Since it was introduced, the Ford Focus has been praised
for its spirited driving dynamics, particularly for a small
car. It has made a number of "best" lists for
its driving characteristics. To that end, John Sidelko,
Focus chief engineer, said his group looked at what customers
liked about the Focus, enhancing those a bit, and what they
complained about, fixing those.
Indeed, the biggest news on the Focus is under its hood.
A new 136-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the
same one used in the
Mazda 6 and
Ford Escape, replaces both the previous 110- and 130-horsepower engines,
the
engines offered in the Focus since its debut in 2000.
In California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont,
and Maine, the Focus comes standard with a super-clean,
130-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder. (The engine actually
began going into some Focus models in 2004.) More powerful
than the previous base engine, the new engine is slightly
more fuel efficient: 26/35 mpg EPA City/Highway with five-speed
manual, 26/32 with four-speed automatic. More important,
it puts out much lower emissions so it meets PZEV (Partial
Zero Emissions Vehicle) standards. Ford claims the entire
2004 Focus fleet, which began using the engine, is 33 percent
cleaner than the 2003 fleet.
A third engine is the 151-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder
that goes only in the ZX4 ST. It gets an EPA-rated 23/32
mpg. It is paired only with a five-speed manual transmission.
The shifter is a new one and is more precise in locking
into gear than the one it replaces.
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The higher horsepower engine was the one in the tested
Focus ZX4 ST. Indeed, it delivers strong acceleration from
a dead stop and easily cruised to passing speeds on the
highway. The only complaint with the engine was noise. Despite
efforts by Ford engineers to quiet the cabin, the ZX4 ST
was excessively loud with
engine noise even cruising at highway speeds.
Ford borrowed pieces of the suspension from the European-sold
Focus and the 2004 Focus
SVT to make the ZX4 ST more performance oriented than
the other models. It borrows the front struts and rear shocks
from those models, and they are 50 percent stiffer than
the ones on the SE and SES versions. The ZX4 ST also has
its own distinctive 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels and Pirelli
all-season radials. The package provides sharp handling
response, precise steering, and generally an enjoyable connection
with the road. Indeed, the Focus, at least in this version,
remains one of the most fun cars in the class to drive.
