Test: Autotest | Ford Focus (Wagon) / Autotests / Autowereld.com



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Do you count with me? The trend Focus, Titanium, Vignale, ST-line and Active. Five models of manufacture with each style and specific wealth. Have you made a final choice? It's good. Then you can go to the next step. Will it be the Hatchback or Five-Door Wagon with extra space for luggage? A four-door sedan is also possible in the long term, if it is not that this variant of bodywork will not be operated in the Netherlands. Maybe also. Determining which Ford Focus is written on your body is not easy. Recent Fiesta buyers will be able to talk about it

Determine the nature of your pet
Looking in the mirror can help you. Are you happy to be pampered, but should not it be at the expense of all your savings? Then you will have fun with the Focus Titanium. If you are an active and competent person, the ST line is the best choice. The extreme moderator will then be able to find excellent results with the Focus Vignale. With that, Ford really does not full monty . With chic lacquer colors, lots of chrome and leather and all kinds of bells and whistles. Entering the Ford dealership has never been so time-consuming.

Driving says more
If possible, try driving. In several versions if possible. We do not exaggerate that you can be happy with one day. Every Focus taste keeps a different driving experience. Not that the differences are terrible, but the differences are there. Also because the subcutaneous technique is not the same everywhere.

For example, Ford uses an advanced rear suspension (multilink) for more expensive models, but also applies more sound insulation. This makes the Focus more rigid and quieter. At Trend, the slip-on, a cheaper rear axle (torsion) is mounted. That you see it on the road, we dare not say it because Ford has only advanced the most complete versions for this test. Too bad, but understandable. In addition, the Focus Wagon also has its own chassis, taking into account potential luggage in the back. No superfluous luxury, since the variant of the station can only handle 1,650 liters of material. The question of why a Mondeo purchase (Wagon) is already imminent.

"Mostly go for a test drive, we do not exaggerate that you can be happy for a day."

Pff! What are the extremes of each?
This is precisely the question we were asking ourselves when we were in direct contact with the entire Focus range. Given the limited driving time, the heads had to be hit with nails. So, done this way.
After 350 kilometers crisscrossing the Côte d'Azur, including the beautiful Napoleon Road and its foothills, later the new Focus seems to have two faces. With the Titanium and Vignale (and Trend?) In one corner and the ST line in the other. And the updated Active? This shined anyway because of the absence.

Each Focus, including the trend, is equipped with three driving modes (Normal, Eco and Sport) with which each model has several driving characteristics, regardless of the wood cut. Unique in this class. A push of a button and control, the response of the throttle and the speed of passage (from automatic to 8 speed optional) goes from pleasant to sharper. The damping and suspension characteristics are not softer or harder, although you sometimes get that impression because of the noticeable differences between the remaining driving parameters.
For those who want an adjustable chassis, there is a list of options. Order what's called continuously controlled damping (CCD) on the Focus Titanium or Vignale and the car rubs against the above-average dynamic behavior of the ST line. It promises something for the real ST and RS!

Is there also a common denominator?
Yes. Otherwise, Ford would have done a lot of hay at the fork. For example, each fireplace has a similar interior, with only possibly different furniture (the ST line has more contoured front seats, the Vignale on a fuller and stronger tubing)
Also in the space of life is noticeable and does not differ, and only by increasing the wheelbase. The space in the back seat is now spacious. What five centimeters can not already mean.
Talk about the dashboard in particular; its design is much more elegant than before, but it is also calmer on the retina. Away, the budding heads and the beautiful mix of sophisticated materials also make the difference in the bag. In all cases, the level of finish is high. Another reason why the Focus has become a very quiet car. Up to serious speeds. In engines coupled with the 8-speed automatic transmission, we find the control device very prominent. Classic vertical poker has given way to a sleek, space-saving rotary knob. That the instinctive operation has also improved, that is good.

New is also a head-up display. In our opinion, one of the best finds in the automotive industry since the navigation system, although Ford is not going to take a step in the implementation. For longer drivers, the screen (or the maximum angle) is too small to make the data easy to read.

"Everyone knows that Ford has a reputation to defend, but it only repeats this trick."

And the engines? equally giant. Two gasines form the axis of the pallet: the famous 1.0 EcoBoost of 100 or 125 hp and the brand new 1.5 EcoBoost, good for 150 or 182 hp. A salient detail: both are three cylinders, while the four available diesels only count for four cylinders.
Do not be discouraged, as both turbochargers work well and have enough reserve when desired. If this judgment falls hundreds of kilometers across the hilly and winding landscapes of the south of France, then it must be completely in the Netherlands.

Another common trait among all kinds of Focusing: Dynamic. Everyone knows that Ford has a reputation to defend, but see this trick again. Good news: the Focus has succeeded. Applause for that. The Focus never experiences a discontent to catch, while this sinkhole must have really been an ugly inequality. The same applies to a sharp ridge or invisible overhang on the road surface. Staying in the cart is what sets, while Focus has unprecedented stability and mechanical grip when the pace is increased. Here, Focus shines again.

Our only critical remark about the driving experience is that the steering is rather light and therefore less communicative than before. However, Ford will counter this with: "Then you simply choose the ST line or the optional CCD chassis!" It's just as well. Nothing is left to chance and this has resulted in a middle class that, despite an anonymous design, still exceeds its class. Well done, Ford!

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