Ford Focus 2006 News

... to take on the most competitive segment in this country. It's up against a classy field including Mazda3, Corolla, Lancer and locally-built Holden Cruze as well as VW Golf. But new Focus has plenty to recommend it ushering in a dynamic new look with real cut-through on the street and a classy new interior featuring Ford's acclaimed kinetic design language. Two distinctive bodystyles are available, sedan and hatch, each with its own appeal. Drivers will no doubt appreciate the cockpit-style driving environment yet the cabin has lost none of the comfort and practicality that has become a characteristic of Focus. Within the two bodystyles there are  three powertrains and four specification levels. The car has an impressive array of smart technologies, outstanding occupant safety and further advances in levels of driving quality. The strength of new Focus's body is down to extensive use of high-strength steels. Fifty-five per cent of the body shell is made of high-strength steels, of which 31 per cent is ultra-tough boron steel, more than any other Ford built to date. Meanwhile, high-strength steel is used in the integrated door opening reinforcement rings and door load paths to provide excellent protection from side impacts. New Focus also features a patented front chassis subframe, which de-couples during severe frontal impacts, avoiding deformation in the passenger cell footwell area. Pedestrian protection has been boosted by the addition of a "soft" cowl design in the front body structure and Ford has also relocated the windscreen wiper system to help further reduce injury risks. Option packages such as the Convenience Pack bring new technology to Focus. The well-specified mid-level Trend model is $24,490 for the 2.0-litre GDi petrol engine with five-speed manual transmission. Focus Sport has a greater emphasis on driving enjoyment. Key features include sports suspension, 17-inch alloy wheels, sports front seats, dual zone climate control and a Sony audio system with 4.2-inch colour screen and multi-function display. Sport also scores the Convenience Pack as standard equipment. It is more comprehensively equipped than the outgoing Zetec model. Focus Titanium has even more goodies and sells from a starting price of $32,590 for 2.0-litre GDi engine and six-speed PowerShift transmission variants. Needless to say, Focus is a key element of the Ford product portfolio in Australia. Expect a "European" feel to the car's dynamics and impressive fuel economy from the diesel model. The double clutch Powershift manumatic would be difficult to overlook for everyday and sporty driving as it offers the best of both worlds and an extra gear over the manual which is five speed only. What happened to the six-speed manual? NEED TO KNOW Four variants; Ambiente, Trend, Sport and Titanium. Engines: 1.6-litre four cylinder or new 2.0-litre GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) and a 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel. Dual clutch six-speed Powershift manumatic is available, manual `box is a five- speed. First appearance in Focus of rain sensing wipers, auto headlights and auto dim rear view mirror, follow me home lights. Available in five door hatch and four door sedan. Five star crash rating. Prices start at $21,990.

SIMON and Sue Evans won back the Australian Rally Championship crown with a double success in Adelaide last weekend. The former Toyota team members lost out to Corolla driver Neal Bates in 2008, but turned the tables this year driving a privately-entered Mitsubishi Lancer which they used to dominate the title decider in Adelaide and claim a third national crown.TEAM Red is opening the doors at its Clayton race base for the first time with the inaugural Toll Holden Racing Team family day on September 20. The event, from 10am to 3pm, will give fans access to the four race cars from Walkinshaw Racing, as well as displays of Holden concept cars, interactive displays and autograph sessions with Garth Tander, Will Davison, Paul Dumbrell and David Reynolds.RYAN Briscoe began his push towards the Indy Racing League championship with a nail-biting victory under lights at Kentucky on the weekend. He beat Ed Carpenter by only 0.016s to score his second victory of the season for Team Penske as the championship moves into its final half-dozen races, with Briscoe holding a narrow points lead.Jay Marmont repeated as Australian motocross champion when he took the final round of the Pro Open class championship on the Sunshine Coast last weekend on his