The word bargain can mean many things to many people. It could represent £500,000 off of the original price of a stately home to a millionaire. It could mean paying £1,000 less for the Baroness’ favourite perfume. However, to the average chap a bargain represents fantastic value for money resulting in paying but beans and buttons for something that should really be beyond his reach. In reality such bargains come few and far between, but every now and then something becomes a bit of a steal… Today that is the Ford Fiesta ST.
0-62MPH in under 7 seconds, 197BHP on overboost, all in a swollen “boy racer” package that at the end of the day is still a Fiesta and can accommodate 5 people as well as a weeks worth of shopping. All of this can be yours for just £17,995! That is quite the loving spoonful of performance, yet enough practicality to sell the wife on the idea of the ST sitting in your driveway. You can even have it in this more subtle blue of our test car as opposed to ASBO orange.
Visually the ST is much more aggressive than the standard car with its more muscular bodykit, bonnet bulge and gaping front grill. The latter does give the car something of a menacing smile, something that foreshadows the look on your face when you hit the road.
Getting into this car you are greeted with a familiar interior and one that could be criticised for not being different enough from the standard car. Other than the body hugging seats and racey red detailed gearknob its not all that different to the car sat in your neighbors driveway. A shame, but it soon becomes apparent where Ford have spent the money when you fire up the 1.6 litre turbocharged engine.
On the road it is polite and relatively refined offering all of the great attributes of the standard Fiesta. That is until you step on the noisy peddle and then things get exciting! With a bellow of four cylinder fury the ST takes off like a scolded cat thanks to the turbocharged engine and near 200BHP. The sounds this car makes are just dirty. It farts, burbles and screams whilst you charge through the gears like a child that is just a little bit too excited. As you are pushed back into your seat under acceleration you can feel the front tyres through the wheel scrabbling for grip momentarily before they hook up. Ford have done a good job minimising torque steer, a blight of many high powered front wheel drive cars. This little hatch doesn’t weigh all that much and being built on an a chassis that is already highly regarded in standard guise, the end result is a confidence inspiring balance of keen handling backed up by engine performance. Throwing the ST into a corner at speed, the weight is transferred beautifully allowing the car to be more settled through the bend. Though the suspension is a little on the firm side around town, when you are grinning from ear to ear on country roads, you know those springs and shocks are being put to their best use. Understeer is another issue with quick front drive cars but the Fiesta, almost magically, pivots around bends at silly speeds with next to no fuss at all. Yes, understeer does exist in this machine, but you would have to be driving like a complete pillock for it to bite you. Even if you did encounter it, how wide the car goes is easily trimmed by reducing the throttle. The Ford Fiesta ST is just one of those cars that you can relentlessly cane and it will simply thank you for it and ask for more. Everything from the direct steering to the brakes just ticks all of the boxes for driving enthusiasts.
The Fiesta ST faces tough competition in the form of Renaults Clio RS and the Peugeot 208 GTI, but for under £18K this pocket rocket is my hot-hatch of choice.
Are petrol cars fated to become just a chapter in the complete history of the motor car? With diesel engined cars producing astonishing MPG figures, the growing uptake in hybrid cars and the cost of fuel the answer to that would appear apparent. Audi are even looking into the validity of a high performance diesel supercar, a sector that is currently exclusive to petrol power. However, petrol cars still have a very strong following from those who enjoy the benefits of a high revving engine and a generally more engaging drive. The current trend for petrol cars is a one of downsizing and turbo charging. For example, Mercedes-Benz have replaced their 6.2 litre motor with a 5.5 litre turbocharged one. It enables manufacturers to meet emissions standards, increase fuel economy and meet the performance demands of the customer. Ford have taken this to the extreme with their new 1.0 litre Focus.
A 1.0 litre engine in a car as big as a Ford Focus I hear you cry? Factor into the equation that our test car was the even larger estate variant and the tiny little engine seems even more out of place. Yet, it isn’t… This engine that is literally the size of an A4 sheet of paper is nothing short of a technological masterpiece. Despite its low displacement, this three cylinder with the aid of a turbo produces 94BHP, a figure the trumps the least powerful 1.6 litre in the range. Surly a 1.0 litre car could never be a viable alternative to a 1600cc engine, could it?
