Established in 1903, incredibly, Ford have been making cars for the past 112 years! The Focus for this test drive was driven around Newton Abbot and the Teign Estuary
The Focus is so easy to live with, it’s no wonder this is the World’s most bought car
The friendly team at Swanson Ford with the new FOCUS
Test Drive: FORD FOCUS Supplied by
Swanson Ford zipping out into traffic. All the controls felt solid, the indicators having a definite click and the car didn’t feel at all compromised by having such a small power plant, in fact out on the country lanes it was planted, stable and quick.
An extremely smart, highly specified console It was one of those bright yet cold winter days as I headed off to Kingsteignton to see Swanson Ford, a long established car dealer of some 24 years. Both Michael Quigg and his father Kevin are involved in the business with Michael pretty much looking after the business on a day to day basis. As an aside, I’m pretty certain I bought a Ford from Kevin many years ago in Derby. A watery sun hung low in the sky and frost still clung to the hedge rows and fields heading down the A380 into the Teign valley, my high mileage Ford of ten years having struggled over Telegraph Hill, now picking up pace on the down slope, but feeling every bump of the road through the now worn seats.
Hints of Aston Martin, it’s a classy little car
When I picked up the New Ford Focus on Newton Retail Park, Kingsteignton, I was impressed with the sleek lines of this attractive car. This car sports the latest generation of small, super efficient high-powered units. The engine’s just 1 litre, but develops an amazing 125 BHP, attracting only £30 of road fund tax per year! The car looked great in it’s “Magnetic“ colour and Titanium specification, but the real trick to this car is hidden away in the car’s brain. A large touch screen in the centre of the dash can control every thing from the radio and CD, the Air conditioning, satellite navigation and connection to your phone. For the tech hungry buyer, replete with iPads and the like, the car can even act as a WiFi hot spot, so no more sitting around in fast food
outlet carparks trying to get on the internet. Although ask the car to find the nearest restaurant and it will oblige, and once there the Focus can even park itself, so no more struggling trying to get into small parallel spaces, just select park mode and it will seek out a space large enough to park in, alert you to the gap and once you are happy, press GO. Once on the move - no ignition key here just dip the clutch in and press start - the car felt comfortable and quite urgent, certainly the brakes were a notch up on my old jalopy, stopping effectively on the icy roads around Newton Abbot. The steering again was responsive and surprisingly light to the touch, ideal for manoeuvring around town and the engine was quick to rev when
I headed down towards the river, pulling up in a quiet spot to take a good look around the vehicle. The car certainly looks the part with a purposeful grill and long sloping bonnet. As I was taking the photograph, a little robin came and perched on the roof, maybe endorsing the car’s eco credentials, a quick check of the specifications showing a combined MPG of 61.4 and a CO2 output of only 108 g per km. On returning the car, I managed to have a quick chat with Michael Quigg, who is obviously proud to be associated with Ford, told me that the Focus is the most bought car in the world and after this test drive I can see why - it’s so easy to live with. Getting back in my 90,000 miler I was struck by how far new cars have evolved in the last ten years, not just in terms of comfort, but also in the amount of technology now available making them safer and more efficient. - Richard Woodward.