Ford Focus 2013 car review

New car report; Now we're talking. 

It’s not like the Focus wasn’t good enough already. We were impressed with the 2012 Focus when we drove it around a year ago, but for 2013 it just got even better, with new models and a range of new features to appeal to more buyers.

At the recent media launch in Taupo, Ford New Zealand Managing Director Neale Hill said he was delighted that the Focus line-up is now complete with the addition of the hot hatch ST to the range. Year on year Focus sales are running at a 205% increase for 2012, and the Ford New Zealand boss sees no slowing down of that in 2013.

Being a true global model, the Focus is now built in eight countries, with production for our market having shifted from Europe to Thailand for all but the ST, which continues to come to us from Saarlouis in Germany.

With the shift, we now get the indicator switch on the right hand side of the column, but more importantly, there’s the option of the Active City Stop collision mitigation system, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Grille Shutters for improved aerodynamics, some body styling tweaks and new colours.

SYNC'd to our accent

However, it is the new connectivity platform, SYNC, developed in conjunction with Microsoft that the people at Ford are most proud of. SYNC brings numerous features normally associated with expensive, high-end cars down into the mainstream.

Key features include automatic phone book download, voice control of the phone, smart voice activated music and the ability to listen to texts. While the features are great, unfortunately not all features are available with all phones, particularly today’s favourite, the iPhone (something to do with the continuing Microsoft/Apple rivalry, no doubt).

SYNC can recognise up to 150 voice commands, and offers some fairly clever stuff, with the ability to verbally request particular songs, albums or artists. What’s even better for those of us with Antipodean accents is that the system has the ability to recognise our way of speaking, unlike other voice activated systems used by Ford, which require us to speak with an exaggerated BBC home counties British accent in order to be understood.

The Focus is offered in 5 different levels, starting with a Duratec 1.6 litre petrol powered Ambiente. Trend, Sport and Titanium levels have a Duratec 2.0 litre GDI petrol engine, with a Duratorq 2.0 litre TDCI diesel being optional on the Trend. All come in 5 door hatch configuration, with the option of wagon for Ambiente and Trend, while the Titanium can be had in sedan version too.

The ST has the EcoBoost GTDI (Gasoline Turbo Direct Injection) and comes in 5 door hatch only. Unlike the rest of the range that has a 6 speed Powershift auto, ST buyers get a three pedal 6 speed. 

All petrol models require a minimum of 95 octane fuel, which will not please buyers who prefer the cheaper 91, but with fuel economy ranging from 6.4L/100km to 6.7L/100km for all but the ST which is said to return 7.2L/100km, the decent level of fuel economy might make up for the dearer juice. Diesels are said to consume between 5.3L/100km to 5.4L/100km.

130kW per tonne

While there’s not a weak model in the range, naturally, it’s the ST (Sport Technologies) that really gets the blood pumping. With 184kW and 360Nm on tap, the 1,420kg hot hatch has a healthy power to weight ratio of 130kW per tonne and the ability to sprint to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds.

Shod with specially developed 235/40 R18 Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber, coupled with uprated front and rear suspension and one of the best front drive chassis around, the bond between rubber and tarmac is virtually impossible to break, and even on the tightest of back road hairpins, the hottest Focus never seems to come unglued.

The biggest criticism of powerful front drive cars has always been the dreaded torque steer. Ford’s Toque Steer Compensation (TSC) system goes some way towards addressing the problem, but there’s no getting away from the physics of applying a ton of grunt to the wheels that also dictate the direction of the car, and under hard acceleration, the Focus ST is like any of its competitors and tries to rip the wheel out of your hand until the TSC system kicks in. 

Music to the ears

A car such as this, needs to sound as good as it goes, and this posed some problems for Ford, having dumped the beautifully off-beat sounding five pot Volvo lump from the previous cooking Focus, the XR5. But it was all hands to the pump, with a team of thirty engineers assigned to compose the soundtrack.

By all accounts, it’s the 200 to 450Hz frequencies that are most pleasing to performance car enthusiasts, so the audio techies have developed a special tube called a sound symposer to make the engine sound sweeter when you bury the right boot. This is done with the use of a paddle that vibrates with air intake pulses, plucking out the sweet spot low frequencies and boosting them into the cabin.

Priced from $32,990 through to $46,990 for atmo petrol and turbo diesel versions, we’d agree with Neale Hill’s comment that the range is complete, as there’s a model to challenge all the competitors in the sector. And at $53,490, the ST rates as one of the best bang for buck hot hatches on the market.