# Ford Focus 2.0 GDi Sport+ Thailand Made – 12.000km Review

- Link: https://leoviotti.com/blog/ford-focus-2-0-gdi-sport-thailand-made-12-000km-review/
- Published: 2013-02-11T01:36:09+08:00
- Author: LeoViotti

It’s been a long time since my last post… but it’s been a busy year, 2012. This 
post will have nothing to do with the previous ones, and it’s not the intention 
of this blog to be a one-subject page anyway… this will be a review, as complete
as I can make, of the “All-New Ford Focus” with the 2.0 GDi Engine, and 6-Speed 
PowerShift Gearbox – this will include how the dealership and Ford Thailand is handling
ME (they seem to be quite active in Twitter, which is good).
 [⌊Focus⌉](http://leoviotti.com/wp/2013/02/11/ford-focus-2-0-gdi-sport-thailand-made-12-000km-review/focus/)

**The Engine**
 Probably the main reason for buying this new Focus, the engine does
not disappoint. Originally made by Mazda, and sold by Ford as a Duratec HE Ti-VCT,
it’s a 1998cc (2.0L) 4 cilinder unit, with all the modern perks one could ask for.
It has dual independent variable camshaft timing system (Ti-[VCT](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_Cam_Timing)),
which helps the engine to perform well in low revs up to the red line (REALLY well),
and works well in reducing pollution.

Of course, it has 16v… but the most amazing thing, to me, is the Direct Fuel Injection
system. What this kind of injection does, is to inject fuel directly into the cilinders,
in the exact quantity needed for that particular condition of power or economy demand.
Because of this high-precision fuel injection system, we can have a high-compression
piston fitted (12:1 ratio), allowing the air-fuel mix to be burned the best possible
way – efficiency, this is the key. At the same time it generates 170hp @ 6,600rpm–
in a naturally aspirated engine – when driving carefully, fuel consumption is as
its best, really low for a 1,400kg car. The maximum torque is 202Nm @ 4,450rpm, 
but you never feel lack of power, even at very low revs.

From low to high revs, the engine feels ABSOLUTELY smooth, no vibrations, no noises,
nothing wrong. There is no point that it feels stronger and more “alive” than others,
power comes smooth from low revs until the red line. This has good and bad sides
to it. The good side is that there are no surprises, you know exactly what to expect
at all times, there’s no situation you will be driving in low revs and feel you 
have no power for overtaking another vehicle, it’s all under absolute control. The
bad side is… there are no surprises. There are no strong emotions. You go from 0
to 210km/h and your 4 passengers feel NOTHING, they can be sleeping, or about to…
predictable, but boring.

There’s the whole technical explanation about Direct Injection, variable camshafts,
etc… but I’ll stick to the “feeling” here. Maybe in a next post.

**The Gearbox**

![Internal Components from the gearbox](http://leoviotti.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/
2013/01/ford-dual-clutch-powershift-gearbox-components-300x199.jpg)

Internal Components from the gearbox

The second most important feature of the new Focus, for me, is the 6-Speed PowerShift
gearbox, a dual-dry-clutch unit, with both Drive and Sport modes, and a “Manual”
mode (when set to S).

I never liked regular automatic gearboxes… with very few exceptions, they slip too
much in acceleration, take a long time to change gears when pushed hard, are useless
when going downhill and, with no exception, make your average fuel consumption pretty
high, compared to the equivalent manual gearbox.
 This PowerShift Ford fitted in
the newest Focus and Fiesta has everything to be amazing, and at most times, it 
is – when you press your right foot to the ground, it will shift down, engine revs
up, then shift up on the red line probably faster than the average good driver would
be able to do – but not quite so… or not yet.

When using D, the regular daily driver mode, it works… ok. Just ok. The creeping
is ok, even though I think it should push the car a tad faster… but fine for city
usage. The main problem is that, in the current software version, the down-shift
when you press the accelerator is a bit slow… as if the car is “thinking and deciding”
if what you really want is to go faster. This does not happen when you stick your
foot to the ground, mainly on intermediary-low positions of the pedal. And I hate
it. You learn how to live with this behaviour, but still hates it.
 This characteristic
is greatly reduced when using S (Sport) mode, as the gearbox tends to leave “one
gear down” most of the time, and it’s extremely rare that it will engage 6th gear.
On S, you also have more engine-breaking power, and it’s absolutely mandatory to
leave the stick in S when you want to accelerate during curves – one of the absolutely
WORST feelings is when you’re in a curve, you feel you need to send more power to
the front wheels so they pull the car in the correct direction… and the gearbox 
slowly decides if you really need to be in a hurry. I’m engaging S mode more often
while driving in the city, as it makes up to much better overall experience. One
characteristic I enjoy the most if the “extra engina breaking” when using the car
brakes – the system detects you want to brake, and shifts down, very similar to 
what I would do myself in a manual gearbox.