Yamaha YZ450F. Luke Styke also took the under-19 championship, Tori Dare dominated in the women's championship and Darryll King completed a clean sweep of the veteran's series. KIM Jane celebrated his 150th start as a V8 Ute racer in the best possible way, winning at Sandown on Sunday in the third of three starts for the Aussie fan favourites. Jane is now fifth in the ute championship, as Jack Elsegood leads from defending champion Layton Crambrook and Gary Baxter.MIKKO Hirvonen was the predictable winner of his home event, Rally Finland, with a victory which extends his points lead over five-time champion Sebastian Loeb in the race to the 2009 World Rally Championship. Hirvonen drove his Ford Focus to first place with a solid margin over Loeb's Citroen, with his Finnish team mate Jari- Matti Latvala third in another Ford.AUDI swept the latest leg of the German Touring Car Championship with a 1-2-3 result headed by defending champion Timo Scheider. The best of the Mercedes runners was Paul di Resta.BLAKE 'Bilko' Williams took a gold and silver from the freestyle motocross events at X-Games 15 in Los Angeles. After taking the runner- up spot in the Best Trick competition with a '360 Indian air' and no- hands landing he got to the top in the Moto-X Freestyle competition, taking a one-point win after three runs.CITROEN has extended its involvement in the World Rally Championship until at least the end of 2011, even though its lead driver Sebastian Loeb could soon be headed to Formula One with the Toro Rosso team.There is no news yet on the technical regulations beyond 2010, with a major change planned but rival camps pressing either for simpler and cheaper S2000 cars or a switched to turbocharged 1.6-litre engines in existing World Rally Cars.A re-run of the 1970 Repco Reliability Trial begins today (Aug 8) when 40 rally cars built before 1980 leave the Melbourne Showgrounds on the way to Kingoonya. Several of the special stages from '79 will be used on an eight-day course set by the Historic Rally Association. 

Instead of using a four-cylinder engine as other hot hatches have, the Ford Focus XR5 has a five-cylinder engine with a turbo strapped on.The potent engine, which has 166kW and 320Nm of torque, came straight from Ford's Swedish friends at Volvo.It is a cracker engine, with low-down urge and wonderful, meaty exhaust note thanks to a large muffler that takes up the space normally used by a full-size spare (it now has a space-saver).The XR5 has chunky 18-inch wheels, sports suspension and styling that instantly stamps it as a customer not to be messed with. Despite its no-nonsense looks and sharp ability, the XR5 has a softer side and that was just the thing that tipped some judges in its favour over Mazda's more focused MPS.There was also the matter of a fair wedge of readies left in the wallet with the XR5 starting at a sharp $35,990.

Now it's down to the judges to decide which of the 10 finalists will win the award to be announced in a special edition of CARSguide next Friday.Our top 10 has been achieved after an extensive search and culling process covering all cars launched in Australia in the past year.The judging criteria included assessing styling, safety, innovation, value, functionality, build quality and performance.Our motoring experts, motoring editors and senior motoring writers from The Daily Telegraph, Herald-Sun in Melbourne, The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, The Advertiser in Adelaide, The Mercury in Hobart and The Sunday Times in Perth extensively tested the 10 finalists earlier this month. The three-day back-to-back testing, included a full day's driving at Wakefield Park in Goulburn.The finalists were driven in a wide mix of environments and road conditions, including wet, dry, city, freeway, highway and country roads.Fiat Punto EmotionJudge Keith Didham's comment:Fiat returned to the Australian market in August after a 17-year gap. The Punto is one of Europe's biggest sellers, but can that success be replicated here?Fiat reopened the batting Down Under with four variants, with a choice of five-door or three-door manual hatches powered by 1.3 or 1.9-litre turbo diesel or a 1.4-litre petrol motor. Fiat last month added two more smart sequential automatic variants to round out the range to six. Prices range from $19,990 for the Dynamic to $27,990 for the better-equipped Emotion as tested here.The cute Giorgetto Giugiaro styling comes with a strong hint of Maserati about its nose, while the cabin is unmistakably Italian, so the car appeals to