Ford’s impressive new Focus

If you were around The Fort in Taguig last July 22, you would’ve encountered some people driving a couple of nifty identical European compact cars around the grounds. If you looked hard enough, you would have noticed that these sporty compact sedans sport familiar blue oval emblems. If you guessed that these are Ford cars, then you are partially right. If you guessed these cars are the new Ford Focus, then you deserve a pat on the back.

Ford Group Philippines invited the local motoring media to a lunch-cum-test drive event at the NBC Tent to introduce the Focus. We were given ample time, and a dozen cars, to sample the drive and ride of the new Focus as well as to meticulously inspect its overall European-inspired design. And if we were to describe the Ford Focus in one word, it would be "impressive".

We were impressed with the Focus’ European features and its overall design balance. The rounded flared fenders gave an impression of strength and character with the front end giving an aggressive look and the rear tying the design elements together. The look of the Focus is quite important to Ford because the car is their number one selling vehicle in Europe. A unique feature is the locking hood with the lock hidden beneath the Ford emblem on the front grill. One doesn’t need to reach below the dash board to "pop" the hood because there is no lever there. Only the key allows access to the engine, which improves the security features of the car.

The European theme extends into the cabin with textured surfaces alluding to Teutonic design influenced and a tactile feel that is comparable to German cars. The controls and the instrument panel are ergonomically placed, with driver comfort accentuated by the sculptured bucket seats. The interior has a warm, expensive look to it and occupant comfort and safety were the priorities of the Ford engineers when they designed the Focus.

On the road, the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed automatic transmission move the Focus with verve and poise. The driving experience does not sway far from the other Ford products like the Mazda 3 and the Ford Lynx, but the Focus seems to have an edge on sportiness which Ford would like to emphasize, alluding to the World Rally Championship (WRC) crowns the Focus has amassed through the years of competition. The test track around The Fort was open to the public so we limited our driving impressions to ride quality and deferred our acceleration runs and handling tests until we could get our hands on a media test unit.

Is the Ford Focus 1.8 Ghia worth its P919,000 retail price? Our early impressions seem to indicate a positive answer, especially if you’re in the market for a European car with an after-market support service that Ford has in the Philippines. When we do get a media test drive unit, we shall give you the run down on its performance and unique design elements in our next report.