![from www.motortrend.com](http://leoviotti.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Gear-
Shifter.jpg)

from www.motortrend.com

The “Manual S Mode” is utterly useless. You can move gears up or down in a tiny 
button on the side of the gear lever, as if you were playing a game – and worst,
using a stick-controller. I don’t know what Ford was thinking when they decided 
to include this function in this position – or if they were thinking at all. It 
could have just been featured as the wheel-paddles, instead of the “second audio
controls” on the steering wheel – it would make some sense, and it would keep prices
about the same… just a bunch of buttons, in a different position.

There is a new version of the gearbox software, which apparently fixes this delays
and odd behaviour. I have already contacted Ford Thailand on Twitter, let’s see 
if they can made this update for me without too much trouble – I haven’t received
any reply though, and the BangNa-Trat km 13,5 dealership said they know nothing 
about it. This update is also said to correct the “wrong gear selected” situation,
when you are slow or stopped, then you start to accelerate and for whatever reason,
take your foot out of the accelerator. The dual-clutch system, in this situation,
is absolutely sure you will keep accelerating and it selects one gear up, but when
you remove your foot from the accelerator, “something goes terribly wrong” and the
whole system disengages, clutches, gears, the whole lot… the best way to describe
what I feel is, when you’re driving an older car, accelerating, then you pass by
some bump or pothole, and the current gear slips out of position. Only the ones 
who have been through that know what I mean… and the ones who didn’t can be sure
it’s not the most pleasant feeling.
 _As of February 2013, however, this software
update is UNAVAILABLE in Thailand, and neither Ford, nor any of the contacted dealers,
have any idea when or if this will be brought to Thailand._

**Handling**
 This is where the Focus has a name and a position to hold. Since the
first edition, known as Focus Mk1 (Mark 1), released in 1998, it amazed the housewives
for its smooth and comfortable ride, no matter where you are, up to the driving 
enthusiast, with its excellent cornering ability and superb overall dynamic behavior.
I haven’t been lucky enough to drive the two older models, other than a quick ride
around the block in a 2000 model, 1.6 engine. And I couldn’t tell much from this
anyway… but I always read and heard how amazing the car was. If there is one thing
that people can’t really deny is how superior the Focus is, compared to the Opel/
Vauxhall/Chevrolet Astra, and the Volkswagen Golf, the two models that share market
positioning with the Focus.

The new version didn’t let me down. OK, my last two cars were not what we can call…
normal. I have a Suzuki SJ413 (Samurai) 1990, fitted with a 2.0 16v Toyota Engine,
SFI Fuel injection, automatic gearbox; and a Toyota Hilux SportRider 2001, fitted
with the new 3.0 D4D Turbo Engine, 163hp, a world of torque and manual 5-speed gearbox.
But I had alright cars before (mostly Astras, generation F and G), and I had contact
with many others, from Honda Fit/Jazz to Mercedes Benz ML500. That said, the Focus
is the best handling car I have ever driven… by far. Not even the 1,400kg – heavier
than a 1980’s full sized European saloon – make it misbehave in corners, and I’m
yet to find somewhere where I can’t “push a little harder”. The steering whell feels
absolutely connected to the front wheels, and its electric power assistance is almost
completely off in higher speeds, allowing me to have a better control of the movement
I’m going to make.

The Focus Mk3, at least in this version, known as “Sport+” (the top hatch version
available in the Thai market, equivalent to the Titanium+ for the Sedan) is fitted
with a sort of Traction Control, called AdvanceTrac® Dynamic Stability Control (
DSC) – not the type that actuates on the differential, or the gearbox, but in the
front brakes – whenever the computer detects one of the front wheels turning more
than the other, it brakes that one slightly, so the power goes to the other wheel–
the one with better traction at the moment. It works well, but if wanted, can be
disabled on the on-board computer menu. Only bad point of doing so is an annoying
yellow light in the middle of the dashboard.

[⌊Torque Vectoring Control⌉⌊Torque Vectoring Control⌉[

Torque Vectoring Control

The other computer system that assists handling is called Torque Vectoring Control.
What it does it quite interesting… The TVC works only while cornering, a situation
where the outside wheels receive most of the weight of the car, which means, they
have more grip than the wheels inside the corner. This system calculates the G-force,
feels the terrain, and based on that, breaks the inside wheel so most of the power
is transferred to its pair, which has more grip. The result is faster cornering 
with higher level of control. Or so Ford says. If it works? I don’t know, it’s not
like we can FEEL this working (which is great), all I can say is that the end result
is AMAZING cornering, be that when you keep your speed stable, when you push the
car faster or while breaking (in emergencies). There is not a single moment the 
car gives me the feeling it’s doing something it’s not supposed to.

Of course, all this is helped by great Michelin Primacy LC tires measuring 215/50,
on 17″ wheels.

