Car Geeks

That’s probably a bit of a sweeping statement, to be fair. It’s likely that most manufacturers would make such a claim about at least one car in their range, and, of course, Google’s recently announced driver-less Toyota Prius is festooned with state of the art safety technology. In the real world though, there is a strong case to bolster the reputation of Ford.

Everyone knows the Ford Focus. It has a sort of ‘people’s car’ image but it really is much better than that. It has proved over the years to be very reliable and is noted for being a great drive. Within the higher echelons of the price range sits the Focus 1.6 Ecoboost Titanium. The engine is a turbocharged, direct injection motor equipped with Ford’s Ecoboost technology which delivers the sort of performance normally seen from bigger, normally aspirated units whilst achieving around 20% better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. The company sees Ecoboost as a cheaper, viable alternative to diesel or hybrid technology. The Focus slips under 8 seconds for the 0-62 sprint so the performance is more than adequate although that will obviously reflect in fuel consumption. Nevertheless, this vehicle has reasonable running costs and competes well with other offerings in this sector.

The Ecoboost Titanium comes with all the usual toys but it is in the option packs that the real interest lies. For a very competitive £750 the customer can specify the Driver Assistance Pack. First up in the list of terrific features is the ‘active city stop’ function which, by using a forward facing scanner and the ABS system, will trigger automatic braking to prevent very low speed shunts. Under 10mph and you won’t hit the obstacle, above that and at least the impact will be greatly reduced. This technology has got to be popular with insurance companies. It gets better. Not only are static objects seen but also road signs. Right now, the scanner only recognises speed limit and no overtaking signs but you’ve got to admit it’s a good start.

The Focus Ecoboost Titanium has another party piece up its sleeve. It is the ability to steer itself by recognising lane markings. Over 38mph the car will ensure you keep in lane and will ‘nudge’ the steering wheel if you start to wander. If you need to overtake or change lanes it is necessary to indicate, which overrides the system. Couple this with cruise control and you’ve almost got a car that drives itself. Brilliant. Add to the package the parallel parking assist and you’ve got a motor that, if there was any justice, ought to be given special consideration come insurance renewal time!

By MotorBlogger.