Attempting a comeback act is always a daunting task. Especially when you are trying to create a successor for something that is so well accepted by not only the buyers but also the media. And if by any chance the first version also won numerous accolades across the globe then you have yourself a lot of sleepless nights.

This I guess is what the Ford designers faced when told to create the new Focus. The first version swept more than 78 awards worldwide after introduced in 1998, and buyers everywhere (including motoring journalists) raved on about the car's handling superiority. Unlucky for us here in the country then, as only a few lucky individuals got their hands on the first version before it was, metaphorically speaking ‘taken off the shelf'. This tragedy despite the fact that the car is one of the best selling in the world after reaching more than 5 million sales up to date. So, from my standpoint, Ford faced another difficulty in ensuring that the rest of us not only get to buy a better version; but also at the same time make us understand what was all the excitement surrounding the original Ford Focus is all about. This Focus by the way is dubbed ‘European designed with German Engineering'. I have every intention to see if this is true.

So there I was like a small kid about to get a new pair of school shoes at Ford's Shah Alam center to take the keys. Our lens dude Victor accompanied me since the plan was to take the pictures straight away someplace nearby. We both gave the 1.8 liter sedan a quick once-over and collectively said- “Quite a handsome car…” along with a thumbs-up before heading off to hunt for a shoot location.

But wait. Just as I was about to do that, something else caught my eye. The Ford Focus comes in another variant, which is the 2.0 liter Sport 5 door hatchback that looks more like the first generation model. While the front looks the same, it is the rear portion that makes the car a bit sportier than the one I was driving. Performance-wise, I reckon there should be a considerable difference too; at least that's what I expected after my opening feedback from the sedan.

You see, the 1.8 liter's initial take-off is not exactly what I had hoped for. Though giving out 165Nm of torque, it seems that the throttle doesn't transfer all that power for all-out acceleration. I have heard that at least for the sedan's case; Ford seems to have taken a sizeable amount of potential engine performance- feel out of the Focus but retaining all the rest of the good qualities from the original version, plus improving on a few aspects. I was thinking that this is what it means, but after some time this proved to be a blessing.

(The rest of the article can be found in Hypertune Vol. 52)

Text: Cimatt
Photo: Victor Chen

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