**City Driving**
 However I hate it, city driving is what I do most. And it was 
the very basic reason I decided to buy a brand new, relatively small, automatic 
car. After starting my search for a new automatic vehicle, targeting mainly the “
low cost top range SUVs”, such as Toyota Fortuner (or SW4 in some markets), Mitsubishi
Pajero Sport (not really a Pajero PAJERO, more related to the L200 Triton, like 
the Fortuner to the Hilux), I started looking with better eyes at the small city
hatchbacks, which I’ve always been a fan of… my main target was the Ford Fiesta,
a car I like since its release, back in 2009 when I was living in the UK. The problem
was… they didn’t have the Fiesta for Test Drive at the dealership I went, and I 
made the “mistake” of driving the Focus – the very same version I ended up buying.
The engine response, breaking and quick direction changes put a spell on me, and
I couldn’t really see anything else – at that moment, the Focus was perfect. This
hasn’t changed much in the past three months and 12,000km driven, mostly in Bangkok
traffic jams, with an eventual trip nearby. I found problems in the Focus, most 
of which I described above – “lazy” gearbox and boring engine – and none of them
diminish the qualities of the car as a city car. There are a few key aspects that
are really important when you think of urban transport, and I’ll try to cover all
of them below, commenting on how the Focus handles them: – Size: you don’t want 
a big car (or shouldn’t need, unless you’re a bad driver and want people to stay
away, afraid of your size), it’s harder to park, to find parking spaces, to turn
in tight corners and reverse easily. The Focus is BIGGER than necessary (4.36m),
at least for someone with no large family (me – 2 people and 3 cats). I would be
ok with something the size of the Fiesta hatchback, easily. This is not a problem,
but… unnecessary. – Versatility: the trunk has a good size, you can lay down the
seats and have a large cargo space in case needed. No bad points here, it does the
job well, perhaps better than the Sedan version. – Visibility: very few blind spots,
I can see almost everything around me, aided by the side and internal mirrors. The
side mirrors are the convex kind, which expand the field of vision in their external
edges, and this is something basic for me, so basic I replaced by Suzuki SJ413 original
mirrors by the new ones, so I can drive safer and see who’s around more than a “
small square” behind me. – Fuel economy: it is fair. Not great, but adequate and
better than expected. I’ll cover this more in a later subject. Same as in “Size”,
I would have done better with a Fiesta/Swift/Jazz(Fit), but it’s alright so far.–
Ride comfort: Good. Seats are fully adjustable, even lombar support can be changed,
and the steering wheel moves up, down, back and forth, freely. Not complicated to
find a good position. Most of the dashboard buttons are easily accessible, sometimes
even duplicated for driver/passenger, which is too much… but ok. The Air Conditioning
system has all the perks of a “Climate Control”, with individual settings for Driver
and Passenger. The sound system has USB/AUX input, as well as Bluetooth, all quite
easy to operate, sync, change. This all together amounts for a simple “nice time”
while driving, even at the most stressful situations, the “stop-and-go” in traffic.
Suspension is stiffer than normal in the Sport+ version with the 17″ wheels and 
slim tires, but this does not compromise the ride comfort. The result is a nice 
car to be in, any time, under any weather, through any sort of traffic jam or total
standstill. I have never felt tired or had pains in my legs, arms or back, even 
after a full day, 6h+ sitting in the driver’s position, running errands around the
city.

**Highway Driving**
 One would think that, with all the qualities I said before,
including handling, engine, gearbox, and all about City Driving, the Focus would
be more than perfect for highway driving… it isn’t. Nothing wrong with the car, 
really, maybe the problem is me – when driving, it’s all so smooth, all so silent,
no surprises, no bumps, no need to focus on something specific, that, I get boring
and sometimes, sleepy. I haven’t had the opportunity to go into a REAL nice road
though, such as the ones deep in Kanchanaburi, or up in Tak or Chiang Mai/Mae Hong
Son, or even up in Laos, where I experienced some of the nicest “driver’s roads”
ever. This is something to be done in the future. Other than this minor “problem”
I have, highway driving is perfect, and the 6th gear makes it quite economical also,
leaving the engine at reasonable 3000rpm @ 120km/h (GPS speed).