the buyer looking for something out of left field from the bevy of small-car clones. The Punto's biggest attractions, however, are its frugal fuel economy, comfortable four-seat cabin and five-star crash rating.The perky diesel feels robust once you get it up and running and riding the torque wave.It's a strong performer, with plenty of grip and good dynamics, but the trade off can be a harsh ride, while the steering sometimes lacks feedback.The Punto is premium priced, but standard kit includes electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, cloth trim, cruise control, a decent CD audio system, remote locking, airconditioning and power windows.Holden Astra CDTiJudge Bryan Littlely's comment:There is a very straightforward reason for the Holden Astra CDTi's inclusion in the CARSguide Car Of The Year Award - and that is its diesel engine.The stylish, imported Astra is the first diesel passenger car to wear the badge of an Australian manufacturer in more than 20 years, a wise move by Holden given the surge in popularity of diesel powered vehicles amid rising fuel prices.But the Astra is an attractive option for much more than its powerplant. It has the styling that would appeal to a wide range of car buyers and, at $29,990 for the six-speed manual, it is very competitive with European brands on price.The Holden Astra offers good ride and handling in a comfortable and practical package that is fun to drive - if not all glitz and glamour - and it certainly proved its worth during the judging.Holden still has some issues to overcome with this car if it is to convert car buyers from petrol to diesel but, overall, it offers a solid package and a good entry point for buyers wanting to make the shift to diesel-powered vehicles.Hyundai Elantra EliteJudge Kevin Hepworth's comment:Once the whipping boy of poor build quality, Hyundai has turned around its reputation to the point where it is now winning quality surveys in major international markets.A fine example of that new attention to detail was the action the company took after criticism of the Elantra's woolly steering at its Australian release. Within days a team of engineers was flown from Korea to recalibrate the cars.While it is still not perfect it is a huge improvement and a credit to Hyundai's determination to improve wherever it can. And while there may still be the odd question mark over styling - the curved crease-line down the car's flanks comes readily to mind - the Hyundai Elantra Elite offers a comprehensive package for its $24,990 sticker price.Not the least of the attractions in the Elite is the included safety pack of electronic stability control and six airbags.The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, coupled to a five-speed manual, puts out a reasonable 105kW and the Elantra offers a good quality ride for a car in its segment.The finalists1: Audi Q7 TDI 4WD, $85,7002: Fiat Punto Emotion diesel $27,9903: Ford Focus XR5 5-cyl turbo hatch, $35,9904: Holden Astra CDTi diesel $29,9905: Holden VE Calais V8 V-series sedan, $58,4906: Hyundai Elantra Elite $24,9907: Mazda3 MPS 4-cylinder turbo hatch, $39,9908: Porsche Cayman S 2-door coupe, $148,5009: Toyota Aurion Presara V6 sedan, $49,99010: VW Passat wagon 4-cylinder turbo, $44,990The winner will be announced next Friday.

We announced the first four finalists on our Top 10 list last week and the final three finalists will be revealed next Friday.Our top 10 finalists have been achieved after an extensive search and culling process through all cars launched in Australia over the past year.Our motoring experts, motoring editors and senior motoring writers from The Daily Telegraph, Herald-Sun in Melbourne, The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, The Advertiser in Adelaide, The Mercury in Hobart and The Sunday Times in Perth have joined CARSguide's search for Australia's car of the year - the best of the best for 2006.Earlier this month the 10 finalists were tested extensively over three days, including a full day's driving at Wakefield Park at Goulburn, to find a winner.The judging criteria ranges across styling, safety, innovation, value, functionality, build quality and performance.The finalists were driven in a wide mix of environments and road conditions, including wet, dry, city, freeway, highway and country roads.The 2006 CARSguide Car of the Year will be announced on December 1.Mazda 3 MPSJudge Gordon Lomas' comment:In an age where hot hatches have staged a big revival on the new-car landscape, the MPS makes the final list on the strength