Short Test Drive: 2016 Ford Focus 1.5 Ecoboost Titanium+

Yesterday I attended the launch of the new 2016 Ford Focus somewhere in Kota Damansara. This is now a heavily revised third generation Ford Focus before I say anything else. It was a surprisingly short event due to the fact that some of us were given the opportunity to take the car out for a spin in it. I was put into a full specced Ford Focus Titanium+ sedan with two other journalists and we were asked to head to four locations located throughout Klang Valley where we would be tested on stuff the new Focus has built into it. At the same time, we would actually take turns driving the car silly.

We actually wanted to take the car to Genting Highlands, test it on the twisty bits there, have a cup of teh tarik whilst exchanging thoughts about the new Focus. But of course we didn't. Being the good people we were. Honest to goodness people who would do what was entrusted to us. So we drove to the destinations, had the usual banter, chit chat and other guy stuff like high beaming the red Focus car no 3 full of lady journalists and giving them a few beeps on the horn.

So the Ford Focus Titanium+ sedan is priced at RM139,888+ and is packed to the brim with equipment. It has everything that is something like a Big Mac when it is actually supposed to be a Double Cheeseburger at the price of the Double Cheeseburger. Amazing yes?

It has the usual lots of airbags (which you would only benefit if you crash), ABS, EBD, Traction Control (all of this would benefit if you are about to crash), that incredibly good Blind Sport detection system (BLIS) and incredible goodies that you could only get in a RM200,000 Volvo V40 T5(which incidentally uses the same platform as this heavily revised Focus Mk3 chassis). Such goodies include collision avoidance, Active City stop (which actually brakes the car for you in anticipation of a crash) and self park features (parallel park and reverse park).

We were guided by the GPS to three destinations where we were asked to do three tasks that highlight the usefulness of the features. The first was the ISOFIX child safety seat anchors. The Ford Focus has ISOFIX anchors so that an ISOFIX ready seat can use the anchoring points and make the child seat mountings more rigid than those with just the car's passenger seatbelt as the anchoring points to the seat - ISOFIX has an extra clamp at the base back rest and on top if required. So it was easy to fix and we got that done.

The Active City Stop is a unique feature. At city speeds, with the ACS system activated, the Focus will actually apply pressure on the brakes slowing the car down if it detects an object in its path (whether stationary or otherwise). It will not fully stop the car but slows down a car to a speed where damage would be limited. Quite good actually as once you are aware of the braking force, you can slam on the brakes for a total stop. It works quite well at around 20kmh or so, which is the speed we crawl along in traffic. We tried it at least twice. This works great.

And then we had to try the car's self parking features. Press a button on this high specced Focus and it will enable parallel parking. Press twice and you can reverse park. Both whilst following the instructions on the large infotainment screen located in the dashboard. This function it may get a little wonky. We tried both methods of parking and both times it actually failed to detect at least once before succeeding to detect the parking space between two vehicles. And then, it also required extra inputs by the driver to engage either reverse or forward on the gear shift. Of course, it would still be a great assistance for those that have no clue on how to park properly. Of course, I wonder whether it can detect crazy Malaysian drivers who would simply swoop into a parking spot that the car is trying to reverse into.

But the best thing about this new Focus sedan is the way it drives. Recent Fords that I have driven include the Mondeo, EcoSport and the Ranger. All handle very well. This newly facelifted Focus is no exception. It has superb body control. This Focus Titanium+ sedan may only run on balloon like 16 inch 205 series tyres but it will hold the line in most corners you throw at it. This means that there is very good front end bite as the front will not wash out. This car is one of those cars that work as a whole with the front and back working in cohesion. The electric power steering system has good weighting and is nicely direct in terms of steering input and cornering angle.

