Advanced new diesel engine technologies are available on both the 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter TDCi engines and include a lean NO_x trap for cleaner exhaust emissions, while friction is reduced with microscopic applications of Diamond Like Coating (DLC); engine breathing is enhanced with a Variable Nozzle Turbocharger.

Further Ford fuel-saving technologies including Auto-Start-Stop, Active Grille Shutter, and Smart Regenerative Charging help to achieve significant reductions in CO₂ emissions across the full range of gasoline and diesel engines.

When the new 1.5-liter TDCi engine is introduced, Focus will be available with all engines meeting Euro Stage VI months ahead of the legislation taking effect.

—Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe

1.5L EcoBoost. Ford’s new 1.5-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine achieves a 7% improvement in fuel efficiency when paired with the six-speed manual gearbox and equipped with Auto-Start-Stop, compared with the power-equivalent 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine it replaces. From early next year it also will be offered with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Available with 150 PS (110 kW) or 182 PS (134 kW), the new 1.5-liter EcoBoost is equipped with the integrated exhaust manifold technology first introduced with Ford’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine. This improves efficiency by helping the engine reach optimal temperatures faster, and also delivers torque more rapidly by minimizing the distance exhaust gasses travel between the cylinders and turbocharger.

The engine also uses the core EcoBoost technologies of turbocharging, high-pressure direct fuel-injection and Twin-independent Variable Cam Timing alongside a new aluminium engine block. A water-cooled intake charge cooler delivers a more efficient feed of air into the engine and the control system has been reprogrammed to offer high levels of engine refinement, quietness and performance.

1.0-liter EcoBoost. The new Focus will continue to be offered with Ford’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine, which last year was chosen by a third of Focus customers and this year was named International Engine of the Year for a third year in a row. From early next year the 125 PS (92 kW) Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost also will be offered with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

New Focus also will continue to be offered as a 1.0-liter EcoBoost version delivering 99 g/km CO₂, the previous version of which earlier this year became the first non-hybrid gasoline family car in Europe to offer sub-100 g/km CO₂ emissions.

New gear ratios help to deliver the low emissions, alongside existing fuel-efficient technologies including Auto-Start-Stop, Active Grille Shutter, and Ford EcoMode that provides drivers with feedback on their driving style to help them become a more fuel-efficient driver.

In addition, Ford’s Smart Regenerative Charging system selectively engages the alternator and charges the battery when the vehicle is coasting and braking to recapture energy that would otherwise be lost – reducing engine load for less fuel usage.

Paddle-shift controls will be available as an option with all automatic and PowerShift transmissions, both diesel and gasoline.

New diesel technology. New Focus also will be offered for the first time with the Ford’s 1.5-liter TDCi diesel engine. Available with 95 PS (70 kW) or 120 PS (88 kW), it delivers greater power, torque and responsiveness, with optimized combustion chamber design, and cutting-edge turbocharger and fuel injection technology. It will feature the most fuel-efficient combustion process from a Ford diesel engine to date and it has a lean NO_x trap in the exhaust after-treatment system for even cleaner emissions.

Ford has developed the engine’s piston bowl to improve combustion, and coated a number of components including the pistons, pins and seals with a layer of DLC. Less than a third the width of a human hair, the six-micron thick layer of this extremely tough and smooth material bonded to a component is enough to reduce friction for improved efficiency and refinement.

A revised Variable Nozzle Turbocharger helps to increase airflow into the engine, while the latest generation high-pressure fuel injection minimizes internal fuel losses and improves combustion, helping to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions.

The 95 PS version will deliver 98 g/km CO₂ emissions, a 10% improvement compared to the 1.6-liter TDCi diesel. It also will deliver 3.8 l/100 km (62 mpg US) fuel efficiency when mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

A 120 PS 1.5-liter TDCi diesel PowerShift automatic also will be introduced next year and is expected to achieve a 19% improvement in fuel efficiency when compared to the 115 PS (85 kW) 2.0-liter TDCi diesel PowerShift Focus it replaces. The six-speed manual version will deliver a 10% fuel efficiency improvement.

The enhanced 2.0-liter TDCi diesel engine delivers significantly more power, torque and better fuel efficiency. The 150 PS version will deliver a 15% improvement in fuel efficiency over the previous 140 PS model when specified with the six-speed manual gearbox, or PowerShift automatic transmission – achieved by introducing Auto-Start-Stop and Variable Nozzle Turbocharger technology. Torque is up from 340 N·m to 370 N·m (273 lb-ft).

