instantly make more pleasant reading for families trying to cut their bills.

Getting accustomed to the reduced practicality will be the first task. Obviously, the Focus is not intended to compete with the S-MAX here, but its boot space struggles to match rivals in its own class – as I found out on the day of our photoshoot.

With my daughter Isla’s buggy and two boxes to be swapped between the S-MAX and Focus, the hatchback’s rear seats had to be called into action. Looks as if Isla will need to improve her walking, as we won’t be able to carry her buggy everywhere now!

Joking aside, this is a serious flaw for a car that will be used as family transport by hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Only 277 litres of load space with the optional full-size spare wheel is barely adequate.

Inside, I’ve been immediately impressed with the standard-fit Sony DAB radio. In Issue 1,167, our columnist Andrew English quoted a marketing friend as saying: “Once you have had DAB, you never go back,” and I completely agree with this logic. I’d be most put out to have to listen to sport on crackly old medium wave Radio 5 Live again. Ford deserves credit for fitting DAB as standard on all the new models in its range so that it’s ready to deal with the big analogue switch-off in 2015.

But I’m not so keen on the dashboard layout. While there’s little to fault quality-wise, it’s all a bit haphazard and there’s too much going on for it to be a truly intuitive experience. Less would be more in my eyes.

Of course, the Focus has really earned its reputation over the years as a car that delivers on the road, and the good news is this latest version doesn’t disappoint.

Direct steering, great grip, a precise six-speed manual gearbox and satisfying handling ensure owners can savour every drive. You can’t say the same about many cars in this class. The only minor criticism so far would concern the ride, which can be quite firm around town.

That’s not a drawback in my daughter’s eyes, because it allows her to scream “Bump” as every speed hump is transmitted into the cabin. I’m less of a fan. The star of the show, however, is the engine. The new 148bhp 1.6-litre EcoBoost unit is happy to rev and blends decent pace with strong refinement. It turns an appealing package into a really strong one.

Our car has a number of interesting additions to the generous Titanium spec, such as Candy Red metallic paint, sat-nav and, most notably, the Driver Assistance Pack. The latter won the Special Award for Ford in our New Car Awards 2011, and comprises lane departure technology, traffic sign recognition and a blind spot information system.

I’ll let you know more of my thoughts on that little lot in the months ahead...

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