**Performance**
 There is very few official performance information for the Asian
Focus… it does use the same engine as its North American Focus, and I will get that
as a base for comparison. The main difference is the peak power, which Ford USA 
gives as 160hp @ 6,500 rpm and Ford Asia gives at 170hp @ 6,600rpm. Not sure why
the difference, but that has been confirmed to be over Twitter by the official @
FordThailand , so I will go with it. Ford USA says it does 0-60mph in 8s on the 
manual version, and 8,2s on the 6 speed PowerShift gearbox. I have never tested 
it myself, in the chronometer/GPS, but these numbers sound pretty much correct –
for a family hatchback, it’s impressive, and in the few opportunities I had, I can
say it accelerated faster than the new Corolla 2.0 and the new Civic 2.0 but again…
you never know who is driving the other car, and I don’t do anything stupid, which
would put people at risk. The 6 Speed PowerShift gearbox does an excellent job when
you press your right foot way down, using either S or D modes. Gear changes, after
the initial delay (less than one second maybe… just fells odd), are as fast as a
manual, maybe faster – I don’t think I could do better (I have never tried though,
my knowledge is from the “trucks” I own and the Astra and Corsa I had, all of which
had bad gearboxes concerning fast changes). The S mode holds the engine in higher
revs, making it faster to regain speed after slowing down, but this is in no way
excessive, it feels just right for the “moment”. The D mode is so nice, though, 
that the only time I feel the need to use S mode is when cornering in higher speeds.
Accelerating fast in both of them is pretty much the same, gear changes being fast,
and engine going up to almost 7000rpm every time. As said, and I emphasise: the 
MANUAL S MODE is *totally* useless. It doesn’t matter when you press the button 
to change up/down, the gearbox will decide when the right moment comes, and it always
comes with at least 1-2s delay, really irritating. Don’t bother.

**Fuel Economy**
 Here I am honestly impressed, if not amazed. First, a few facts:–
it’s an automatic car, with an outdated gearbox software – the car weights 1,400kg–
traffic in Bangkok and Thailand in general is one of the worst in the world, with
bottlenecks after bottlenecks – I have a heavy foot – I don’t drive thinking of 
saving fuel, as this getts me stressed – I am using mostly “Gasohol E20”, which 
contains 20% Etanol, so I can relate with the people I know from Brazil (there, 
we only have “Gasohol”, varying between E20 and E25, plus “E100” or pure Etanol).–
Air Conditioning is ALWAYS on In these harsh conditions, I have never had a tank
giving me less than 7.5km/L average, and I keep track since I took the car from 
the dealer, back in October 26, with only 43km. All the fuel-ups can be seen clicking
on this button: [⌊Fuelly⌉](http://www.fuelly.com/driver/LeoViotti/focus) As you 
can see, the total average fuel economy is around 9km/L. That is about the same 
I used to have with my old Chevrolet Corsa 1.4 EFI, with poor 59hp and 11kgfm torque,
in a 900kg car, fitted with a manual gearbox! Compared with my previous and current
vehicles, the Focus is, with exception of the Diesel Hilux, the most economic one
in average, and yet, it’s the heaviest, more powerful and the only one using an 
automatic gearbox. For me, this has a name: technology. The dual-dry-clutch gearbox,
the Direct Injection engine, all the computer systems, they work hard so I can spend
less. For a geek like me, this is absolutely amazing, the power of technology.

