Making Eye Contact
The oval-shaped all-new Focus is a far cry from the boxy design of its predecessor, and yet it still looks undoubtedly like a Focus should. It's as if Dr. Vicky Belo had a whack at it and sanded down all the deep lines and made it look 10 years younger. The Focus has also been given wider fenders, a more pronounced jaw line, and a wider mouth while she was at it.
Up front, the large intake on the bumper looks as if it can swallow anything that comes its way. In contrast, the sweeping headlights look captivating like a woman's eyes, and the tail lights reminded me of a Stingray swimming in the big blue sea. It's a well-balanced package overall that's not as edgy as the Japanese, but not as wild as the Koreans.
And here’s one interesting feature about the wiper arms that they don't say in the brochure: Not only do they move “wax on, wax off” Karate Kid-style, they also move independently from each other as opposed to the mechanical connection in regular cars. You can even move them up and down the windshield (like a kid would) with the engine turned off, and they would go back to their correct position once you turn the engine back on. Amazing!
The Beauty Inside
As always, Ford emphasized quality and craftsmanship of the cabin. The dashboard is now made from a soft-to-touch plastic, decorated with pieces of silver trims. I also particularly like how the chrome insert on the steering wheel feels like real metal on my hands, which is something that used to be reserved for more expensive luxury sedans. Door panels, on the other hand, are still made of hollow-sounding hard plastic.
The front seats offer proper lumbar support, and the matching headrests do their job nicely in giving my neck a break from a tiring day. The rear seats could use a little bit more padding. There’s also plenty of leg room front and back thanks to the longer wheelbase. And despite the sloping roofline, the headroom seems to be plentiful for all passengers.
On the dashboard, all the buttons are properly positioned for easy navigation. The Focus even borrows the numpad layout and the 3.5-inch multifunction display from its younger brother, the Fiesta, except backlit in icy blue. One noteworthy feature is the trip computer on the gauge cluster that not only records average fuel consumption, but also has an EcoMode that teaches you how to drive more efficiently as you go. The factory-fitted audio system sounds good too, like a premium one should.
Step and Go
Based on my experience, Fords are easy and fun to drive, and the all-new Focus is no different. Under the hood is a 1.6 liter Duratec Ti-VCT engine that has an output of 125 horsepower and 159 Nm of torque. Power is decent and won’t disappoint on unclogged thoroughfares. The six-speed power shift transmission is very responsive, but the manual mode is quite tricky to use. As the buttons are located on the gear shift itself, you need to use your right thumb to shift gears up and down, which is quite unusual.The ride is a bit stiff, especially on uneven roads. Nevertheless, it's stable on high speed cruising. The zippy acceleration and light steering wheel also makes it a joy to drive around the metro. My jaunt around the city returned 9 km/L, which is acceptable for a 1.6 liter car paired with an automatic transmission. In heavy traffic, the number goes down to 7km/L, but that’s still considered ok.
Jam Packed
Designed in Europe and developed under the blue oval's One Ford strategy means we’re getting the same equipment everyone else has. This 1.6L Trend variant comes with the Microsoft-powered Ford SYNC, an Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) system, Hill Hold and Launch assist (HLA), and Active Grill Shutters. (Sorry guys, you'll have to buy the Sport+ model to get the Active Park Assist feature.)
Designed in Europe and developed under the blue oval's One Ford strategy means we’re getting the same equipment everyone else has. This 1.6L Trend variant comes with the Microsoft-powered Ford SYNC, an Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) system, Hill Hold and Launch assist (HLA), and Active Grill Shutters. (Sorry guys, you'll have to buy the Sport+ model to get the Active Park Assist feature.)
Aside from the high tech bits, the Focus 1.6 Trend hatchback also comes with plenty of safety kits such as dual front airbags, ABS, and driver/passenger seatbelt reminder. For the cosmetic part, the stylish split-spoke 16-inch alloys and side mirror repeaters, front and rear fog lamps are also part of the package.
There are a lot of cars priced below the P1 million mark right now, which makes choosing the right one to buy quite difficult. But with the Ford Focus 1.6 Trend hatchback, you won’t feel short-changed. For a tag price of P989,000, you get more than you expect in terms of quality, fun, and technology.
