Posted by: Anthony Lim
With its arrival into the market, the Ford Focus TDCi becomes the first C-segment diesel-powered passenger car to be launched here. The five-door hatch, which was officially introduced late last week, is powered by a 2.0l Duratorq TDCi commonrail turbodiesel engine.
The pot, a PSA/Ford-derived design that is also known as the HDi on Peugeot/Citroen vehicles, is a 16 valve, twin cam unit utilising a variable geometry turbocharger with an overboost function, and offers an output of 134bhp at 4,000rpm and 320Nm of torque at 2,000rpm. Under full acceleration, the engine calibration allows the B5 Biodiesel-compatible unit to exceed its maximum nominal torque of 320Nm by 20Nm for eight seconds, peaking at 340Nm during brief overboost periods.
The block is mated to a six-speed dual clutch Powershift transmission, which made its debut locally on the Volvo S40. Performance figures for the hatch include a best-in-class fuel efficiency of 5.8l/100km in a combined urban/extra urban cycle, a 0-100kmh sprint time of 9.9secs and a top speed of 200kmh.
Not much difference in this particular C307's shape and kit list over the petrol version - standard equipment includes rear parking aid sensors, one-touch power window control, an in-dash six-CD changer with an MP3 player/six speaker audio system and a power adjustable driver seat. And, the usual array of TLA's are to be found here - ABS, EBD, TCS, ESP and EBA (Emergency Brake Assist).
A short test run with the Focus TDCi sometime ago revealed a car with definitely more than decent poke - there's plenty of appeal in the low-end, and to say the car leaves its petrol sibling looking rather breathless, especially in the midband, would be understating it. Higher up the range, things level out somewhat quickly, but within its operating scope - that of city driving and the usual quick get-gos - the TDCi is a peppy thing indeed.
It's quite refined throughout its operating range, and the pot never feels muted. Likewise the dual-clutch Powershift tranny, which feels a more cohesive offering on the whole and sparklier in nature compared to its pairing with a similar displacement petrol block in its Volvo S40 cousin.
The brief impression certainly couldn't reveal if the overall consumption's as good as claimed, so we'll have to wait for a longer stint with the car to see how frugal it actually is.
Available in two colours, Diamond White and Panther Black, the Focus 2.0L Sport TDCi is priced at RM 128,888, on the road, inclusive of insurance. Throw in an additional RM600 if you choose to have yours adorning optional blue GT stripes, though you'll undoubtedly need the white one for that.
Sime Darby AutoConnexion has brought in an initial run of 10 units of the Focus TDCi, and right now, only five are left on sale, so if you want one, be quick about it.
