Ford Australia is now seriously into the turbo-diesel market in Australia with the release of a European-sourced Focus TDCi running on this economical fuel. This new for 2009 model Ford Focus that we have road tested over the past week is not only powered by a diesel engine, but also runs the latest in fuel-saving transmissions, in the form of what it calls a ‘PowerShift’ six-speed double-clutch gearbox.

Note that the economy transmission is only available with the TDCi model at this stage, but may be made available in other models in the Focus range later.

Ford's diesel Focus has a capacity of 2.0 litres and comes with the moniker of ‘Duratorq’; it's a modern common-rail unit that produces up to 100 kilowatts, torque is 320 Newton metres and that figure is available across a huge spread of the rev band, all the way from 1600 to 4000 rpm.

Even better, an additional 20 Nm is there for emergency use, such as to produce maximum safety when overtaking. This is achieved by permitting the turbocharger to overboost for a few seconds. The difference in grunt when you do this is noticeable and it certainly reduces the amount of time you spend on the wrong side of the road.

As four-cylinder diesels are noisier and harsher than the equivalent petrol units, Ford's engineers have made quite a few improvements to its NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) package for this Series 2 model. These include an insulated cowl panel and a new carpet type with a modified heavy duty coating for further sound deadening. This package has also been installed in the petrol versions, but we have yet to road test them, this week’s report concentrating on the turbo-diesel.

On the road there's little additional noise from the diesel engine, and what sound is there is quite pleasant in its gruff note. In the way of all diesel engines, there's a fair bit of noise from outside the Focus, it's at its worst when the engine is cold. On the whole, this latest addition to the Ford Australia range is refined and smooth in its characteristics.

 

Of course, the number one reason for spending $5300 more to buy a diesel over a petrol engine is fuel economy. Our road test Focus certainly delivered on this front. On the motorways we consistently ran figures in the mid five litres per hundred kilometres range, and could possibly have pulled it below five litres with special economy techniques.

Around town the engine will typically use about six to eight litres per hundred, with the latter only being seen when you are doing a lot of stop-start work, or giving it a real hiding.

This really may be a car aimed at the smaller end of the family-car market, but it almost has a sports feel in the way it corners and brakes. Handling is very European in the way the Focus responds quickly to driver inputs on the steering wheel. The balance of the Focus should bring a smile of delight to the faces of those who love to drive.

On the other hand, the inevitable turbo lag doesn't give you quite the throttle response the non-turbo petrol units provide. But the lag from the Ford engine is no worse than that of most other cars in this class, and if the driver is prepared to sacrifice some economy by keeping the revs up and the turbo on boost, the Focus really does respond reasonably well.

Ride comfort isn't compromised in any way by the sporting nature of the ‘chassis’. Is it any wonder Ford Australia has stuck with European imports in its smaller cars?



From an appearance point of view, the 2009 Ford Focus range has a new design of bonnet, a larger more aggressive shape to the radiator grille and even more interesting style in the headlights than on the just-superseded Focus. The grille area below the front bumper is now a major feature of Focus’ face.

The new lights aren’t just there for effect, they offer better side lighting than previously. They are also designed to reduce glare and scattering of the light from the point of view of other drivers. New-look foglamps with silver bezels are used on the mid- and high-level variants. At the rear, a new upper rear spoiler is used on all Focus hatch variants as are clear tail lamp lenses.

Enlarged exterior door mirrors not only add to the visual effect, but also provide improved visibility. In common with a lot of other new cars, the door mirrors now feature integrated side indicators.

Safety equipment in the 2009 Ford Focus includes driver, front passenger and front side airbags. Crash prevention or mitigation is assisted by Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with traction control. Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and side curtain airbags are available as part of the optional Safety Pack.

Ford Focus TDCi turbo-diesel makes an excellent buy for the keen driver who has children up to their mid-teen years and who is looking for minimum fuel consumption, and the subsequent lower output of exhaust emissions.

AT A GLANCE

MODEL RANGE
Focus CL 2.0-litre petrol five-door hatch: $21,990
Focus LX 2.0-litre petrol five-door hatch: $24,290
Focus CL 2.0-litre petrol four-door sedan: $21,990
Focus LX 2.0-litre petrol four-door sedan: $24,290
Focus Zetec 2.0-litre petrol five-door hatch: $27,290
Focus XR5 2.5-litre turbo petrol five-door hatch: $36,990
Focus TDCI 2.0-litre diesel five-door hatch: $28,290

FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Not offered in XR5, option in all other models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Not offered in CL or XR5, standard in all other models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Package option in CL, standard in all other models
Stability Control: Package option in CL, standard in all other models
Traction Control: Package option in CL, standard in all other models

SPECIFICATIONS (Ford Focus 2.0-litre diesel four-door sedan)

ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.997 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 18.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 85.0 mm x 88.0 mm
Maximum Power: 100 kW @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 320 Nm @ 2000 rpm

DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: NA

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4337 mm
Wheelbase: 2640 mm
Width: 2020 mm
Height: 1497 mm
Turning Circle: 10.7 metres
Kerb Mass: 1458 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 53 litres
Towing Ability: 1000kg

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, McPherson struts, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, control blade, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc

FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Diesel
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 5.6 L/100km

GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 7.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 5/10

STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km