**Technology**
 And this brings me to my next subject… Technology. Why didn’t I 
buy a Honda Civic, or a Toyota Corolla, or a Mazda 3, or many other cars from brands
much more renewed in Thailand/Asia? Basically, they do not pack as much technology
in a single space, for a decent amount of money. Here’s a list of features included
in this version of the new Focus, with comments: – Active City Stop – when under
30km/h, if the front facing camera detects you’re getting too close to the car in
front, it will activate the brakes. It does work, which is great, but sometimes 
I think it’s too sensitive – Auto Parking – I have never used, as parallel parking
is rare in Thailand… but I can see it being used by many low skilled drivers. – 
ABS with EBD – the basic, antilock brakes with electronic break distribution. The
car always feels in control, even when cornering and breaking strong. – Electronic
Stability Program, Traction Control (AdvanceTrac® Dynamic Stability Control (DSC))
and Torque Vectoring Control – these 3 items work together, with a computer controlling
stability through the brakes. Cornering is made easy with the Focus, requiring little
ability and mostly no fear and confidence – Sony Audio with SYNC by Microsoft, and
9 speakers with Bluetooth / AUX P2 / USB – good sound quality, easy to use, you 
can connect your phone and dial through the car, by button controls or Voice Activated
system – Sunroof – useless in a sunny country like Thailand, just adds weight… –
Xenon HID directional headlamps with LED lamps – LED tail lamps – Fog “following”
front lights – they turn on and off was necessary when you turn the wheels, quite
useful in dark streets/intersections – Fog rear lights – Remote keyless entry and
engine start – no need to use the key to unlock the car – it senses when the key
holder grabs the handle and unlocks the doors – and no need to use the key when 
turning on the car – the system knows when the key is INSIDE the vehicle, unlocking
the steering wheel and activating the Power button, to start the engine – [Heated acoustic windshield](http://www.ehow.com/facts_7903419_acoustic-windshield-performance.html)–
special windshield that dampens the sounds, reducing the noise inside the car between
3 and 6dB, with heating to “de-fog” in cold weather, much like the back window in
most cars. This windshield has 3 layers of material, being the center one a kind
of vinyl, to dissipate sounds and vibrations, coming from in or outside of the car.–
Cruise control – the usual, with buttons to change the speed up and down – Speed
limiter – together with the Cruise Control, you can set a limit and it won’t go 
past it. Good to avoid tickets in some places. – Rain sensing wipers – just leave
them in Auto, and they turn on whenever detecting drops of rain – works 99% ok, 
rarely firing the wipers when not needed. You can also adjust if you like them to
wipe the windshield more or less frequent. Also, when the windshield wipers are 
active (rain) and you engage reverse, the real wiper is automatically turned on –
Auto On-Off Headlamps – just leave them in Auto, they will turn on and off as needed.
Works perfectly. – Front, side and curtain airbags, 6 or 7 in total – I hope they
work, but I don’t want to know. 🙂 – Hill Hold and Hill Launch Assist – avoids the
car backing off when in a hill, by keeping the brakes pressed for a few seconds,
until the engine has enough power to move the car – Front and rear parking sensors–
no cameras, just the good ol’ sensors, showing the green/yellow/red area in the 
main screen – Active front grill shutters – open and close the front grill according
to engine cooling needs, always seeking the best aerodynamics (with the grill fully
closed) – Driver and passager safety belt reminder alarm – Front seatbelt pre-tensioner
and load limiter – S.O.S Post Crash Alert System – in the event of a crash, when
either the AirBags or the safety belt pre-tensioners are activated, the car will
sound the horn and activate the emergency flashers, until turned off, to alert nearby
people of the location of the car – Sport tuned suspension – only on the Sport+ 
version, with harder shocks, slightly lower than stock – Power external mirrors 
with “auto folding” when the car is locked, and down-pointed lights to show the 
floor when parking in the dark – Rear Focus ST Spoiler – Side skirts – Dual zone(
driver/passenger) Air Conditioning with Climate Control – Electrochromic Rear View
Mirror – darkens when night, and more when it detects cars behind you with strong
headlamps – Ambient lighting – soft red lights on at all times when night, inside
the car. They can be disabled on the On Board Computer – Eco-mode, Trip Computer,
Variable Dimming & Outside Temperature – all accessible from buttons in the steering
wheel. The Eco-Mode says how “Eco” you’ve been driving, based on your acceleration
and breaking patterns, and on the average speed. The trip computer does the usual“
mileage, autonomy, L/100km or MPG, average speed”. Values can be reset one by one
or all together.

And I’m NOT a Ford salesman… with all this, it’s hard to consider others… it’s just…
so much. And all so cool! And most of it so useful… one thing I miss though, is 
the “Blind Spot Detector”, which is available on the Sedan Titanium+, but not on
any of the hatchbacks. Pity.

