Engine choice
The Focus wouldn’t really be a Ford without a comprehensive array of engines. The petrol range was badged Duratec, comprising four all-aluminium units, starting with a smooth but slightly weedy 1.4-litre with 79bhp, which struggled to 60mph in 13.8 seconds and claimed 42.7mpg and 159g/km of CO2. A pair of 1.6-litre engines were next, the first boasting 99bhp, improved performance and similar economy and emissions figures to the 1.4, while the second was a more interesting Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (TI-VCT) unit that managed a healthier 113bhp, acceleration to 60mph cut to 10.5 seconds and a claimed 43.8mpg and 155g/km of emissions.
Finally, there was a 2.0-litre engine with 143bhp, and although performance was sprightly – 127mph and 0-60mph in 8.9 secs – the 39.8mpg and 170g/km it managed were rather less appealing.
As far as diesels were concerned, motorists were similarly well catered for with the choice of 1.6-litre 108bhp and 2.0-litre 134bhp Duratorq engines. The former claimed 58.9mpg and 127g/km of emissions (both figures were knocked substantially if you opted for the CVT transmission) and was Euro 4-compliant when fitted with a diesel particulate filter (DPF).
By 2006, a pair of 1.8-litre 123bhp petrol units joined the range, offering 40mpg. One of them was badged FFV and ran on petrol or E85 bio-ethanol, but it was a niche choice.
A highlight of 2008’s revised range was the new Econetic 1.6 model, a Dpf-equipped, 108bhp TDCI Duratorq diesel that claimed 65mpg and 115g/km emissions. In February 2010, further tuning and the addition of stop/start technology boosted those numbers to 74.2mpg and 99g/km.
On the subject of fuel, 2008 saw the introduction of Ford’s Easyfuel system, which eliminated expensive confusion between green and black pumps.