Road Test: Ford Focus XR5 Turbo

Review by Feann Torr - 26/November/2008

Ford's German-engineered Focus is still one of the best-handling small cars on the market. In the words of H.J. Simpson it's got a chassis that "just won't quit".

Yet the design has been largely unchanged for the past few years, which is where the new Australian-specification XR5 Turbo comes in.

Sporting the new 'kinetic' design philosophy that will eventually permeate the entire Focus line-up, the range-topping model boasts all things a hero model should.

Built in Germany, presumably by Germans, it features supportive Recaro sports seats, it's powered by a flexible and rather unorthodox 5-cylinder turbo petrol engine that delivers big thrills, and gets performance brakes to match.

The suspension has been tuned to provide more grip than standard Focus models and it sits on chunky 18-inch alloy wheels and benefits from a range of aerodynamic ground effects.

Priced at $36,490 you get a fair bit of kit and a swish new look, but mechanically not much has changed since we last road tested the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo in August 2006. So what's the rub, and is it worth getting into? Let's find out:

There's something indescribably appealing about a bright orange Focus XR5 Turbo.

Badged the Ford Focus ST in Europe, it could be the big wheels or the liftback profile - most likely a combinations of things - but ultimately it's a great-looking car, a stylish, sophisticated hot hatch that attracts attention in spades.

The new look is the most significant change for the new XR5 Turbo and though it's constrained to the front and rear aprons it still manages to give the car a new character.

Hexagonal 18-inch alloy wheels with gumball rubber lend the car a performance air. The XR5 Turbo is an aggressive hatch and a mild rear diffuser, twin exhaust pipes and slotted roof spoiler add to this impression.

During regular testing - driving the car to the shops, picking up bags of mulch from the nursery, commuting to work - the car attracted plenty of attention and this says a lot about not only the bright orange paint job but also the overall look of the Focus.

The redesigned headlights and front apron propel the new Focus into a new era, part the Blue Oval's kinetic design philosophy that originated in Europe. First seen on the Ford Mondeo, this 'kinetic' design theme has crept into the new Falcon and upcoming Fiesta.

Along with the new grille and integrated foglights, which add a technical edge, I reckon Ford of Europe have got the look of the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo spot on.

It's like a tightly compacted lump of muscle with some very stylish lines that seem to the attraction of all and sundry.

The aggressive and sporty design can also be given a kick in the cods, as Ford Australia has seen fit to offer body-length GT stripes for a couple of hundred extra clams.

Interestingly, Ford's turbocharged hot hatch is the only XR model in the Blue Oval's range to be fitted with Recaro sports seats, and when they're matched to the body colour - in this case orange - the effect is impressive.

These supportive seats are comfy but also very snug - good for when you want to really increase the tempo - and overall the cabin of the Focus XR5 Turbo is impressive. 

It was and still is arguably one of the best hot hatch interiors not only because it looks good, but because it feels good.

Decent quality materials are used throughout, imparting a sense of luxury. The soft-touch dash plastics and the little details like the chrome finish on the oval air vents, the classy instrument dials, the drilled alloy pedals and the 6-stack Sony audio system combine to great effect.

This time around there's also a starter button to ignite the engine, adding a touch of super car-cool to proceedings, while voice controlled Bluetooth telephony and a capless 'Easyfuel' filling system make the little things easier.

It's got a good-sized boot (362 litres) and everything we fiddled with and prodded worked first time, testament to Ford of Europe's engineering prowess.

There's also a sense of solidity about this car, which came acutely into focus after pinning the tacho needle to the redline for prolongued periods and then heading back into the city for some commuter stress. No rattles from the boot, no engine issues, no brake fade.

It's a great city car - unless you dislike manuals as it's not available with an automatic gearbox - because there's a fat slab of torque that hits the front wheels at very low revs, plus it's easy to park and great at zapping around slower moving vehicles.

Watching the turbo boost gauge flutter at as low as 1500rpm is rather neat, but  the rush when the turbo is fully spooled at around 3000rpm is addictive: heading down freeway onramps from the posted 60km/h to 100km/h is a real rush.

But if you do drive it softly, you'll be rewarded with some pretty decent fuel economy as there's plenty of torque down low to keep the car moving without revving the guts out of it.

However, I would advise you to rev the guts out of this car because it has a seriously sonorous and somewhat burbly exhaust note that only encourages frequent use of the loud pedal. Indeed, be prepared for good times. 

The car seems to have a penchant smoking the 18-inch front wheels through first gear and puts its 166kW of power to the ground very effectively though the short-throw 6-speed manual transmission.

Driving dynamics are excellent in this vehicle, and when push comes to shove there are few hot hatches out there that stir the soul like this one. There's a scribble in my notebook that reads "What a car!" and this simple description hits the nail squarely on the head.

Like a malnourished squirrel being chased by a feral cat, the XR5 Turbo rips away from standstill with an intensity that defies its size and darts from left to right as though its life depended on it.

Suffice it to say, pushing the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo to the grip limit through winding alpine hill climbs is an absolute joy.

Not only immensely satisfying when driven hard, this particular breed has a real character that is a culmination of the impressively lumpy engine note, the huge spread of torque and a really chatty chassis.

Admittedly it is front-wheel drive and it does dump a fair whack of torque on the front axle, but this doesn't adversely affect the car's attitude; torque steer is only ever mild thanks to the well-sorted steering rack.

The steering has decent feedback and because the alloy wheel rims are shod with chubby 225/40 R18 tyres, the grip limit is hard to eclipse. 