**Ride Confort**
 A lot has been said already, but I’ll complement a few points 
which I consider more important, as follows: – Front Seats – the front seats are
comfortable, with a good side grip, and long-enough “bottom rest”. The driver’s 
seat has height and lombar adjustments. The sedan version has electric controls 
to move the seats front/back and up/down, but the hatchback has manual controls.
They are ok, easy to use, but my height adjustment lever broke after only a month,
and 6-7 weeks later, I am STILL waiting for a replacement. I don’t use this much,
but it’s not nice to have a brand new cars with parts falling off, and even worst
to wait months for a cheap piece of plastic. Blame on Ford. Another difference between
the Sedan and Hatch versions, is the absence of the full-leather seats on the later.
The Hatchback seats have leather sides and another kind of fabric in the middle,
supposedly to give better grip, as this model is focused more on performance. In
this case I believe them, or at least accept as a valid excuse, the seats do provide
better grip than the Sedan version, helped by the larger “flaps” on the side of 
the back-rest. The front seats can be moved very further back – so much that, in
the most rear position, there is barely space for the back passengers. – Silence–
almost absolute silence is experienced when inside the car. Almost annoyingly silent.
While writing this review, I discovered Ford used a “sound dampening windshield”,
which might explain such silent. I love silence, but I’m also 30 years old, and 
I would like to listen to the engine working when I push it hard, and not even that
I can enjoy… I am considering ordering a special exhaust system from the US, at 
least to give the car some “presence” – all road legal, I don’t enjoy headaches 
and I’m a fan of extra-high quality music. – Sound system – Sony based, integrated
with Microsoft SYNC, the system is really simple to operate, as easy as a Windows
computer. Maybe this is based on WindowsCE, I don’t know, but it’s all simple and
direct, no need to read the 500 page manual 10 times to change songs or connect 
and sync your mobile phone. The USB port works as a charger port, providing apparently
1A, stronger than computer’s USB ports, but not enough to keep my Samsung Galaxy
Tab 2 7″ charged while in use. When plugging a USB stick with music, the system 
recognises and scans the drive automatically, and there are few and useful options,
such as Shuffle, or “Play Songs Like The Current”, which makes a playlist of songs
similar to the one playing at the moment (same artist, similar titles, or genres,
etc). There is also a P2 AUX connector, which also works as it should. When using
the Bluetooth to play audio, the controls in the main radio console and in the steering
wheel can be used to change songs (tested in two Android tablets using PowerAmp,
but it seems to work with iPods/iPhones/iPads as well). Unfortunately Ford didn’t
fit the full SYNC system, as it depends on mobile operators, reliable maps, etc,
and this is not that common in Asia. — SYNC – this system is developed by Microsoft,
together with a bunch of partners, and on this version, only provides easy mobile
connectivity, download od address book to the car system, voice dial, easy menu 
navigation, etc. The full SYNC, available in the US, provider a huge range of services,
including maintenance alerts, uploading you car’s “logs” to the internet and getting
a repport of how the systems are, oil change alerts, and much more. I’m still looking
into that, if there is something I can use in Thailand, or some way to connect my
car to the internet via Mobile phone… but not sure. I will update when I have more
info. – Air Conditioning – I covered most of this item already, it has a full Climate
Control which works very efficiently, and even in the hottest days, the internal
temperature can be at pleasant 24ºC in a matter of 1 or 2 minutes. In comparison,
my Hilux SportRider takes 5-10min to cool down inside, with both rear and front 
AC units working, and re-circulation turned on. It’s quite comforting to start the
car and know that, in minutes, it’s all back to “life bearing environment”. – Back
Seats – comfortable enough, they provide a firm back-rest, and a center arm-rest
with 2 cup holders. The ride in the back is not bumpy, even with the sport’s suspension
that is fitted in the Sport+ model. The only problem is the leg room, and it can
be pretty tight with people taller than 1.75-1.80m seating in front, with decent
space for their legs. With taller people in front, only people with no legs can 
seat in the back, depending how much you fold down the front seats. – Ergonomics–
all buttons are within easy reach for the driver, and most of them, to the front
passenger as well. The Radio On/Off, which is the most distant button, on the top
left corner of the center of the dashboard, is easily accessible by me, without 
stretching myself in any way. All the center buttons and dials are also well positioned,
and I would just prefer the A/C dials to have some sort of texture, instead of plain
slippery metal circles. Sometimes I don’t feel if I’m actually turning them or not.
One thing I DON’T like: the main radio controller buttons, in the center of the 
dashboard, together with the volume dial, are repeated in the left side of the steering
wheel. This can be confusing, as the RIGHT side of the steering wheel provides buttons
in the exact form and shape, but those are used to control the On Board Computer
in front of you. Also, the proximity of these 2 sets of buttons to the edges of 
the central part of the steering wheel make it hard to press the horn in emergency
situations, when you would just use your thumb, and instead you have to take one
hand out of the position it is in, and press the center of the circle, quite strong,
to “be heard”.

**Structure**
 Ford says all the body is reinforced with “ultra high strength boron
steel”, and this kind of metal is four times stronger than regular steel, and also
lighter. That sounds like “wow”, but most modern cars are going this way, the Focus
being no exception – one more reason I wanted a newly developed vehicle instead 
of an older and cheaper version. What does all this means? Let’s go to [EuroNCAP](http://www.euroncap.com/),
the entity which tests cars for the European market. [DIRECT LINK FOR THE NEW FOCUS ON EuroNCAP](http://www.euroncap.com/results/ford/focus/2012/430.aspx)
The Focus achieved a 5-star security rating, which is pretty much standard nowadays
in cars of the same category and generation, the specific grades as follows: Adult
Occupant: 92% Safety Rating Child Occupant: 82% Safety Rating Pedestrians: 72% Safety
Rating Safety Assistance: 71% Safety Rating Those are very good levels of safety,
by any means of comparison. And what all that structure strengt means, whenever 
you are NOT crashing around, is a very stiff body, which will give a great handling
experience, without the monocoque “twisting and turning” on its own, creating more
difficulties for the driver to make the car behave as desired. Some pictures of 
the crash tests (click on them to see the full version, also available on EuroNCAP
website): [⌊Driver Fater Frontal Impact⌉](http://leoviotti.com/wp/2013/02/11/ford-focus-2-0-gdi-sport-thailand-made-12-000km-review/driver-fater-frontal-impact/)

[⌊Focus ESC Test⌉⌊Focus ESC Test⌉[

[⌊Pole Impact⌉⌊Pole Impact⌉[

[⌊Focus Frontal Impact⌉⌊Focus Frontal Impact⌉[

**Price**
 Cars in Thailand are not cheap. The Focus is not cheap, nor it is expensive.
The price range follows, as most other vehicles here, whatever is set by Toyota.
This unit, which is the top of the range for the Hatch, costs 1,079,000 Baht, or
about US$ 35,650 / 27,700 Euros / 22,200 GBP (rate of 11/01/2013). The exact same
model, in the Philippines, goes for 1,199,000 Pesos, or US$ 29,500. This is unfortunate,
but unless you want to buy a supermini Eco car (Nissan March, Mitsubishi Mirage,
Honda Brio, and a few others under 300,000-400,000 Baht), or a pickup, taxes are
high, and will push the prices up. Finances however are quite simples, and you get
gat as low as 2,5% per year interest rate, and between 10-25% downpayment, with 
2-7 years to pay it in full. Combine that with the low maintenance costs (tax, insurance,
etc), it’s not that bad of a deal.

