Test drive Ford Focus 5 doors since 2010 hatchback

Fitness every day. New Ford Focus st test

Recently, I managed to ride on the new hot hatch of Opel Astra OPC, so the background for impressions of fresh charged focus I had the most correct one. They made a cool lighter in Opel, for which the engineers had to try a lot. After studying the mattress of the new Focus ST in front of the test, it seemed to me that he had little chance of fast astra. But forecasts are ungrateful. Reality, as always, put everything in its place.

Indeed, the Ford engineers did not be wise with a suspension (there are no adjustable shock absorbers, no fashionable front racks with separate rotary fists), did not chase the power (250 forces versus 280 from the same two liters), saved on the self -block (using free electronics against honest mechanics in Opel). In addition, the body of Astra OPC looks cooler: the Forders have nothing to oppose the predatory design of the three -door from Ryusselheim. Without a chance, say?
 

The sound of the release is intended more for others than for the driver. And the soundtrack for passengers reproduces a special synthesizer at the inlet
 
While we sneak to the autobahn tracks near Nice Airport, I already like to switch the programs. Impressions are directly opposite to what I experienced a week ago near Frankfurt Driving Opel! The focus has a beautiful clarity and length of the lever of the box, which himself jumps into the grooves, and a tight, slightly viscous clutch pedal, which works exactly as you want. To smoothly go in the city, you have to get a little to be adopted, but quickly sort out 6 gears what is there, which is easier to go back! True, like at the APC APC, the fanging of the heel-musk is given here with great difficulty, so you have to inject low transfers as it is, with inevitable jerks.
 
The boost pressure is 1.45 bar. But looking at the additional displacement of ST, this does not understand the information content of the scales is low
Not yet having time to accelerate as it should, I pay attention to the sound of the engine. Now there are not five cylinders, but four. Of course, with turbocharged. As in the previous generation, a special pipe is installed at the inlet, which enhances the sound of the engine and takes it to the salon to delight the pilot. In this regard, the third generation Focus St has become even louder and more expressive than the previous one. But is it better? Controversial. The sound of the resonator turned out to be too synthetic, no matter how gurgled and did not buzz this system, you understand that you have not V8 under your hood, but only its half. Therefore, in enjoying the uterine sound gaining engine speed, there will always be a certain share of self -deception.

The two-liter 250-horsepower engine lost one cylinder compared to its predecessor and at the same time acquired 10% of the additional power. Among the technology: direct injection and regulated phases of gas distribution
But the pleasure of acceleration is the most honest! If Astra's motor seemed greedy for me in terms of recoil of its 280 horses, then the Fokusovsky unit, on the contrary, seems more capable than it really is. Weighty turbopins are obtained from almost any revolutions (a maximum of 360 N ∙ m of thrust is declared at a range of 1750 4000 revolutions per minute, although the graph displays it in the range of 2-4.5 thousand revolutions), and the transfer numbers in the transmission are selected successfully, so the traction is the supply of traction Under the right foot is always a little more than expected. Or maybe this is such a placebo effect? After all, the backdrop to acceleration are a modest appearance plus an immodest sound, and the Autoban of France, where everyone barely sick of 120 on their Twingo and Espace?

 
With a typical front -by -drive, parasitic strokes in Ford fight in a simple way: the steering wheel power steering recognizes the moment when the craving pulls the steering wheel to the side, and compensates for it with its opposition. Fords say that they could defeat power departments, but left them for brighter driver's sensations so that power was felt on the steering wheel
Let's check ST on the tracks more interesting! Having turned off the multi -lane highway to the countryside, I begin to increase the pace. Holding, however, in my head, that there is no Brembo, but ordinary brakes-slip brakes. But they cope well until the cute villages are replaced by a plot with descents and steep turns if you try, then there the brakes soften clearly before the astra bromes are heated. But if with hardcore driving (for example, on the track) the focus brakes may not be enough, then it is still quite difficult to overheat its brake mechanisms on ordinary roads. Moreover, on ST you can and should be used by a slowdown in the engine that gives a quite tangible effect here.

