Verdict: Drives well, sounds good, and puts character into a corporate mile-muncher.
Company Car Review of the Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium X
What is it?
A new Ford Focus, Britain’s best-selling car updated, with changes inside and out and also under the bonnet.
Ford has given its Focus range a substantial makeover, including new engines and a lot more technology.
Since the original Focus was launched in 1998, more than 1.5 million have been sold in Britain, and it is the most popular car here after the Fiesta.
The Focus is also this country’s most successful business car, and as well as freshened looks, the new engines bring welcome improvements in CO2 output.
What are the new engines in the new Ford Focus? A 1.5 litre EcoBoost petrol unit and a 1.5 litre TDCi diesel. These contribute to an across-the-range improvement in fuel efficiency of up to 15 per cent, with CO2 emissions reduced and corresponding benefits in company car taxation.
The exterior design has been tweaked to give the Focus a slightly lower and wider stance and a bit more visual muscle.
Changes include a new more sculpted bonnet, front fascia and inverted trapezoidal grille.
That slightly protruding lower lip beneath the grille has been changed from body colour to black, in response to customer feedback that it was prone to minor damage.
The headlights are slimmer and more chiselled and the fog lamps have been elongated.The rear lights are also thinner. Ford says the changes target a more toned, athletic look for the Focus. You can be the judge of whether that’s true.
The timetable for roll-out of the new Ford Focus range starts with phase one in October: the 1.0 litre EcoBoost with 105 to 116 g/km, 1.5 and 1.6 litre petrol engines; 1.5 and 1.6 litre diesels.
Phase two in December adds the two-litre diesel to the mix. Phase three next March will bring the 1.5 litre petrol with auto transmission, and the 1.0 EcoBoost with sub-100 g/km CO2 output.
This car is a honey of the range, with the award-winning 1.0 litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine delivering a combination of good performance and economy. This is a 125 PS version, with 108 bhp and 60 mpg combined economy.
Taut cornering and well-judged damping achieve a civilised blend of ride-handling competence. Refinement is a strong point and the steering feel is noticeably sharper than in the previous car. Ford’s engineers have done a really good job.
