New Focus is green enough to scoop free road tax

01/12/09

Latest small Ford boasts strong economy and low emissions but lists at close to £20,000 new

Ford is to bring in a new, ‘green’ version of the Focus, economical enough to travel up to 74mpg in everyday driving. It’ll also run clean enough at 99g/km of CO2 to qualify for free road tax.

The new car wears an Econetic badge – Ford’s name for the most economical models in its key ranges. Like other Econetics it uses a conventional diesel engine tuned for maximum mpg and mated to a manual gearbox that has taller ratios for economy. Here it is a 1.6 producing 108bhp. It also packs a stop-start system that halts the engine whenever the car is stopped in traffic and the gears are put to neutral. This, Ford reckons, boosts in-town fuel economy by up to 10%. An existing model, without Stop Start but having slightly higher emissions and fuel consumption, remains in the range.

While impressive, the newcomer breaks no fresh ground because Volkswagen’s Golf Bluemotion takes a similar route to post near-identical economy and emissions figures. What’s more at just below £18,000 the Golf is similarly equipped but is £2000 cheaper. The five-door Focus Econetic with stop-start lists at £19,995. It sits midway up the Focus range but, where the Golf has alloy wheels, the Ford runs on steel ones with plastic trims.

Like its rival, it also has lowered suspension, easy roll tyres and minor body modifications to help it slip through the air more easily.