Test drive Ford Focus 5 doors since 2010 hatchback

Test drive Ford Focus II VS Ford Focus III: Association

Returning from the presentation of the completely new Ford Focus III, the correspondent of the Kolesa.ru portal spent several days behind the wheel of Ford Focus II and is ready to share impressions. The new generation is preferable to the old.


Two generations of one car are actually incorrectly comparing. The new, in theory, should be better in everything. But Focus for our market is not quite an ordinary car, and hundreds of thousands of Russians will really evaluate: who is better, sometimes nostalgically recalling: Eh, my second was

Ford Focus II appeared on sale in 2004, after which he safely survived restyling. The second and a half Focus modification, updated in January 2008, is still produced on the conveyor in Vsevolozhsk.

The third generation, first shown in the summer in Moscow, will replace it at the Russian plant closer to the summer, while the first serial models will reach buyers by early September.

Outside
The design of the previous Focus was a huge step forward compared to the first generation in the quickly outdated New Edge style. The smooth, streamlined he was not striking, but did not merge with a crowd of competitors. The new Focus III changed no less noticeably; The car divided the family features of the Fiesta and Kuga design, having received powerful shoulders, embossed sidewalls, a radiator grille with huge triangular air intakes.

According to the developers, all this gives the new Focus III aggression and sports (it must be said, a rare manufacturer, bringing the new generation of the car to the market, does not mention its increased sports and aggression). But at the same time, Focus joined a stream of cars with a European design from afar, it can be confused with anyone from competitors. Unless no one else has such air intake triangles.

Inside
The front panel and doors of the second Focus are covered with soft plastic. The three -spoke steering wheel is convenient in girth, behind it there are three steering wheel switches, stretching to which is not very convenient. The dashboard and a monochrome display that displaying the computer is sufficient for a car at an affordable price. Nothing extra.


In the third Focus, everything is more serious than ever: high -quality plastic has become even softer as if in the class above, on the knitting needles of the steering wheel of a pair of exactly the same management joysticks ... but what? They are not signed! The instrument panel has acquired a color display and now derives all vital indications. There is no dispatch key, in the test car it is replaced by the Start & Stop button (by the way, the plug is in place of the key, i.e. the basic configuration should be expected). Somewhere I have already seen this? In Mondeo there was a similar output of buttons and a display on the instrument panel with the same button.

Well, Focus III not only waved to the class above, but also tries to be like an older brother. The steering wheel switches on the new wheel now live closer to the hands of the driver and are located inside him. Comfortable.

The central console of the second has very angular forms. The media panel with large keys and the climate control unit rarely caused complaints from drivers. You can only notice that as soon as it took a sitting position that is convenient for himself, you have to reach for the necessary keys. But the location of the checkpoint selector is optimal. In its place is an ashtray.


Working on the third generation, the designers decided: enough sharp corners and squares, you need to add something new. As a result, we see a completely changed central console with a separate display and large deflectors who take away the precious place from the buttons. They turned out to be miniature, but very convenient for switching, the panel is pulled closer to the driver, and he no longer needs to reach for anything. The checkpoint of the checkpoint moved a little to the right, which personally seemed uncomfortable to me, but the handle of the parking brake is now in an accessible place. And there are no more ashtrays.

As a result, the spaces for front passengers in the new model became smaller, mainly due to the convex and mowed downward panel. But sitting in the third with comfort is significantly easier because of more convenient seats with excellent lateral support and the central console. The second generation is more conservative, and for contemporaries he can no longer be hijacked. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years we will say the same thing about Focus III?


On the road
Focus II earned the title of one of the most interesting in management and gambling. The 2.0-liter version also has very poor dynamic indicators. In addition, if the driver also has a mechanical gearbox of joy. But as soon as the arrow of the tachometer crosses the mark of 3000 r. It becomes noisy in the cabin

In the new hatch, the designers introduced a number of changes regarding the driving. Firstly, this is a new electromechanical steering wheel, which makes rotation even easier and allows you to reduce fuel consumption.

Second -generation models are comfortable and confidently holding the road. And it is worth moving to a primer or a snowy strip, the rear suspension hardly processes irregularities and gives it to the salon with a deaf loaf. But what about Focus III? Yes, all the same. He, perhaps, became a little more comfortable and most importantly much more quiet. True, the new noise insulation will be installed at the plant only in the top and, of course, expensive versions of Focus III. Buyers of the basic version will be content with standard sound insulation, we have not yet managed to test cars with it.

The new focus holds the road perfectly, but the predecessor is no worse. The focus III boost engine paired with a six -speed box perfectly complements the driver chassis. They were not pleased in the novelty only of the swinging of the body on a wavy coating.

We can say that the new Focus III has become better than the predecessor due to new assistance and security systems (competitors have nothing similar and close), sound insulation, design and comfort of the interior. In its disadvantages, a decrease in space for passengers and, most likely the price. However, there is no information on the prices and equipment of the focus Russian assembly yet. So, he is not yet more expensive than the second one more reason to wait


Ford Focus II is provided for the Test company Rolf-Carline, an official Ford dealer.
Ford Focus III is provided by Ford Representative Office in Russia.

Author: Andrey Skvortsov
Photo: Andrey Skvortsov, Roman Zubko
 

Source: Wheel magazine [February 2011]