New Ford Focus ECOnetic review
Ford Focus ECOnetic - better off with a standard diesel?
Author: David Miles
Published: 19 June 2008
It was ironic that my week long experience with the very new Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic 109PS five-door hatchback involved me and my wife taking a week’s holiday in Cornwall.
Ironic because Ford officially launched to the public the Focus ECOnetic at the Eden Project in Cornwall, home of the Sexy Green Car Show in May this year.
It was also ironic because I was in Cornwall when the Shell fuel delivery drivers strike took place and many of the garages in that part of the UK just happen to be Shell outlets.
Luckily for me the Focus ECOnetic used less than half a tank of fuel to get to my destination so if the worst came to the worst I’d still have enough in the tank to get home.
Despite long queues at the petrol stations I did manage to top up the tank just to be sure of making the 220 mile trip home again.
With the Ford ECOnetic you pay a shade more, around £250, to buy the car over a Style version. The CO2 emissions for the 1.6-litre TDCi diesel engines are all below 120g/km be they ECOnetic or not.
ECOnetic models officially return about three mpg better fuel economy in the combined cycle than the standard units. So all these diesel engines only cost £35 a year in road tax and all could be exempt from the London Congestion Charge from October this year unless Boris changes the rules.
Is there really a point in buying Ford’s first branded ‘green’ car? For the performance of fuel saving and with only marginally lower CO2 levels over conventional 1.6 TDCi variants, probably not.
The point with the ECOnetic badging it’s about the driver displaying their ‘green’ credentials’ and it is a message from Ford saying we too produce new ‘greener’ models to meet customer demands.
Running costs
On the subject of fuel economy the official average consumption for my test car is 65.6mpg with 115g/km of CO2 emissions.
Now we all know these official figures are recorded in a rolling road equipped emissions test centre and usually bear no resemblance to real like conditions, but as long as the car has an official CO2 rating of sub 121g/km you will only pay £35 in road tax no matter how you drive it.
In practise my test Focus ECOnetic 1.6-litre TDCi 109PS five-door hatch, with two people in the car and some luggage, returned 51.2mpg on the motorway to Cornwall, 47.8mpg over 300 miles travelling around Cornish country lanes and roads and 49.2mpg heading back home up the M5 motorway.
The car was driven at legal speeds all the time with no undue hard acceleration. I did manage to get the Focus ECOnetic to achieve 62.2mpg for about 10 miles whilst really trying to see how fuel efficient it could be driven very carefully.
In truth these figures are about the same as non ECOnetic Focus 1.6 TDCi models so it’s all about sending out that ‘green’ message, there are no advantages in real life motoring conditions.
How you drive, how much weight you have in the car, the correct tyre pressures and having the air conditioning off, all of these have much greater affects on the mpg your car will return.
Ford’s Focus ECOnetic models start at £16,050 but my five-door hatchback 1.6 TDCi 110 (109PS) version cost £16,550 but then add in a few must have options, heated front screen, perimeter alarm, metallic paint, navigation system, rear park assist and Bluetooth pack and the price was a steep £18,425.
As standard Focus ECOnetic models come with electronic stability programme, air conditioning, front fog light, Ford’s clever EasyFuel capless refuelling system, front, side and curtain airbags, immobiliser with remote locking, anti-lock brakes, electric front windows, power and heated door mirrors.
ECOnetic tweaks include improved aerodynamics with the body lowered, a modified front bumper skirt, engine cover and rear spoiler. The cars have modified engine mapping, low rolling resistance tyres and the transmission uses low-viscosity oil.
Practicality and ride
There is really not too much more that can be said about the latest Focus models. They look classier with their sharper kinetic design lines, they are the right size for a mass produced family car with plenty of room for five passengers and their luggage, the headroom is fine for tall people, generally the build quality is good, there is a wide engine choice and the they are probably the best handling cars in the sector.
The ECOnetic Focus is perhaps not as sharp in the handling department because of the low rolling resistance tyres and lowered suspension. The tyres seem very hard, they create a lot of road noise and they unsettle the ride.
Does EConetic make sense?
Generally the prices are OK as well but residual values are lower than some of its competitors just because there are so many used Focus cars for sale.
The aerodynamic tweaks seem to have increased the wind noise as well so overall the ‘green’ Focus is not so accomplished as its ‘standard’ stablemates.
The engine though, despite its tuning for fuel economy, is still a lively and flexible performer but offers no real advantages in fuel economy savings or significantly reduced CO2 levels over the standard 1.6-litre TDCi turbodiesel engine.
I think the sensible customer will stick with the standard Focus five door hatch with a normal 1.6 CDTi engine which is slightly cheaper in Style specification level, has the same £35 road tax rating, handles better, has a more comfortable ride and is just as fuel efficient under real-life motoring conditions.
MILESTONES
Ford Focus ECOnetic 1.6 TDCi 110 5-Door
Price: £16,550, (£18,425 as tested)
Engine/transmission: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, common-rail turbodiesel, 109PS, 240Nm from 1,750rpm, 5-speed manual gearbox, front wheel drive
Performance: 119mph, 0-62mph 10.9 seconds, 65.6mpg (47.8 to 51.2mpg actual), CO2 115g/km, VED Band B £35
Tax liability: 13%
Insurance group: 7
For: ECOnetic sends out a ‘greener’ motoring message, low CO2 emissions, good fuel economy potential, the Focus in general is a fine family car package, handles well
Against: ECOnetic specification has little advantage over the standard Focus 1.6-litre TDCi engine, ride and handling performances are not as good as the standard models
The Ford Focus has long been seen as the class-leader for the hatchback segment, so will the 2008 model-year Focus live up to those heady heights?
With climate change awareness growing and governments determined to cut CO2 emissions from transport, the hunt is on for greener cars. Our rundown presents the least polluting vehicles by emissions.
BlueMotion, Ecomotive, EfficientDynamics, ECOnetic, Blue Lion. All are fuel-saving systems installed on the greenest cars from the biggest car manufacturers - but are they worth it?
New Ford Fiesta Econetic is one green son of a diesel gun. Ford’s upcoming earth-embracing supermini will leave planet in tact and driver in pocket with sub 100g/km CO2 emissions and a staggering 76.3mpg, from £11,845.
Ford will debut the all-new Fiesta at the British Motor Show as demand for smaller greener models continues to grow in the UK.
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