**Cost of Ownership**
 Ford Thailand provides a pretty reasonable table of cost 
of most services and Labour, which you can see below: [Focus Maintenance Chart](http://leoviotti.com/wp/2013/02/11/ford-focus-2-0-gdi-sport-thailand-made-12-000km-review/focus-2-0l-6speed/)
One example: Oil + Filter + Labour = 1,800 Baht (+- 60 USD) Unfortunately most items
are in Thai, and my translator is not here at the moment. Also, Ford has a “public
commitment” to provide all major maintenance parts in 24h, whatever you are in the
country, or you don’t pay for it. I don’t know if this works, or if they will not
give excuses, but coming from Brazil, a country where Ford is known to take DAYS
or even WEEKS to deliver parts, it sounds like a good thing.

**Design**
 This is very personal… and on a personal level, I never liked the “Ford
Kinetic” design, from the first Focus/Ka. I didn’t like their second generation 
Focus either, although I considered it less ugly than the first. But I here put 
my heads down for the latest Focus design, which captured my attention from the 
first time I saw it. The Sedan or Hatchback have a good presence, even looking smaller
than they actually are. The real lights form the Focus Hatch are absolutely amazing,
and the side lines in general… the car looks like it wants to eat the road. That,
together with the blue color that is only available for the Sedan, added to the “
spell” that was cast over me when I finally test the unit last October. I had to
have one, and I got one, and I still think it’s absolutely beautiful, the shape,
the color, the big wheels with a nice design (they could be dark though). In the
other hand, I absolutely HATED the silver Focuses I saw so far… they look so… cheap.
It’s like a Chinese car, nothing special about it, just those gigantic rear lights
in that pointless body with a sad, sad color… I never likes and I still wonder why
people buy silver cars, which they have to use for years, just for a few more bucks
when selling it out (I know silver is easier to make it look good, specially when
the ink gets old and with some scratches). I just don’t think it’s worth the sadness
of looking at it every day, for years and years…

**Dealership**
 I had my test drive and bought my unit in Ford/Mazda dealership 
in Srinagarindra Road, near Seacon Square/Paradise Park. The salesman didn’t speak
English, so everything had to go through my “translator” girlfriend. Luckly, after
years with me, and endless visits to garages to fix my other cars, she does understand
what I want, and what I mean, even most technical terms. This made it easy, together
with the salesman being really well informed about the specs of the car. The whole
documentation for the purchase/financing was done in little more than 10 days, with
zero hassles what-so-ever. I am still waiting for the definitive license plate, 
but this is not a dealer issue… the government is apparently still having issues
manufacturing the plates, due to a low-quality problem a couple of years ago, aligned
with a very high demand for new cars. It has been 10 weeks since I got the car, 
and I’m hoping to have the license plate issued by the end of January. Only problems
I had so far: the day I got the car, it was displaying 9km in the “Autonomy meter”–
almost zero fuel in the tank. It was so low that, while exiting the dealer, the 
fuel ended and I was locking the main road for about 10min, until the security guard
brought 3L of gasoline so I could at least move to the nearest gas station. This
should NEVER happen, and it’s a huge stain in Customer Care for me, and for anyone
who saw me with the car, brand new, “broken” in front of the dealership. Second 
problem: the handle to put the driver’s seat up and down broke after about a month,
and we requested for a new one on the last week of November, 2012. It’s been now
6 weeks, and they don’t seem to receive a simple 50 baht plastic piece – I wonder
what will happen when I need something actually important to make the car work.

**Ford Thailand**
 I found a way to communicate directly with Ford Thailand, which
has been good so far, to solve a few questions I had. They have a very active Twitter
account ([@FordThailand](http://twitter.com/FordThailand)), and asking question 
through there, I usually get a quick response, in good English. Through there they
have confirmed the power of the Asian version of this engine is really 170hp@6,600rpm,
and told me I could change oil by myself, if I didn’t feel comfortable with the 
set interval of 15,000km – with no difference depending on the kind of use you give
the car. [⌊@FordThailand Twitter⌉](http://leoviotti.com/wp/2013/02/11/ford-focus-2-0-gdi-sport-thailand-made-12-000km-review/screen-shot-2012-12-14-at-13-26-44/)
I was a bit concerned, given that every other car I had featured different ranges
of how many kilometers you drive before changing oil, depending on driving and road
conditions, and even the Focus USA features these instructions: [⌊Focus USA Oil Changing Guide⌉](http://leoviotti.com/wp/2013/02/11/ford-focus-2-0-gdi-sport-thailand-made-12-000km-review/screen-shot-2012-12-14-at-1-42-09/)
With their official approval, I changed oil by myself, with little less than 10.000km,
and every 10,000km after that, to keep the heart of my car – and possibly the most
expensive part of it – working smoothly for a long time. They have also promised
me an English copy of the instructions manual – which took little over a month to
be available, but it was delivered as promised to the dealer I bought the car with–
and I am hoping to get the engine ECU and gearbox ECU updated to the latest software
version with no hassles… let’s see how it goes.