First let us view the car as a whole. The Ford Focus is one of the UK’s biggest selling hatchbacks and offers practicality and an involving drive to the masses. Inside the cabin is well sculpted with a very modern console and curved dashboard. The new Focus, regardless of what engine you chose, is an ergonomic triumph with seating being perfectly adjustable, driver controls are all within arms reach and everything having a logical positioning. Visibility is most commendable all around and its 5 star Euro NCAP rating provides reassurance to families looking for high safety ratings. Something else that will appeal to Mums and Dads is the vast amount of space on offer in the boot. Huge shopping trips, lawnmowers, dogs and maybe even a small cow will fit into the back of this estate with ease. Our Zetec test car even came with a DAB radio which makes for crystal clear listening.
This car has to be driven to be believed! The first thing that hits you when you start it up just how quite it is. It is near silent and often led many of my passengers to believe the engine wasn’t running at all. This lack of noise also makes for a seamless start/stop system that often goes unnoticed when in operation. Considering its odd number of cylinders you would expect some sort of vibration from the engine, but that is as absent as its noise. Driving around town the steering is well weighted and the ride is more than capable of dealing with the rough and tumble that British roads provide. Not once did I complain that it was sluggish out of junctions and in truth had you told me that this was the 1.6 litre car I would have believed you. On motorways it can hold its own too as the Focus surged past slower traffic with ease. At these higher speeds, even with a 5 speed gearbox, the engine is only doing around 3,000RPM. There is a 6 speed option if you really want it but from my experience the 5 is more than capable. Fuel economy on our tests in multiple environments produced an average of 47MPG. The smaller engine also makes this Focus even more agile through the corners thanks to the lack of weight. It has always been an involving car to drive, but this engine really does give it a new lease of life.
Honestly, these words do not do the engine justice and the only real way you are going to understand just how good this car can be is if you drive one yourself. I had read good things about the 1.0 litre Focus before this road test, but seeing is believing and you had better believe that Ford have hit the nail directly on its head with this car.
In 1998 Ford gave the world what was to become an international success. Replacing the much loved Escort, the Focus entered the market with a fresh new curvaceous look as well as practicality that was admired by all. Better still the driving element of the car was not lost in stereotypical “school run conveyance” fashion. It was involving, it was comfortable, it was practical and good looking. The Focus collected multiple awards year on year affirming its position as top dog in its class. Generations later and the car is still at the top of its game, however with competitors continuously looking to take its crown Ford’s next incarnation has to take things to the next level.
Enter the 2011 Ford Focus, a car the company hopes will put the likes of the VW Golf back in its place. We were lucky enough to be invited to Keith Motors V.I.P preview event to test the car prior to launch.This all-new effort is a big step for the blue oval as for the first time this Focus will be sold universally meaning both Europe and America will receive the very same car. Though financially that makes good business sense, the likes and dislikes of each continent do tend to clash. Can Ford really bring together the best of both worlds?
In a word… Yes. This new Focus with its well sculpted body and thoroughly redesigned interior does its forefathers justice. Starting with the exterior, the new architecture brings a fresh look to the car yet it is still unquestionably a Focus and keeps within those proportions we know and love. It’s very tidy and in a dark colour could even pass for a car costing much more. Our test car was the new 1.6 litre Titanium EcoBoost engine with start/stop technology. As a result the interior had a few added toys but even without them, the Focus’ interior is where the design revolution has hit its peak. It is unrecognizable in comparison with the previous model! Gone are the flat facias and sloping dashboards, in their place are very sculpted and intricate shapes that give the cabin a true premium feel. The Ford Focus was never a car for a meaning less journey to somewhere or other but in this evolution it is just so grown up. Professional is the word I would use with every aspect of it being very,excuse the pun, focused. The centre console is extremely ergonomic as everything is not only well laid out but also thanks to its hight, never too far away. The seats are another huge plus of this car with ample support in all areas and it even offer some nice body hugging bolsters. Passengers in the back will also enjoy the good levels of leg room and the amount of natural of light that is let in through the cars large windows. But the thing that does it for me on the subject of interior are all the little details that Ford could have easily over looked. Things like fitting the interior lights with LED’s or the fact that the door pockets glow a colour of your choosing when it gets dark. The Ford Focus has also always been commended for the size of its boot and I am pleased to say that this positive can also be granted to this car. The only real thing that didn’t quite fall to my taste, and being honest I am really nit-picking here, was the shape of the hand-break leaver. Its a bit high and stands out a bit obscurely when it is on. However it functions adequately and isn’t awkward to use but will take time to get used to.