Weapon Focus S against slipping of the unloaded wheel in electronics. The brakes grab the masking wheel and thus direct the torque to the external loaded. Cheap and effective, although with real mechanical locking such a solution can still not be compared
 
The brakes cannot be considered a weak Focus ST place also because you don’t want to go on the verge at all. For example, it is early to open in a turn, but it is pointless. The car, of course, will not leave the nose out of the turn (the competently -minded electronic location of the differential will help), but it will not suck in a turn under the gas, as in the case of an honest disk self -unit of the same Astra OPC. And the coupling limits of the Goodyear Eagle tires are significantly lower than the Astrovsky Pirelli P Zero. Including at the expense of a smaller contact spot: the focus of the tire of the only dimension of 18 inches against the optional 20-inch in Astra OPC.

 
The stabilization system can operate in ordinary or sports mode, and also be completely disconnected. True, there was no desire to check the last mode on narrow tracks with trees planted along the roadsides
But, despite the above, poging on serpentines behind the wheel of Focus Sts is not much more difficult. In many ways, due to the motor, which is cheerfully spinning up to almost 7 thousand revolutions. The Borg Warner turbine picks up early and is only slightly blown away to the very tops, so I would like to twist each program from beginning to end. In absolute numbers, a less powerful focus loses a little aster: for example, acceleration to a hundred takes 6.5 seconds against 6 exactly. But due to the fact that subjectively, the engine is more willing to give each of its 250 horses, it is more convenient to control the traction, and the same overtaking is more fun.

 
It is important that the change in the transfer of the steering wheel occurs quite smoothly: the situation when you twist the steering wheel and leave too much inside the turn, on Focus ST is almost impossible
The steering is one of the few truly interesting engineering chips of the new Focus ST. The thing is that the lamb has from the stop to the stop ... less than two revolutions! Probably, to keep him on a straight hell, you think. And you will be wrong, because the steering rack of the hot hatch has a progressive cutting of teeth, from larger in the middle to smaller ones at the edges. Therefore, the larger the corners to which you twist the steering wheel, the greater its gear ratio, that is, at zero it is comfortable, and in extreme positions, on the contrary, it was extremely acute. In practice, this means that any turns are held without hand interception. It is convenient in the city: at least ST and a decent radius of turning, due to the lack of need to be wrapped on the steering wheel, even on tight streets simply maneuver.

The Ford Focus Snt suspension is compromised, but this is rather a compliment: there is neither blasphemy nor excessive stiffness what is needed for every day. The clearance, compared with the usual focus, decreased by 10 mm
And what about handling? Fords used other shock absorber racks with springs, as well as a thicker stabilizer, in a focus st suspension. At the same time, engineers abandoned adjustable shock absorbers, as in general from all sorts of electronic presets. There is only one setting, and its engineers consider it optimal for all occasions. Perhaps I agree during an active ride, the hand does not seek a button with the inscription Sport, but in the city I do not want to pacify Focus by pressing the Vegetable key. The Ford specialists on the chassis managed to choose such characteristics of stiffness that Focus is felt collected on the ideal asphalt of the high -speed turn and on the patch of the rural path. By the way, the rear suspension of the station wagon and hatchback varies slightly: the first has a slightly different geometry of the location of the rear shock absorbers for the convenience of a luggage compartment, but on the move, the differences are hardly noticeable.

 
The car weighs only 24 kg more and costs 35 thousand rubles more than a hatchback. There are no differences in the dynamic characteristics
 
Stop! What other station wagon? That's right: Ford again offers a frantic barn in his class. In the Old World, this can become a significant trump card for Focus S in the fight against competitors. For example, the Skoda Octavia RS station wagon is even better there than a hatchback! In total, by the way, there will be about 40 such markets: the new ST will be the first global sports car of the Ford brand. This globality was inherited by a simple third focus. Hence the modesty in design: since everyone must please everything, the revolution did not happen in the form. As a result, against the background of the same Astra OPC, the Ford Hotheh looks pale: there is no two-story spoiler, nor huge wheels, nor aggressive castings in the body of the body. Yes, and the body taken as a basis does not look as interesting as the dynamic Opel three -door. But the branded orange color of the past ST changed to a new electric golden color.