**FORD® in Thailand**
 FORD is a weak brand in Thailand, perhaps one of the weakest
western brands. I don’t know one single dedicated Ford dealer, all of them seem 
to be attached to their Japanese counterpart, Mazda. That considered, it’s not more
than their obligation to provide excellent services, support and a car filled with
equipments, in order to attract buyers… in any other case, we will just buy Toyota,
Isuzu, Honda… or even Mazda, which doesn’t help in brand consolidation. So far it
seems they are doing “their best”, but their best might not be good enough. Problems
such as no fuel while leaving the dealer for the first time, or massive delays in
getting a single plastic lever stain the brand for me, and I know Ford brand since
very young. Imagine that happening to someone who just decided to “venture in a 
brand to see how good it is”? NOT GOOD, Ford… FIX it. As of February 10, 2013, about
10 weeks have passed since I requested for a single simple plastic lever, which 
HAVE NOT been delivered. The dealership blames Ford for taking so long to import
that 50g piece of plastic from Singapore, and Ford Thailand apologizes for the delay,
but the situation haven’t changed. I could have driven to Singapore and back in 
3-4 days, there’s absolutely no excuse for the now 10 weeks period to fix something
that shouldn’t be broken in the first place.

**FORD… for me**
 My image from Ford comes from Ford Brasil. Once a good brand, 
in the 80’s, when I had my first interest in cars (I was born in 82, and have been
going to car expos since I’m 5 or 6), they allowed themselves to be obscured by 
Volkswagen, from 88 onward, until late 90’s, when “AutoLatina” was dissolved. In
that period, Ford was basically manufacturing old versions of the European Escort,
and cheap copies of the cheap Brazilian VW cars, with terrible customer support 
and zero innovation – and that was a time of deep market changes, when Brazil opened
itself up to the world, following a lengthy Military Government. Ford stood behind
and lost prestige… when they finally left AutoLatina, the brand and name Ford were
part of the past. All their great achievements, great cars, the Ford pickups, the
Maverick, the Landau/Galaxy, it was all legacy, and they had to start fresh. From
1997, Ford started bringing current European cars to Brasil: the Fiesta, the last
Escort and then the new world-car Focus, the Mondeo… problem is, in Brazil, as in
Thailand, cars are supposed to last “forever” – they cost a lot of money and no 
car is ever scrapped, you can see 20-40 year-old cars still in circulation, specially
but not only in small cities. And Ford TOTALLY neglected this peculiarity of the
local market, selling good cars, yes, but providing zero post-sales assistance. 
Dealerships didn’t know how to deal with the top-end models, there was (and still
is) a lack of supply for parts, sometimes taking 2-3 weeks to get a simple but vital
screw to make the car available for use again. Ford never recovered from this “dark
age” period. People still admire the former cars, and speak highly from Ford as 
a whole, but when it comes to buying a new car – they usually go somewhere else,
with cheaper or more reliable brands, very few brave spirits venturing in a Ford“
just because of all the new technology”. I made a bet in Ford Thailand, and I hope
I won’t regret doing so. It’s up to them to make this “partnership” work, from now
on, and I’ll do my best for it to work, as I’m assumed a “paranoid petrol head”,
wanting my vehicles to be always in tip-top condition, however dirty they might 
look from outside.

**Conclusion and Final Thoughts**

Over three months have passed since I got the car. This review explains most of 
what I feel about it, but it leaves a few questions for answering:
 – Would I buy
another Focus? – yes, definitely, but not as first choice. The car is far superior
to the similarly priced Toyota Corolla, and looks better than the current Honda 
Civic, but shares with them both the lack of “spirit” – what I wanted when buying
an European developed car. – Would I buy another Ford? – Yes, but not in Thailand.
The brand is still “green” here, and making no real effort to improve its image.–
Would I recommend someone to choose Ford or the Focus? – unfortunately, no. Not 
in Thailand anyhow. Perhaps not even in Europe, and by all I read, definitely not
in Brazil. I made a bet that I feel I’m loosing, and only time will tell.

This is a very lengthy review, and I’ll try to illustrate a few more points in the
coming days, but I would love feedback on the points anyone feels I’m missing something.
There will be a Portuguese version as well, as soon as I can make some time to re-
write.

Thanks for reading,
 Leonel Viotti