of its sheer point and squirt capability.Point because it steers as though it has German blood, and squirt because it is the hottest four-potter in production at Hiroshima. The MPS is raw, mean and keen. It offers enormous bang for your buck with this $40,000-odd package delivering stunning levels of performance.If the WRX was the turbo cult car of the 1990s, then Mazda has come up with the next big daddy of the hot four-cylinder world.It has the tricky differential - torque management keeping a lid on the MPS's boost in first and second gears so the driverwon't have any nasty surprises when some steering angle is wound on.The MPS is a tough car that is practical as well as being armed with attributes for those seeking track day enjoyment.Porsche Cayman SJudge Stuart Martin's comment:The Boxster S platform doesn't need a solid roof to compensate for any platform deficiencies, but put one on it and the result - Cayman S - retains the droptop's serious abilities, with extra platform strength.Gorgeous curves (to most eyes) cloaka chassis that is entertaining, challenging and communicative - so much so it feels as though it could use more horsepower.Porsche were accused of limiting outputs to preserve the 911's position, but the Cayman S is a different beast. Mid-engined balance, luggage space front and rear, the two-seater puts a smile on the face of any driver.On road, the suspension copes with broken bitumen, but once on a favourite back roador at a track, the Cayman S hunkers down and yowls seductively, with myriad options to sharpen its claws.The most expensive in the field might not be a commuter tool, but there's plenty to like about the svelte coupe.Ford Focus XR5Judge James Stanford's commentA Ford hot hatch with the heart of a Volvo was an easy pick for the Car of The Year finalists. The XR5 exploded on to the road in April and the waiting list has been growing ever since.Instead of using a four-cylinder engine as other hot hatches have, the XR5 has a five-cylinder engine with a turbo strapped on.The potent engine, which has 166kW and 320Nm of torque, came straight from Ford's Swedish friends at Volvo.It is a cracker engine, with low-down urge and a wonderful meaty exhaust note thanks to a large muffler that takes up the space normally used by a full-size spare (it now has a space saver).The XR5 has chunky 18-inch wheels, sports suspension and styling that means it is instantly recognised as a performance car.With a starting price of just $35,990, the XR5 is a strong contender for this year's biggest award.The finalists1: Audi Q7 TDI 4WD, $85,7002: Holden VE Calais V8 V-series sedan, $58,4903: Toyota Aurion Presara V6 sedan, $49,9904: VW Passat wagon 4-cyl turbo, $44,9905: Ford Focus XR5 5-cyl turbo hatch, $35,9906: Mazda3 MPS 4-cyl turbo hatch, $39,9907: Porsche Cayman S 2-door coupe, $148,5008: TBA9: TBA10: TBARemaining three finalists to be announced next Friday.

Read related storyPatrick Loved the yellow Hummer, I just want one !Grant The Subaru Tribeca seems an awesome car. Look at its list of standard features for $53000 - leaves an X5 or Territory for dead. OK, the front grille takes a bit of getting used to, power could be up a bit for its weight, but you do get all the usual Subie delights, 5 star safety and quality. Definitely worth a test drive on November 25!Mark Mercedes e280cdei definatly the bestDan The absolute standout was the new BMW 3 series coupe. Can't believe no one else has mentioned it. What a sexy car! Looks much better in the metal than in photos...David Rome The Mazda CX7 is very fresh and the new BT-50 ute looks the goods to take some salesMichael Volvo C70 What a Glamour!!the engineer Mitsubishi TRM 380- bring it on in AWD! Would sell double current! Should have been the original 380 GT.Audi R8 ;-)Captiva <8>-(French Body Art 8-)Bob Rona Gotta Be the Lexus RX 350 Sports Luxury!!Jay The Saab Aero X concept car looks extraordinary. I was pretty impressed with the XR5 Turbo Ford Focus - hopefully if they bring it out in diesel, there would be a lot more interest and salesDavid Lunn Mazda CX7John The Mitsui 380 supercharged - grabbed allot of attention (so did the girls in the red dresses); I also like the new Outlander V6 & Astra convertible (or at least my wife did).Lex Biggar Audi R8william yates dark 4 door mitsi I believe it's a Tommy Mac serise and also shannon's stand the rest well............Kim I must agree with Bob MX-S ROADSTER COUPE The best by far!Jim Until I hit the Mitsubishi stand the show was a let down for me. Thank you to the Mitsubishi