Ford Focus
The Focus has a reputation for being a driver’s car. Does it deliver in other key areas, too?
THE Ford Focus has always been the driver’s choice in this class, but is that enough here? We’re testing it in Zetec form (our pictures show an ST-Line) with the 1.5-litre 120 diesel engine, which starts at £21,345.
Design & engineering
THIS is the fourth-generation Focus, and it follows the template set by the superbly successful original that was launched in 1998: a family car that’s also great fun to drive.
That’s thanks to Ford’s C2 platform, which uses MacPherson struts for the front suspension, and a torsion beam at the back (some higher-powered models use a multi-link set-up). It’s been designed to make the car handle well, and it has certainly worked.
Here it uses a 1.5-litre diesel engine with 118bhp; that’s a little more than the Scala’s 113bhp, but is the same output as the Civic’s 1.6-litre unit, including the maximum torque figure of 300Nm. Both models emit a claimed 93g/km of CO2 as well, while all three cars have a six-speed manual gearbox, so their powertrains are quite closely matched .
The Focus is a bit heavier than its rivals, at 1,363kg; the Civic weighs 1,340kg and the Scala is 1,249kg.
Interior quality is good here, because this Focus is the best yet in this regard. There are soft-touch materials where it matters, and while some harder plastics are present, they’re generally hidden away. It’s more elegantly designed than the Civic, and both models have better driving positions than the Skoda. The pedals, steering wheel and gearlever placements are spot-on, and there’s a good range of adjustment.
The Zetec has Ford’s SYNC3 system as standard, which offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but not sat-nav. Other kit includes AEB, parking sensors, cruise control, DAB radio and air-conditioning, but this trim costs £1,080 more than the Skoda.
Driving
THROUGHOUT its life, the Focus has been regarded as one of the best cars in its class to drive, and this latest version follows that trend. While the Honda gets close, neither of its rivals can match the Focus for handling fun, and the Ford is also comfortable at the same time, which makes it an impressive package overall.
The suspension soaks up bumps and ruts in the tarmac very well, especially at higher speeds, which means you can enjoy country roads even more. The ride is surprisingly compliant given that the Ford is so agile. The quick steering, good driving position and slick gearshift mean it’s satisfying and fun to drive. Reassuringly, there’s plenty of grip as well.
As in its rivals, you hear plenty of percussion from the 1.5-litre engine under the bonnet, and it’s harsher when revved. But all three are refined at a cruise. Despite having a little more power than the Skoda, at 118bhp, the Ford does feel a little underpowered; its gear ratios are quite long, which improves economy but saps performance. The Focus was the slowest of the three from 30-50mph in fourth gear, for example; it took seven seconds flat, which was 0.8 seconds behind the Scala and a second slower than the Civic.
Likewise, the Ford’s 12.1-second time to go from 50-70mph in sixth gear was much slower than the 11.3 and 9.5 seconds it took the Skoda and Honda
respectively. Still, these family models aren’t all about performance, and while the Ford’s slightly disappointing results in our tests show how it can feel a little lacking sometimes, as long as you think ahead it’s never a problem on the road, and the Focus’s delightful chassis mitigates its shortcomings.
Practicality
THERE is enough space in the rear, because both legroom and headroom are strong enough. Plus, the soft material means even with the front seats set back, it’s not uncomfortable for rear-seat passengers to rest their knees against the seatbacks.
This rear-seat room seems to have come at the cost of boot volume, though, so if you’re carrying a lot of luggage then the Scala or Civic are better choices. The Focus’ boot capacity is 341 litres, which is quite a bit behind the 467 and 478-litre load space in the Skoda and Honda respectively. Those cars are easily as accommodating in the rear seats as the Ford, so the Focus falls behind for practicality.
In-cabin storage is okay, with a spot for your phone ahead of the gearlever, plus adjustable cup-holders. However, the central cubby isn’t as big as the one in the Civic.
Ownership
FORD finished in 23rd position in our Driver Power 2019 satisfaction survey, which was a rather poor result for one of the most popular car brands in the country. Skoda secured fifth place and Honda came seventh.
At least safety is good with the Focus; autonomous braking with pedestrian detection is standard, along with lane-keep assist and post-collision braking. Euro NCAP awarded the Scala and Focus its top five-star rating, so it’s a match for the Civic here.
Running costs
THE engines in both the Focus and Civic claim to emit just 93g/km of CO2, and they are similar in other ways, with the same power and torque outputs.
That puts them in the 26 per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax bracket for company cars, which means the Focus will cost lower-rate earners £1,098 per year. The Honda’s higher list price – although it does include sat-nav, which is optional on both rivals – means it will cost £1,165 a year in tax contributions.
The Scala’s emissions of 108g/km put it into the 29 per cent bracket for BiK, but its low list price will keep company car tax down to an affordable £1,162 per year. The Skoda is still very cheap to run.