Test drive Ford Focus 4 doors 2008 - 2010 sedan

Focus II. With a half

This year for Ford Focus promises to be very saturated. Firstly, the model celebrates the first full-fledged anniversary in its history for the first time showed it to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in 1998. But the main thing is that the current, already the second reincarnation, has officially reached the middle of its life cycle Focus II.
However, the fact that this will eventually happen, no one doubted the external isolation of a single model from automakers today is not honored today. In addition, Ford was so strongly attacked to his relatively new kinetic style that it simply had no right to ignore his most important bestseller. It is amazing different: the markets of the European branch of the company managed to secretly keep not only the updated appearance of the car, but also the fact of future restyling, so that the public, unknowingly, took the elevator for a completely new car. It is also funny that, following potential customers, the Fords themselves began to make mistakes: with rare exceptions about Focus II, they are now talking in the past tense. On the other hand, the new car is also not called Focus two and a half.
By the way, such a name in this case has the right to life. According to the old overseas tradition, the conduct of any significant restyling Ford, as a rule, does not bother. Typically, the company's court stylists by the introduction of a couple of additional strokes like a changed headlight layout or several extra ribs around the perimeter. For example, in this way the previous Mondeo was updated twice. At the same time, each time representatives announced the appearance of a new version in advance and after trying to present what happened as one of the most important events of the current season. And here is silence, and the result, oddly enough, is impressive.
From the point of view of the manufacturer, the current version of Focus II has only the roof remained. Everything else is at least a little, but changed. And first of all, this, of course, concerns the face. Like all his namesakes, Focus acquired kinetic headlights corresponding to the hood, more expressive wheel arches and an inverted trapezoid under the false radiator grill. In addition, the lower unpainted skirts disappeared from the bumper, and from the sides of the molding. The former at the same time became more aggressive, and the second are muscular, but it is all separately. In general, the front Focus has become like the flagship Mondeo, which introduced a fashion for the dynamic wedge -shaped design and the abundance of chromium into the Ford Modernity.
However, all the listed innovations are a typical game for the public. At the same time, the food practically did not change the same forms and blind, shining vertical lights on the bright sun. True, now the LEDs are less to shine from this, of course, they did not, but there are much more show -offs. However, this applies only to customers ordering a station wagon or hatchback, such a luxury is not available to the sedan owners.
Since the technical filling and dimensions of the car remained unchanged (both the length, the wheelbase, and the record width), the salon and, accordingly, its comfort and ergonomics were smoothly flowed here from the usual Focus II. In general, the most noticeable change here is the central armrest extending by eight centimeters, optional for basic versions and standard for the top ones. The remaining innovations for an unprepared client will remain unnoticed: in particular, the Fords have introduced a more presentable plastic plastic of the front panel and a slightly rethought dashboard, whose scales are now highlighted in red.
By the way, they did not fail to take the opportunity and work on the appearance of the central console. Its decoration, as before, will directly depend on execution. In particular, the author of these lines managed to closely get acquainted with versions of Comfort and Ghia. The latter, of course, is very generously decorated with a plastic tree, which looks, frankly, not too solid. At least the metal in a more affordable Comfort looks much more presentable. However, Mondeo is sick with this. By the way, about the latter.
Invisible, but already quite useful, admitted, the additions in the restyled car should also be attributed to the Easy Fuel system borrowed from the flagship, which does not allow you to push a stranger to the neck of the tank of the tank.
There is no new one about the running characteristics of the updated Ford in principle. Focus rides confidently and rather reliably, and this applies to both controllability or smoothness and dynamics. If under the hood, of course, there is no base 1.4-liter 80-horsepower unit, the 2-liter engine is lucky quite quickly, the 1.8-liter is calmer. And although the last two are clearly not enough traction on the bottoms, however, from average revolutions they pull very well. At the same level and manual transmission, but for the suspension of FORD designers, it is worth praising it above it, they conjured fame.
She damps serious irregularities hard, but at the same time tightly enough so as not to fly her head into the ceiling. However, it is unlikely that the newly -minted owner will be unbearable to check his car for strength, so it would be better for the Fords to work on the isolation of the wheeled arches noisy.
Actually, this is the new old Focus II. On the third, he certainly does not pull, but the second is most likely to shut up for the belt. The Bank of Client Orders already has more than 33,000 cars, and these people seem to be waiting unprinciply.
Vladimir Zhidkov
 
 
 

Source: Mkobil magazine [April/2008]