Ford's XR5 Turbo will understeer at times but the wide wheels and sharp steering allow you readjust without adverse side effects, and the chassis communicates how it's feeling very clearly, so you rarely have to over correct anyway.

Even if you do bomb into a corner carrying too much speed the unobtrusive stability control system will curtail all but the most lurid manoeuvres, and I can report that the ABS system works well to boot.

Tracking precisely through corners with heaps of torque at your beck and call, there's something undeniably addictive about this car's personality. The more I drove it, the more impressed I became.

The engine is excellent - borrowed from the Ford's Swedish brand Volvo and tweaked to deliver more thrills - with an elasticity that ensures it'll perform at both ends of the spectrum.

It absolutely charges when trained above 5000rpm and if you're on demandingly tight and twisty roads, you can often leave it in second gear where there's enough torque between 4500rpm and the 7100rpm rev limiter to really hustle. 

Thrash the bejesus out of the engine and you'll be astonished at how quick it is, point to point. When you're really cooking there's even audible rally-style 'pops' and 'blats' between gearchanges that ensure driver and passengers will be grinning foolishly.

The large contact patch from the 225/40 aspect ratio tyres and strong brakes - the biggest fitted to any Focus - give you plenty of confidence to push the car to its limit, and because it has a small footprint it changes direction with alacrity.

The adrenaline rush that comes with gunning this bad-boy through a series of tight corners combines with the lumpy engine note to create a driving experience that is unique and incredibly satisfying.

At the same token, this hot hatch is just as happy putting along at low revs when you're stuck in traffic or cruising down the highway. Ford's claimed fuel consumption figure of 9.3L/100km is about right.

There's something about this engine that I really like. When coupled to the XR5's light 1366kg mass, it accelerates so strongly yet can also be fuel efficient. And it's got character like you wouldn't believe. Simply put, the engine imbues the car with the kind of personality that automakers rarely achieve nowadays.

There may be hot hatches that are slightly faster, but for my money this is the hot hatch that delivers the best driving experience. 

The compromise it makes between ride and handling is exceptional. It's exhibits low body roll through fast corners, yet it is still comfortable in everyday situations.

Don't believe me? I wasn't the only car nut in the office to be impressed. Here's what Web Wombat contributor Jay Williams had to say:

The XR-5 pulled up out side the front of my house gleaming in the sunlight with it's intoxicating paint work, chromo flair orange Ford call it I think, but whatever it is I liked it.

Stepping into the passenger's spot was like sliding into the co-driver's seat in a rally car - the Recaro sports bucket seats hug your body tightly and the array of sports instruments was impressive.

Taking a moment to have a quick squizz over the interior, there were little hints of style such as the metal inserts in the doors and around the air vents and sitting nicely in the dash was a Sony entertainment system with extra splits in the front and rear.

The fun began when we drove out of my street - it seemed an easy task changing gears with the stubby gear stick and at 3000rpm you can hear a quite purr from the engine and the ride isn't as harsh or rigid as first thought (this being a sports car). It was surprisingly comfortable; I could see how this car would be appealing to someone who wanted a daily driver that was fuel efficient but also wanted a car that would turn into a rally-bred dynamo.

Making our way up into the hills is where the Ford XR5 Turbo burst into life: this car was made for these kind of roads.

That purr I mentioned was long gone, and this easy-to-drive kitty cat turned into a full sized lion, the purr replaced with a roar especially when the driver changed gears at 6500rpm – 7000rpm, with backfires and pops adding to its rally car feel.

On top of the thumping engine sounds, the turbo spooling into action at around 3200rpm overlays a high pitched whine giving other drivers an insight into the kind of technology under the hood. But really, anything above 3500rpm was drowned out by the loud roar coming from the engine bay.

Riding shotgun when this rally-bred machine was pushed to the limit felt like being a 12-year-old on the Gravitron... Hitting corners in this car was almost effortless: smooth and flat was the order of the day going through corner after corner with the accelerator nailed to the cushy floor mats. 

Whatever Ford had done with the suspension I liked it, and the dynamic stability control (DSC) earned its money, seamlessly working away when the tyre adhesion began to fade. You could hear/feel the DSC work, but could only feel it making slight adjustments and not once did the XR-5 run out of brakes pulling up strongly before ducking into another corner. It felt like a forgiving car to drive as well, with its beefy mid-range getting the car moving quickly after hard braking into corners.

In essence this car felt like a rally car with creature comforts inside. It's terrifyingly fast but still approachable and friendly. It's a freakishly smooth car and didn't even feel like a front-wheel drive.

Overall: 4/5

The XR5 Turbo is an undeniably impressive vehicle. It's easy to live with on a day-to-day basis with a great little 6-speed gearbox, a smooth ride and direct steering.

Parking the stubby little hatch is a cinch and even filling it up with fuel is nice thanks to the motor sports inspired Easyfuel system.

But give it a bit of shtick and the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo will clear its lungs and devour corners with such hunger, it's difficult to not repeat your favourite sections of asphalt again and again and again to relive the thrill.

The engine is sensational, a 5-cylinder freak of engineering that sounds unlike anything else on the road, while inside and out the go-fast Ford Focus looks and feels sensational and is the most impressively appointed XR model on the market, and probably one of the loudest too.

It has a new face, it has new features, the XR5 Turbo even has a glowing red starter button. But at it's core this car is simply an example of excellent engineering.

It is a blast to drive and I would highly recommend the enthusiast to put the Focus XR5 Turbo on your 'must drive' list.