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Green-label Focus comes at a high cost

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24 August 2009

Ford Focus ECOnetic 1.6 TDCi DPF

Ford Focus ECOnetic

Ford Focus ECOnetic 1.6 TDCi 109 DPF

What is it?

LATEST version of Ford’s greenest Focus features a gear-shift indicator as part of its low-emission armoury. The gear-shift indicator works out the way the Focus is being driven, along with the road conditions, and suggests the most suitable gear change point. Otherwise, the Focus ECOnetic is unchanged, featuring lowered suspension, low rolling resistance tyres, and economy calibrated engine management and low viscosity engine oil. Available with 90PS and 109PS power outputs (tested here).

What’s hot?

  • It’s the most fuel-efficient Focus you can drive…
  • …with combined economy of 65.7mpg
  • And CO2 emissions are just 115g/km…
  • …Which means company car tax of just 13%
  • At its most comfortable on motorways…
  • …where the ECOnetic makes its economy felt
  • We averaged 47.2mpg in mixed driving…
  • …impressive: this included heavy traffic city driving
  • Trim includes air conditioning and front fog lamps
  • There’s also standard anti-skid ESP technology
  • Road tax of £35

What’s not?

  • Harsh ride on sports suspension with optional 16ins alloys
  • Standard plastic hub caps look low-rent for the Focus
  • There’s no stop-start technology to increase mpg further
  • The gains over standard 1.6 TDCi Style are marginal (3mpg)
  • …and costs you more in company car tax than similar Style!

What you need to Know?

P11D Value: 18,605
Monthly Rental*: 332 (CH)/£382 (PCH)
Tax Band when posted: 13%
Monthly BiK: 40 (20%)/£81 (40%)
Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl turbo diesel
CO2 Emissions: 115g/km
Power/torque: 109PS/177lb ft
Economy: 65.7mpg

Monthly contract hire (CH) and personal contract hire (PCH) rentals generated by Concept Vehicle Leasing. Based on a 36 month lease at 10,000 miles a year, 3+35 payments.

Business Car Manager Road Test Rating

Ford’s ECOnetic drive to lower CO2 emissions is to be commended. But the Focus ECOnetic makes no sense for business car drivers. If you drive long distances, opt for the similar Style model and save yourself some tax. There’s also no writing down allowance advantages to the Focus ECOnetic either. Which just proves how good the standard Focus 1.6 TDCi diesel model really is. Which is where you need to spend your money if you drive high mileages on business.

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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