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Saturday, February 19, 2011
Ford “refreshed” the Focus for the 2008 model year, giving it a new coupe body style and an interior upgrade. The automaker also dropped the 3-door hatch and 5-door wagon variants, leaving only coupes and 4-door sedans in the stable. Under the hood, Ford basically left it alone.
In response to some bad press about the revised facade, more changes were made for the 2009 model year. Once again the Focus has been “refreshed,” with modifications that are mostly cosmetic. The coupe has been given sleeker-looking front and rear fascias, and designers removed the faux fender vents that had no real purpose anyway. More noticeable changes have been made to the SES, including dark-painted wheels, a tuned exhaust (which increases horsepower) and a tweaked automatic transmission that improves acceleration. The rest of the Focus is pretty much the same.
For 2009 the Focus coupe is offered in SE and SES trims, with the SES being the sportier of the two. The SES includes a tuned exhaust, performance suspension, 17-inch 15-spoke Euro Flange aluminum alloy wheels, P215/45R-17 tires, a high-mount rear spoiler, interior treatments, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio/cruise controls, a performance gauge cluster and Sync, Ford’s voice-activated infotainment system — a feature not found on the SE ’s standard-equipment list. The SE starts at $16,180, while the SES party kicks off at $17,570.
On paper, the 2009 Ford Focus is attractive. Its fuel economy is better than average at 35 mpg, the cost of upkeep is pretty low, and it’s competitively priced when compared with its rivals. Plus, the Focus is available with the Sync infotainment system, which has truly struck a chord with the connected youth crowd which is Ford’s intended target for the Focus. Everything a person could want. But does it deliver a truly engaging driving experience?