 
The salon is made up an abuse. This is manifested everywhere: in the inherited design from the usual Focus design, the panel with piles of broken lines, in the funny color of the Seats Recaro, in the toy design of the tidy and secondary scales, in the colors of the backlight and the fonts of the displays, and even in the home -made patch of ST on the steering wheel rim. An unusual solution for a hot hatchback: the steering wheel itself is made four -spitz. But this does not bother him much: you will not have to intercept with such a progressive rail. To the touch the steering wheel is pleasant, and the seats of the grip are well made. Unless I would like a cross -section.

 
Red calipers combined with dark wheels are the so -called sports bag. Hoodyear Focus ST rubber will be equipped for all markets. It begins to squeak these tires early, but the breakdown in sliding occurs very smoothly this behavior is suitable for this machine
And Focus ST will play a cruel joke with the passenger: while the driver is falling in turns sitting on the right simply for nothing to hold on! There is no comfortable handle on the side of the door, so it remains only to pick up the ceiling holder in such cases uncomfortable in such cases. But there is a surprise for the driver: getting out of the recaro bucket, every second time I painfully beat my left knee on the sharp corner of the front panel by the end of a two -day trip on the leg.

 
Depending on the configuration, Focus ST will cost 1 220,000 1,395,000 rubles. In total, three versions are available, which differ mainly by the execution of seats, as well as the presence or absence of climate control and bixenon light. At the same time, buying a station wagon in the simplest ST1 configuration will not work, it starts only with the second level of ST2 execution
They made a good car in Ford: it is really fast, impressive with high -speed driving and notorious during everyday trips around the city. At the same time, a five -door body provides a decent level of practicality. It is interesting that the engineers managed to achieve noble habits with simple, in general, techniques: the electronics will compensate both Tork of the washing, and the slip in the turn, the cunning scream in the inlet will fill the salon with a noble roar of the motor, and the unevenly chopped steering rack is just as genius as it is simple as it is easy . To this it remains to add a painful motor, a good transmission and a well -found compromise in the chassis settings. Available sports car for every day is ready! The main thing is to understand that Focus S is not a sport, but fitness. Not for records and exhausting training, but for yourself, for pleasure, every day.

Well, what does Focus look like a charged Astra in the end? Again, ST and OPC have a slightly different ideology. Both that and the other fast city hatchi of the same class. But the first for practical and family, the second for egoists. Focus looks sports, but does not pull on a road aggressor, unlike astrah. In any case, he has five doors, while Astra has three in any case. The focus is 30 forces less, but on the money saved on taxes you can buy a chic children's chair. But you know what? Ideally, I would like to blind from these two cars one: with appearance, chassis and locking from astra, but with a motor and a box from the focus. The body to choose from: a three -door or a station wagon, and the interior is generally re -draw. But something I dreamed ...
 
Competitors
Opel Astra OPC. From 1,150,000 rubles. It has 280 power forces, advanced front suspension, Brembo brakes and differential disk locking. Acceleration 0-100 takes 6 seconds exactly. A very capable and beautiful car.
Renault Megane R.S. From 1,140,000 rubles. Under the hood of a turbocharger about 250 horsepower. Bremba in standard configuration, and a differential of increased friction for a surcharge of 114,000 rubles (this also includes RECARO seats and a more sports chassis). 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds. By nature, a real track fighter.
Mazda3 MPS. From 1 199,000 rubles. 260 horsepower provide 6.1-second dynamics from a place to hundreds. The equipment is the only one, but quite rich. The main disadvantages of the model are age and non -optimal from the point of view of taxes of power for just 250.
 
Volkswagen Golf GTI. From 1,114,000 rubles. The heated golf has less power (210 forces), but it costs comparable money and can be equipped with many options. Acceleration to 100 km/h, with mechanics, that with a DSG robot takes 6.9 seconds. We are waiting for the next generation, which will tighten to competitors in power and abilities.
 
Dmitry Laskov
Photo by the author and company Ford

 

Source: Auto.mail.ru