Time was when you expected certain types of behaviour from certain types of car, but the Focus blurs those boundaries forever with its extraordinary ride and handling.
Undoubtedly Ford’s chassis people were aided in their quest by being able to make use of brand-new multi-link rear suspension, but so well sorted is the rest of the chassis that it seems unjust to credit this as the exclusive reason why the Focus runs rings around its rivals on the road. Put simply, the Focus is the most complete car in its class dynamically, with more grip, superior high-speed damping, a smoother low-speed ride and deeper mechanical refinement than the likes of the Golf, Astra and 306.
The drivetrain is only marginally less effective, and the 1796cc 16-valve engine has a delightfully unhurried, easy-going nature to its mid-range which allows you to dip readily into its potential at any time, aided in this instance by a gearchange that’s more sports car than it is family.
But what also distinguishes the Zetec over rival units is its general lack of noise, vibration and harshness at high revs, as well as a strong sense of torque and flexibility at low revs. At 2000rpm in fourth gear there’s already enough performance available to allow you to dispatch most urban traffic with the flex of a right foot, and by 3000rpm it is really starting to flow. Add another 1500rpm and you’re doing nearly 100mph, with more still to come.