I have to add that when driven on the bumpy roads in and around Cyberjaya/Putrajaya this Focus' chassis was able to cope with most of the bumpy and undulating surfaces with nary a hiccup. It is that good. One time at over 140kmh the car encountered a heavily undulating stretch and it actually bounced and landed with such aplomb that the three of us inside it (including the drive - wasn't me) were deeply impressed. This is a very well designed chassis here. There is good wheel control at all corners and the car breathes the road surfaces around it. You'd expect such chassis sophistication from something that is the likes of a BMW 3 series instead of a compact family sedan. This car can corner and can handle most highway situations with ease whilst doing speeds at least 40kmh over the speed limit (but don't try this all the time - we've been doing this for a long time. Most of us at least). I would actually love to take the car up to my usual hillside route so that I can really test this car to its limits. It feels fun even on this short drive.

Anyway, the Focus sedan has the performance to back up its tactile chassis. The 1.5liter Ecoboost may seem like something small that you'd put in a Honda City sort of car. But because it is packed with a whole lot of technology like direct injection, valve timing and a turbocharger, it makes 180ps and a whopping, for a small engine, 240Nm worth of torque. Mighty Antman prowess here. It also is smooth all the way to 6,000rpm and a bit more redline too. It does not suddenly go rough and all. It is refined all the way and actually feels like a large 2.0liter normally aspirated engine or more. It does feel like it too in terms of acceleration and overall lugging power. And since the gearbox is now no longer a dual clutch job but a torque convertor based one, it is smooth in gear shifts but adequate if you want to hustle a little.

I have to add that refinement levels are darn high in this Focus sedan. The engine and gearbox is a refined combination with good mechanical refinement as well as good levels of soundproofing too.The overall refinement levels for a C-segment sedan is very high. Wind noise and road noise are actually minimal even at speeds of over 150kmh. We still can have a normal conversation at that speed. Again. High speed ride is good and the car feels very solid. Even more than say a Volkswagen Jetta or a Golf TSi. Very impressive.

The other bits are also good. It also has tons of equipment and after its facelift, it has a more cohesive and cleaner exterior look that is in line with Ford's family identity. The interior is also less cluttered with most of the controls laid out better than previously. The switchgear is also nice to fondle, hold and prod without any issues in using them.

It may sound like the perfect compact sedan for everyone to buy. But there are issues as no car is 100% perfect. As you already read above, the self parking features may get a little confused. The other issue to me is the passenger space. There are no real complaints about rear headroom or leg room. It is perfectly adequate. But for a top of the line C-segment sedan it should be equipped with rear air vents for the passengers. The front passenger space is a little tight for those with long legs (or that are over 1.65m in height). There is that feeling that the dashboard is too close to my kneecaps. If you are driving, the car is okay, the driving position is spot on where the steering wheel can be adjusted for reach and rake. The seat can be brought down really low to get that touring car driver's feel. Again, its just that the front passenger space is lacking in the legroom department. There is not much room at the back if you push the seat more than a certain distance. It is a packaging issue. But I hope Ford does not add more length to the outside of the car to handle this problem but adjust the size of the dashboard instead.

In short, if you want something refined yet still fun to drive for under RM140,000, the Ford Focus is it. Ignore the flaws as they are not large ones in my opinion. There could be no other C-segment car nicer to drive than this one at this price range. Even the Volkswagens in this price range.

Pro: very capable chassis, ride and handling is excellent, refinement, feels solid, fantastic equipment levels, better plastics than before, better ergonomics

Cons: Self Park does not detect a space sometimes and may need a second try, front passenger space

Conclusion: Probably the most fun you can have in a RM140,000 sedan. The key word is sedan. And Ford. I need one for a longer proper review. Please?

Ford Focus 1.5 Ecoboost Titanium+

RM139,888 otr (w/o insurance) Peninsular Malaysia / RM144,588 otr (w/o insurance) Sabah & Sarawak - For those who are current Ford Focus owners - All current/existing Ford Focus owners can enjoy a cash rebate of RM3,000 when purchasing the new Ford Focus from now until 30 April 2016.