Girls for making the show worthwhile.Julie Definetely the Honda Legend & the Audi RX8.aaron need this so i could have this to have it better then i wont be a laughting stockNick Definitely the Mitsubishi TRM 380 - because I might be able to afford it and it looks great. Can't wait to test drive it.David Lyons Peugeot 207Stephen HSV GTS is my current realistic dream carROBERT DAWSON MX-S ROADSTER COUPEKris Audi R8 looked absolutely brilliant, that will be a real winner when it lands here. The Audi TT also looked really neat.Other cars to impress were the Volvo C30 and Suzuki SX4 WRC prototype.wazza smith nonesasha The Convertible Ford Focus. I simply love it. The new Fairmont Ghia was nice too.I did not like the Camry V6 sorry Avalon, sorry again, Aurion.Now I have gone and twisted my tongue. Anyone know a good tongue doctor <8>-). .... At least I can still type.The Volvo C30 was nice too as was the Land Rover Discovery.The Holden Commodores looked pretty decent although the Captiva did not captivate.Its too tall and skinny. I saw one in a shopping centre car park right next to a Territory and boy did it look like it needed some widening.I was also quite impressed with the Audi R8.The Hummer reminded me too much of the war in Iraq (I am against senseless wars). I also thought the Citroens were cool.Sean Hickey HSV GTS a true sports car at third of the price.I enjoyed the show,love to dream but quite a few people could get a GTS

The question isn’t who 'wants' to be a racing car driver, but who doesn’t?Let’s put aside for a moment the issues of safety and speed limits because this is a boom time for sports cars, and we don’t just mean selfish two-seat coupes.From hot hatches to sports sedans and convertibles, the line between every day road hack and sports car is fading in terms of both looks, equipment and especially performance.The expanding sub-$45,000 turbocharged market is just the thing for those who realise sports and performance does not equate to expensive and impractical.Take Volkswagen’s immensely popular Golf GTI, whose appeal has just been boosted by the announcement of a three-door hatch which joins the existing five-door.The best news is the deletion of rear doors lowers the price $1500 to a very appealing $38,490.Running the same 147kW 2.0-litre turbo through a tight, very right six-speed manual or DSG gearbox, the two-door GTI’s aggressive profile now matches that of its more expensive V6 AWD stablemate, the R32.One of the GTI’s main rivals is HSV’s new Astra VXR Turbo, which aims to put both the VW and the recent Ford Focus XR5 Turbo in their places.The first ever non-V8 HSV thrusts out 177kW from its 2.0-litre turbo, the three-door hatch’s thick equipment list and $42,990 sticker putting it at the top of the price list of the current crop of turbo hot hatches.All too dear? Then Holden’s sporty Astra SRi could be the next best thing from the red lion, with a 2.2-litre good for 110kW, and a practical five-door hot hatch now joining the two-door coupe.Cheaper insurance premiums aren’t the only savings here, with a $29,990 starting price for the SRi five-door hatch.One spider that’s just swallowed a turbo is the new Mitsubishi Colt Cabriolet Turbo.Styled by Ferrari-fettling Pininfarina, the Colt’s hard roof extends in a lazy 22 seconds, but with 110kW from its 1.5-litre MIVEC engine everything else about it is fast, and its $37,990 retail makes it the cheapest way to get into topless turbo motoring – unless the new Peugeot 207 CC takes up the cause next year.There’s also the option of an 80kW non-turbo Cabriolet for $32,990, but our sports performance advisers will quickly slap that skim vanilla latte from your hand and guide you to the more sporty Colt Ralliart.The Cabriolet’s hardtop sibling, the Colt Ralliart, runs the same 1.5 turbo MIVEC engine but squirts out a little more power for 113kW. With its Evolution Lancer bonnet vent, Tupperware bodykit and rev-happy engine, at $29,990 it targets the likes of VW’s $26,990 Polo GTI turbo.All too turbo? If the insurance company answers the turbo request with an engaged signal, the Suzuki Swift Sport could be the answer to the P-plate blues.Reviving the Swift GTi of the 1990s, the new Sport’s 1.6-litre uses variable cam timing to peak out 92kW through its 16-inch alloys, making it a quarter-more powerful than the GTi.Airbags and ABS tick the safety boxes too.At $23,990, the Swift Sport has potentially the strongest sports-to-price ratio of the hot hatch heroes - meaning there are now many more reasons for a hot hatch upheaval. Hurrah.