New Focus 1.8 Ghia Sedan – Great Handling At an Affordable Price
New Focus 1.8 Ghia Sedan – Great Handling At an Affordable Price
If there is one line I could use to describe the new Ford Focus 1.8 Ghia Sedan, that line would be that it is one great handling car. Built on Ford’s rally heritage, the engineers have somehow managed to capture the essence of a true rally car, that is, its superb handling, and have managed to transfer the same great driving dynamics into their road-going version. Many times, the rally versions are totally different in character and behaviour, what with seven speed sequential boxes, full-blown sports set-ups, and a monococque that has been strengthened and braced. I have driven the older Focus, and quite liked it; I have had first hand experience in building not only the Focus for rally, but also the Lynx as well, and know for a fact that they are great cars to drive, but I had made up my mind, prior to the test drive, that the new Focus is on a totally new platform, and I wanted to see for myself what it was like. I did have a short stint at driving it at the Bira circuit in Thailand, but that test drive was a wee bit too short, plus the speeds we drove were too slow to form any lasting impressions.
At the same time, many people had already made up their minds that the 2.0 litre Focus was so much better, and that the 1.8 litre Focus was only so-so. I took the car up to Cameron Highlands for a drive (and a short break from the grind of everyday life), and I came back very impressed.
For a start, the power of the car, whilst it is not a road burner, is adequate to satisfy about 90 percent of the people who are likely to buy it. It will get up to regulation speed at a decent pace, and cruise easily at 160 kph the whole day. Put pedal to the metal, and you will hit close to 190 kph if you wish to. The 1.8 litre Duratec DOHC fuel-injected engine delivers 131PS at 6,000 rpm, and 165NM of torque at 4,000 rpm, more than enough to get you wherever it is you might want to go. One feature that actually helps the engine is the electric-hydraulic power steering system that minimises the drag on the engine.
The obvious benefit from having a smaller capacity engine is of course fuel economy. During our drive, which included the long climb up from Simpang Pulai to Cameron Highlands, the 55 litre fuel tank gave us 400 kilometres before the low fuel warning light came on, and even then, the on-board computer indicated another 80 kilometres of range remaining in the tank.
The one thing that impresses me the most about the Focus is the superb handling characteristics. It sticks to the road like glue, and the sensation of going around bends is like it is on rails. On the way up and down the Camerons highway, (which is in itself a brilliant piece of work), all you have to do is point and squirt, and the Focus does the rest. I kept on going into the corners faster and faster, but the Focus never complained; I haven’t found the limit yet. The secret lies in the Focus’s independent front strut suspension, and its Control Blade independent multi-link rear suspension.
The brakes are discs all round, with the front ones being ventilated, and ABS comes as standard equipment. In addition, an Electronic Brakeforce Distribution system is also standard equipment, as are driver and front passenger airbags.
In the looks department, the Ford Focus 1.8 Sedan is a winner from the start. Built with European styling and German engineering, the Ford Focus stands out amongst others in its class. Boot space is definitely one of the largest in its class.
Comfort-wise, you get individual temperature controls for the left and right side of the car, and a rear blower for the back passengers, plus a power seat for the driver. Upholstery is in full leather, and the Focus 1.8 seats five comfortably.
The Ford Focus 1.8 Ghia, offered at RM119, 888.00, (price on-the-road without insurance), makes a great value proposition for the buyer who wants a good car that gives reasonable power, and wants to have a lower fuel bill.. Think also of it as getting a great car for half the price, if youknow what I mean, seeing as this is a shared platform with another European make….
