Back in 2012, two years before launching an updated Fiesta powered by a tiny new 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, Ford first showed off this powerplant to American journalists with a fleet of European-spec Focuses. Despite it’s small size, the engine shocked almost everyone who drove it with its performance. Earlier this year, Ford finally started shipping the updated 2015 Focus in volume and if you search really hard, you can even buy one with a three-pot engine. I managed to get my hands on one for a week in a metallic grey Focus SE sedan, came away puzzled by Ford’s efforts.
Don’t get me wrong, my issues with the EcoBoost Focus have nothing to do with the car itself. What I don’t get is why Ford isn’t marketing the hell out of this car. In fact, the more I drive this engine both in the Focus and previously in the Fiesta, I wonder why this isn’t the standard powerplant. Instead, if you search Ford.com, you will be hard-pressed to find any mention of the existence of this engine. I went through all the sections of Focus build & price and could not find any reference to the 1.0-liter. In Europe, you can get the 1.0-liter in every Ford car line except the Ka. That includes the Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, B-Max, C-Max and even the Transit Connect.
Here, the 1.0-liter is essentially just a maximum fuel economy special which is unfortunate. The EcoBoost is a prime example of how we buy power but we drive torque. Torque, is the twisting force that actually makes a car move while power is the rate at which torque is delivered. The standard normally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the Focus generates 160-horsepower and 146 lb.-ft. The three-cylinder only produces 123-hp, but 148 lb.-ft. and more importantly while the torque nominally peaks at 5,000 rpm, it also generates almost all of that force at speeds as low as 1,500 rpm and stays close to the peak throughout its operating range.
As Consumer Reports demonstrated recently when they raced a Tesla Model S against a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, instant-on torque makes all the difference in the world. Like the two Focus engines (well not exactly the same, but you get the idea) the electric Model S has a slight power deficit to the supercharged V8 Dodge and also weighs 700-pounds more yet accelerates faster, especially off the line. The ample low-end torque of the EcoBoost engine means the Focus never feels sluggish off the line and provides excellent around town driveability.
From a marketing perspective in the U.S. there is one minor fly in the ointment for the EcoBoost Focus. Like the Fiesta with this engine, it’s not being offered with an automatic transmission for some reason, it’s manual shifting all the way. However, unlike the Fiesta which is stuck with a five-speed stick, the Focus gets a six-speed gearbox. While the shift linkage isn’t quite as slick and precise as the Mazda3, it’s still very good and you’ll be hard-pressed to miss a shift. The clutch takeup is also smooth and progressive, making it easy to drive in stop and go traffic.
A switch to disable auto start-stop sits next to the shift lever
When I first sat in this car, I looked down at the shifter and was surprised to find a button labeled with an A inside a circular arrow. This happens to be the standard icon used by automakers to indicate automatic stop start systems. In all of the press materials for the refreshed Focus, no mention has ever been made of this functionality and since the consumer web site has no mention of the EcoBoost engine, it also doesn’t mention the Auto Start Stop. The 1.0-liter is the only version of the Focus that gets this system that automatically shuts down the engine when the car comes to a stop with the gearbox in neutral and the clutch pedal released. This is the first American-market Ford to get stop-start with a manual transmission. On automatic transmission cars, the engine restarts as soon as the brake pedal is released. In the Focus, pressing the clutch pedal will fire up the engine almost instantly so that it’s ready to go before you can grab first gear.
Shutdown and restart was mostly imperceptible and even worst case there is only the slightest vibration to let you know something is happening. The system monitors the battery voltage, accessory loads and climate control settings and will automatically restart the engine before the battery drain gets to the point where a restart might be problematic. Even at some particularly long traffic lights or while waiting for my son to get out of work, the engine stayed off for several minutes without using gas or intervening.
I began my time with the Focus by driving it across the state from my home near Ann Arbor and after a round-trip to Grand Rapids the car had averaged just shy of 40 mpg, After a full week that included a bunch of around town driving that dropped to an average of 36, still better than the 30 mpg I saw with the Fiesta using this engine although that car lacked stop-start and the six-speed gearbox. The EPA rates this car at 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway and 33 mpg combined, making this the first EcoBoost-powered Ford I’ve had that beat or even matched the label fuel economy.
Like its big brother the Fusion, the Focus was largely developed by Ford of Europe and like other cars to come from that operation it has a great chassis. The strut front and multi-link independent rear do an excellent job of absorbing the worst that Michigan roads can offer up while keeping the body motions under control. It’s a bit more compliant and slightly less buttoned down than the Mazda3 making the Focus the choice for those that want a bit more comfort while the Mazda is preferable for more aggressive driving. The differences aren’t huge and the Focus won’t embarrass itself even when pushed hard, but there is a slightly more sporting bias to the Mazda.
The launch of the EcoBoost coincided with a mid-cycle refresh of the Focus that brought updates to the front fascia, rear lighting and the interior. Most of the bodywork is carried over and that’s not a bad thing. The current-generation Focus is one of the most handsome compacts on the road and this year’s changes only enhance that. The weakest aspect of the 2012-14 model was the large trapezoidal grille which looked a bit over-designed. Like last year’s Fiesta update, the Focus has adopted the smaller, higher mounted grille-shape that debuted on the 2013 Fusion and clearly took its inspiration from the British luxury sports car manufacturer that Ford used to own.
The metallic grey color known as Magnetic on my test car was well matched with the partially black-painted 17-inch alloy wheels. If I was spending my own money, I’d still take the hatchback with this color combination over the sedan, but I always prefer the extra utility of a hatch or wagon on small car over a trunk.
Inside, the primary change for 2015 can be seen on the center stack. The base radio has a 4.2-inch color LCD display which is carried over. Directly below, the button layout has been revised to a more traditional layout with the door lock buttons now moved back to the doors where most Americans expect them. The former telephone keypad style arrangement for tuning and dialing phone numbers on connected devices is replaced by two horizontal rows of buttons between the rotary volume and tuning knobs. Finally the four keys used to select menu tabs on the screen are now arranged at the top, directly below the screen they control, rather than at the bottom.
The front seats are comfortable even for longer drives and I never felt myself fidgeting to readjust my position. They offer very good lateral support despite the fact that this is clearly not the performance ST version. With the front seat set in my usual position, I had no problem fitting my five-foot, ten-inch frame into the backseat. The feeling of roominess is augmented by scooping out the front seatbacks.
While the Focus is available with MyFord Touch, if you are buying, I’d pass on it until SYNC 3 launches sometime in the next 12 months. The base SYNC system works well with good voice recognition, Bluetooth or USB streaming playback and AppLink that lets you control some of the apps on your phone with simple voice commands. One of the best things about the base SYNC system is the fast startup, especially compared to the more “sophisticated” touchscreen systems which can take up to two minutes before connecting to your device. SYNC is ready to go and connects to your phone before you get out of the driveway.
If you’re going to buy a Focus that isn’t an ST or RS and you can live without a self-shifting transmission, I’d recommend that you opt for the 1.0-liter EcoBoost. With a pleasant growl and ever-present torque it’s surprisingly fun to drive and provides excellent fuel efficiency. The Focus SE starts at $18,460 and the EcoBoost package that includes the 17-inch wheels, lower body extensions, foglights and rear spoiler add $1,495. The reverse sensing system adds another $255, bringing the bottom line with delivery to a quite reasonable $21,035. It’s not quite as efficient as the diesel-powered Chevy Cruze, but the $6,000 price difference will buy a lot of gas especially at current prices. Of course all-new versions of the Cruze and Honda Civic will be hitting the streets before the end of the year so the battle is on.
Click here for full specs of the 2015 Ford Focus
