What is it?
Not so much what is it as what will it be? The answer is almost
certainly the biggest selling car of 2005. And probably 2006 and
2007. The old car sold four million in six years - Ford hopes the
new one will at least match that.
When's it due?
It'll take a bow at the Paris motor show at the end of September
and be on sale in the UK in January 2005.
What are the engines and transmissions?
The evergreen 1.6-litre powerplant pioneers the use of Ford's new
variable valve timing system, to increase power while reducing fuel
consumption and hence emissions. It's even got a snappy name -
Duratec Ti-VCT (Twin independent Cariable Cam Timing).
Petrol
1388cc, 78bhp, 91lb ft
1596cc, 98bhp, 110lb ft
1596cc VVT, 113bhp, 114lb ft
1999cc, 143bhp, 136lb ft
Diesel
1560cc, 108bhp, 176lb ft
1997cc, 134bhp, 236lb ft
What about the design?
Having made the great leap moving from the Escort to the Focus,
Ford played most of its strong cards. But the new car, while
looking much like the old one, is 40mm wider and has a 25mm longer
wheelbase. The big news is the much more sharply sloped back end,
which when combined with the more squat look, makes the new Focus
look far sportier.
How fast does it go?
1.4-litre: 101mph, 14.1sec
1.6-litre: 111mph, 11.9sec
1.6-litre VVT: 117mph, 10.8sec
2.0-litre: 127mph, 9.2sec
1.6TDCi: 116mph, 10.9 sec
2.0TDCi: 125mph, 9.3sec
What does it cost?
No word yet, but Ford is hoping not to increase prices by much.
That means the range would kick off at something like 11 grand for
a basic 1.4-litre car and finish at £16.5k or so for an oil-burning
Ghia.
What's new?
Everything you can see, but not that much of what you can't.
Although the bodyshell and platform are new, the engines and
transmissions are largely carried over - although that's no bad
thing.
The handling should remain at the top of the class, but refinement
and ride are said to be improved, along with high-speed stability.
Interior space is also better, with a larger boot (now 385 litres),
and more rear seat leg room.
The trim levels have also been rethought, with the new base model
wearing Ambiente badges. At the top of the range you'll find
Titanium models while underneath there are (in order of
desirability) Trend, Sport and Ghia.
Any special features?
Ford has thrown all it has at the new Focus, with plenty of new
technology:
Keyless entry and start
Bluetooth for your phone
Rear DVD option for the estate
Who's going to buy it?
Companies in huge numbers - but also smart private buyers as well.
Ford residuals may not be as solid as other marques' (although
they?re much better than they once were), but combine the discounts
that will inevtiably be available early on and the Focus makes
sense for people forking out their own cash.
The Top Gear verdict: favourite or failure?
Underneath the skin, the new Focus is the same as a Mazda3 or Volvo
S40. Those are hardly dynamic disasters, which bodes well for
Ford's new baby. While the looks of the new car are too similar to
those of the outgoing model, it should offer a seriously good
package overall. It'll also sell by the million, so if that's not
the mark of a favourite, we don't know what is.
from:
http://www.topgear.com/content/news/cars_coming_soon/34/
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