Ford sharpens its Focus, without Lasers

Ford is very much in a transitional state at present. The 'Barra' or new Falcon is almost out, which is promising to take the fight straight to Holden and its top-selling Commodore.

But, more recently, Ford has just announced that the Focus will be coming to Australia towards the end of 2002.

Ford has been super keen to get the Focus shipping to local markets for four years now - since it was first released - but strangely, the only thing that got in the way of this was the car's amazing popularity.

In a nutshell, the Focus sold so well overseas, that importing it and getting a competitive price for the local market has been tough. But - and it's a big but - as a result of the Focus arriving later on in the year, another model has been pushed out. The venerable Ford Laser will be no more in 2003 - so to all the collectors out there, stock up now! Models such as the slick Laser SR2 should fetch a pretty penny in future, when people will fondly remember it's impressive Australian history.

The end of one model, however, denotes the birth of another, and the new Ford Focus is one very impressive car. There's a Scotsman, Colin McRae, who drives one, whose fancy powerslides delight many. Indeed, people have been impressed with the performance of the Focus in the World Rally Championships, but even in road-going form, the Focus has already proved itself.

According to Ford, the Focus has notched up more than two million sales since its launch, in the process establishing itself as the world's top selling car. Even more impressive is that the small car has received a number of accolades, such as European Car of the Year in 1999 and North American Car of the Year in 2000. It was also the first car to win both sought-after awards in consecutive years.

It also represents a great shift in the way small car buyers across the globe are thinking: no longer happy with Japanese carbon copies, buyers are looking towards more contemporary designs, and this may be mirrored in the coming months when the Focus arrives in Australia. But enough back story - let's see what Ford will offering in Focus line-up.

There will be five models on offer when the Focus arrives late in the year, with three body variants and three engine choices. The models will be:

• CL - (four-door sedan, five-door hatch)

• LX - (four-door sedan, five-door hatch)

• Zetec - (three & five-door hatch)

• Ghia - (sedan)

• ST170 - (3-door hatch/coupe)

Between these five models there will be three body types - a five door hatch, a four-door sedan and three-door hatch, or coupe, if you will. With 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engines available, most should find something that suits.

The Focus CL has a fairly youthful interior (aimed at generation Y), and standard features include remote central locking, steering column-mounted audio controls, as well as driver and passenger vanity mirrors.

The standard safety package includes a centre rear lap-sash seatbelt, standard driver's airbag, anti-submarining front seats and front seat-belt pre-tensioners.

The Focus LX is aimed at buyers who are looking for that little extra in comfort and safety and therefore comes with power front windows, electric heated side mirrors, air-conditioning and a CD-stereo. Safety features include a standard passenger airbag and a centre-rear head restraint.

Zetec models will provide similar equipment levels to the LX, but will be set apart by a lower ride height and unique 16-inch alloy sports wheels (with 17-inchers optional) plus a chrome-tipped exhaust. Gotta have the chrome tip!

Inside, Focus Zetec models will have bolstered sports seats, metallic highlights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a unique sports instrument cluster. Traction control will be available as part of an optional VDC Advancetrac package for those who want it.

Aimed at the prestige market, the Focus Ghia will be visually distinguished from other models through a series of subtle styling cues, including a different grille treatment and Ghia badging.

Additional features include side airbags, power rear windows, cruise control, woodgrain and chrome interior highlights and climate control.

The flagship car for the range will be the Focus ST170, a sleek and sporty three-door hatch aiming to build on Ford's rich rally heritage - who could forget the Escort RS Cosworth, not to mention the current WRC Focus?

The ST170 isn't due for release until after the other models arrive, but should be around in early 2003. Extras include heavily-bolstered front seats, 17-inch wheels, larger disc brakes and sports suspension.

Under the bonnet is where things get a little more interesting, with a fairly good range of engine options. The base models CL and LX with be available with either the light application 2.0-litre or 1.8-litre jobs. The larger 1988cc mill is worth 85kW of power @ 5000 rpm and 162Nm of torque @ 3750rpm, while the smaller 1.8-litre engine provides the same power of 85kW, with a touch less torque, at 156Nm. The Ghia sedan will also come with the 85kW 2.0-litre engine.

Upping the ante somewhat are the flashy Zetec models, with the big difference here being the Zetec 2.0-litre engine has DOHC, as opposed to SOHC. This double bank gives the Zetec mill a more respectable 96kW @ 5300rpm and, as you can tell, power peaks a little later in the Zetec engine. A maximum 178Nm of torque @ 4500rpm is also on tap at much higher revs. All of the aforementioned engines can be mated to either a four-speed auto or a five-speed manual transmission.

The top-shelf Focus ST170 (as in 170bhp) and will come with a number of features as standard, for instance a six-speed manual gearbox, sports-tuned suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels. More importantly, the rev ceiling has been increased by some 2000rpm over the Zetec mill, with peak power of 127kW arriving @ 7000rpm. 196Nm of torque hits @ 5500rpm and the extra go is made available thanks to serious tweaking in the exhuast department and variable valve timing also helps.

This fettled 2.0-litre engine allows the ST170 Focus, from standstill, to hit 100km/h in 7.4 seconds, putting it very close to Renault's exciting 124kW Clio Sport and Honda's 147kW Integra Type R. Of interest to those who thrive for kilowatts, there is a new RS version of the Focus in Europe that is basically a Zetec model with a turbocharger bolted on. It's a smidge faster than a stock WRX, completing the 0-100km/h dash in 5.7 seconds, and has about 165kW of power on tap. The chances of it arriving locally are slim, but if the Focus repeats its American and European sales success in Australia, Ford would more than likely view it more favourably.

But more than just wheel-screeching power, the ST170, and all other Focus models in fact, utilise a fairly new independent rear suspension system, which will also be seen on the new Falcon 'Barra' in late 2002. All Focus models will feature the innovative control blade independent rear suspension system, which is expected to offer superior handling characteristics, imprived ride and good comfort levels too.

Ford president, Geoff Polites, had this to say about the new small car heading our way: "We've always said we would love to have the car in Australia if the figures stacked up, and I’m glad to say we have been able to put together a solid business case for importing the vehicle."

Geoff continued to say the Focus would be a great asset to the Ford product line-up: "We want all the cars in our line-up to share a common identity – a Ford DNA. That strategy is the main driver behind our decision to introduce Focus. We want to create a family resemblance with our cars, from the way they look to the way they drive."

Mr Polites said the arrival of the Ford Focus, together with the launch of the new Falcon later this year, would invigorate the Blue Oval brand. "The two cars, while very different in their execution, are similar in their intent. It's all about providing an exhilarating and exciting driving experience in a distinctive and innovative design," he said.

"Focus is very much a car for enthusiasts. It combines exceptional driving dynamics with great looks and a surprisingly spacious and practical interior that sets new standards in craftsmanship and quality," he said. Two million car buyers can't be wrong, can they?

At present, Ford has confirmed only that the new Focus will be arriving in late 2002, with no word on price points or accessories. One would expect the price to be similar to the outgoing Laser models, but standard equipment, ride, handling and power have all been upgraded in the Focus, so it's a hard one to speculate on. But perhaps of more concern to Ford is that it will now have a much more inspiring range of vehicles to offer and, together with the new Falcon, the Ford Focus could give the marque the edge it needs over arch-rival Holden.