Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
Ford Philippines recently launched the new Ford Focus, its new exterior design has a lower, wider stance that emphasizes width, and a new hood that sweeps toward the trapezoidal grille, giving the car a bolder and more muscular presence on the road.
Slim, chiseled front headlamps link the aggressive front end to the clean lines of its sides and kick up at the rear window. Rectangular, elongated fog-lamps add to the bolder front end. The rear of the car has a new fascia and tailgate arrangement, as well as thinner tail lamps with a sculpted rear spoiler to enhance aerodynamics.
The new interior was further refined by Ford designers with a simpler, more intuitive interface with fewer controls and switches. The revised instrument panel and reorganization of switches allows drivers to effortlessly control the vehicle’s features.
There’s now more space inside with new convenient storage options for a more comfortable driving experience. Theres an adjustable console fits a variety of bottles and cups, which can simultaneously hold a 1-litre water bottle and a 400 ml cup.
The new Focus also offers impressive levels of cabin quietness, sound deadening materials which including sound-insulating windshield glass, thicker side-window glass, thicker carpets, increased insulation in the door trims, and improved engine insulation offer increased refinement.
The new Focus also features a host of cutting-edge technology to help drivers stay connected and in control. Its equipped with Ford’s advanced connectivity system, SYNC 2 that offers a smarter and safer way to stay connected allowing drivers to operate the car’s climate controls, entertainment system and a linked smartphone with voice commands. An 8-inch touchscreen puts even more control at the driver’s fingertips, with color-coded corners for easy menu navigation.
Making life easier is the Enhanced Active Park Assist, which adds to Ford’s popular Parallel Park Assist and the addition of Perpendicular Park Assist. This system scans for available parking When it finds one, the system takes control of the car’s steering to guide the vehicle into the space while the driver controls the shifting, braking and acceleration.
Perpendicular Park Assist uses two new ultrasonic sensors on the rear of the car, which also enables Park-Out Assist, this takes the stress out of exiting a parallel parking space by taking control of the steering while the driver modulates the brake and accelerator.
Active City Stop system can help to mitigate low-speed collisions in city driving upto 50kph. A windshield-mounted sensor detects braking, slower-moving or stationary vehicles in front, the system then pre-charges the brakes if the car is approaching a vehicle in front too quickly. If the system detects that the driver failed to take action, it will reduce engine torque and will automatically apply the brakes to reduce the impact of a collision.
Then there’s the Ford MyKey. Owners can program the spare key to reduce the maximum speed of the vehicle, give an earlier low-fuel warning, limit the volume of the in-car entertainment or even disable it completely if the seatbelt is not fastened. This technology can preassure owners when lending their car to less experienced drivers.
Under the hood is the EcoBoost-ed aluminum block 1.5-liter four-cylinder direct fuel-injected and Twin-independent Variable Cam Timed, which puts out180 PS with 240 Nm of torque. Featuring a new cylinder head design with improved cooling and an integrated exhaust manifold which improves efficiency by efficiently delivering a more air into the engine to operate at optimal temperatures.
Mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission, it delivers better performance and fuel economy. Paddle shifters enable drivers the enhanced feeling of performance. The suspension and shock absorbers have been tuned for a more solid and responsive vehicle that feels firmly connected to the road.
The Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) improves the driving experience with more precise steering with lower effort, reducing unwanted damping while providing improved feedback.
Ford Philippines let us media guys experience some of the technologies and features if the New Ford Focus at the Libis Megatent. The Focus performed as expected.
The new Focus will be available for delivery in November and shall be offered in four variants at the following price points:
1.5L Focus GTDI EcoBoost Sport+ AT – P1,278,000
1.5L Focus GTDI EcoBoost Titanium+ AT – P1,278,000
1.5L Focus GTDI EcoBoost Sport AT – P1,088,000
1.5L Focus GTDI EcoBoost Titanium AT – P1,088,000
The new Focus comes in eight colors, Frozen White, Panther Black, Ingot Silver, Winning Blue, Magnetic Metallic, Lunar Sky, Candy Red and Mustard Olive.