And so we come to a very important moment for this car. Taking the Focus on to the road will make or break it as though it has many great qualities, the thing that made all Focus’ stand above the competition was the way it moved. This 1.6 with 150BHP and 6 speed gearbox does shift. Getting out of junctions just isn’t an issue with appropriate power and responsive feedback. The steering was light and very responsive allowing for the wide track of the car to be placed on the road with high levels of accuracy. Something Ford have got spot on with the new Focus is its suspension. It irons out the bumps in the road with ease yet also isn’t sloppy around the corners. This in combination with other elements of the car make the drive both tranquil and enjoyable from the drivers perspective. From within the confides of the cabin road noise is very minimalistic to the point where the Golf and other premium hatchbacks should be worried. Though the start/stop techno-wizardry is near unnoticeable and reduces fuel consumption very well I do admire Ford for giving the option of turning it off. This isn’t because I dislike the system but because it gives you the freedom to choose. So many cars with “green” technology behind them take a “like it or lump it” attitude towards when they are used but by Ford providing an off button it feels like that the car has been designed to respect the drivers wishes.
The new Ford Focus starts at £15,995 ford the base 1.6 petrol and goes all the way up to £25,905 for the 2.0 TDCi estate. Our car was somewhere in between coming in at £19,745 and so makes for a good weight to sit in our pedestal of judgement. Overall I feel Ford has done it again giving the motor industry yet another fantastic peoples car. Along the way it has picked up a few new tricks that should more than see off many competitors.
It’s the early 60’s and after months of carrying out audits and spending millions of dollars reviewing a potential purchase, Ford prepare to buy Ferrari. However once Enzo finds that Ford won’t allow Ferrari to compete in an array of motorsports he pulls out of the sale losing Ford all the money they had invested thus far. Naturally Henry Ford wasn’t best pleased and demanded that his motorsports division immediately set to work on building a car to put Ferrari to shame out on track. The car built out of spite emerged in 1964 as the Ford GT40, named so as the cars roofline was just 40 inches off the ground. The car became a racing legend taking victory in a multitude of events and rather making Ferrari wish they had honoured the sale. Wind forwards 40 years and for Fords 100th anniversary the car has been reincarnated, it may have taken us an extra 5 years to acquire an example but we are here now.
This car to me is just as prestigious as the Batmobile with all of its history, references to the original car and iconic status among those lucky enough to have made contact with it. However despite being elated that a car I had admired for such a long time had appeared at long last, I would be lying if I said the phrase “never meet your heroes” didn’t come into my head. At the end of the day this car comes fromAmerica and its only really now in 2010 they are getting to grips with the idea of handling. To most US designers when the GT was being built the Nürburgring was still a fairy-tale and places such as Scotland were assumed as myth. But even at the risk of spontaneously combusting I wasn’t going to give up this opportunity.
So to the car and also the key reason why it doesn’t share its predecessor’s name. The Ford GT sits at 42 inches tall and let’s just face it, GT42 doesn’t have the same ring to it. Open the manly weighted door, this most defiantly isn’t a dainty little Italian sports car, to reveal a surprisingly refined cockpit. There are two seats that don’t crush you against the windscreen, clearly visible dials and gauges set out in a retro arrangement, a gear leaver that doesn’t require the user to be double jointed to operate and even an audible sound system. That is until you give the beast life, at which point your eardrums become redundant.
The cars mid-mounted 5.4 litre supercharged V8 heart sits just over your shoulder as a continuous reminder of this cars 500 horses just waiting to be relinquished. The V8 bellow is one of those sounds that go straight through as with each reverberation sound waves become physical objects pounding against your chest. This car was designed no more to be subtle as the space shuttle was efficient.
The Ford GT will however destroy your spine thanks to it’s a ride that can only be rivalled by attempting to slide down Mt Everest on a tea tray. This is a huge shame as the car in general hugs the road with its colossal width and tarmac chewing tyres. In every other respect the GT is precise and brilliantly balanced fulfilling childhood dreams of owning such an instrument of racing potential. So is this contradictory evidence of US engineering being able to cope with more than the ¼ mile. Well yes and no… As a complete package it’s a wholehearted yes as this “wide boy” will happily match competitors. But if you break it down this car isn’t as stateside as it would want you to believe. The chassis was all set up by Lotus, the bodywork is manufactured in the UK and many components come from an assortment of other European countries.
In conclusion? I don’t care that underneath it’s not an all Ford effort, I don’t care that it only does 14 MPG, I don’t evencare that in reality the car is about as usable as a chocolate teapot. The truth is that the Ford GT wasn’t built for reality; it was built to quench the thrust of your fantasies.