Ford’s 1.6-liter Ti-VCT gasoline and 1.6-liter TDCi diesel engines will still be available on selected series in some markets.

Enhanced Transitional Stability. The new Ford Focus also features a new technology called Enhanced Transitional Stability that can calculate when a skid is likely to take place from a combination of the car’s speed, the position of the steering wheel and the speed at which the steering wheel is being turned.

If the system identifies that a skid is imminent, braking of individual wheels is applied—often before the driver realizes that anything is amiss—by activating the advanced Electronic Stability Control; enhancing safety and helping deliver smoother journeys.

Enhanced Transitional Stability is one of the new and improved chassis control technologies that enhance driving dynamics and safety on the new Focus. Ford engineers also have made revisions to the Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) to make Focus feel more connected to the road and easier to drive.

Engineers have retuned the EPAS system to reduce the amount of effort required to steer, eliminate neutral zones from the steering operation, and deliver almost instantaneous feedback from the road surface to enable more instinctive steering.

The driving experience has been further enhanced through new levels of quietness achieved with thicker side window glass and carpets, new front wheel arch liners and door trims, and more absorbent acoustic seals around the air extraction system, mirror hinges, and tailgate.

Ford engineers also have improved the front end structural stiffness of the new Focus by increasing the thickness of two brackets within the engine bay and using a stronger metal arc welding technique to reduce body flex during cornering, delivering sharper responses and greater agility. New Multi-Tune Valve Damper technology offers improved shock absorber performance and durability, as well as enabling engineers to deliver the optimum balance between body control and driver comfort.

In addition, the suspension geometry on the new Focus has been fine-tuned and the rubber lower control arm suspension bushes have been increased in stiffness by more than 20%. This reduces the amount of flexibility between the metal mounting surfaces during high-load conditions—such as when cornering—and minimises unwanted wheel movement. The front bushes also now feature flared edges that clamp over the suspension hub and chassis mounting points, further reducing movement of the connected components.

Advanced driving technologies. The new Focus is the first Ford to offer Perpendicular Parking, a new hands-free parking technology that helps drivers reverse into spaces alongside other cars.

The current Focus introduced parallel parking aid Active Park Assist that, at the push of a button, uses ultrasonic sensors to locate parking spaces and steer the vehicle while the driver controls the accelerator and brake. The addition of two new sensors to the rear of the new Focus enables Perpendicular Parking to operate in the same way.

The extra sensors also enable Ford to offer technologies that help drivers as they maneuver out of parking spaces for the first time in Europe:

• Cross Traffic Alert warns drivers reversing out of a parking space of vehicles that may soon be crossing behind them. Operating with radar at a range of up to 40 metres (131 feet), the system will issue three distinct warning signals if it detects a vehicle approaching from either side.

• Park-Out Assist helps drivers as they exit a parallel parking space. After the driver has chosen either the left or right hand side the system operates the steering while the driver operates the accelerator and brake.

Ford also has improved its Active City Stop collision avoidance system, which uses sensors at the front of the vehicle to look for stationary objects in the road ahead and pre-charges the brakes if the vehicle is approaching an object too quickly. If the driver still does not respond the system reduces engine torque and automatically applies the brakes to reduce the impact of collisions. Active City Stop now operates for the new Focus at speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph), increased from 30 km/h (19 mph).

In the case of moving objects Active Braking works in a similar way to Active City Stop but with a vehicle detection range of between 8 km/h (5 mph) and 180 km/h (112 mph). It supports drivers at higher speeds, for example on the motorway, by issuing warnings and applying braking as required.

Existing Adaptive Cruise Control technology enables Focus drivers to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead, even when that vehicle is travelling more slowly than the cruise speed. For occasions when Adaptive Cruise Control is not active, Ford is now introducing to Europe Distance Indication, which enables drivers to set a preferred distance they would like to maintain with the vehicle ahead. Should the driver get any closer, the system issues a three-stage dashboard display warning—from grey to yellow to red.

New Focus also will be equipped for the first time with Ford’s MyKey technology. MyKey enables owners to program a key—usually for younger drivers—that restricts the top speed, reduces the maximum volume of the audio system, and can disable it altogether if driver and passengers are not using safety belts. The system can prevent the driver from deactivating safety technologies.