With the driving trend moving firmly towards zero-emissions, Ford is on a mission to electrify all of its European cars by the end of 2021. And hot on the heels of the mild-hybrid Kuga, Puma and Fiesta models comes the 2020 Ford Focus.
The Focus is a stalwart of the Ford family car range, and was the third best-selling car of 2019 in the UK. It therefore makes the perfect candidate for Ford’s mild-hybrid technology, with Ford claiming the new model ‘is the ultimate evolution of the Focus species’. Let’s see what it has to offer…
Mild hybrid (mHEV) vehicles pair a traditional petrol or diesel engine with an electric motor and small battery. Unlike traditional hybrid cars, the electric motor does not power the car, it simply assists it. There’s no plugging in required – the battery is charged by recovering energy that would otherwise be wasted, such as braking.
The new Focus comes with a pair of new 48-volt mild-hybrid engines – 123bhp and 153bhp (which you’ll also find in the Fiesta and Puma). The hybrid powertrain combines the award-winning 1.0-litre Ford EcoBoost petrol engine with an electric motor in support, plus a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.
The separate 48V Li-ion battery is automatically charged with regenerative braking by harvesting energy that would normally be lost while decelerating – meaning you don’t need to plug it in in order to charge it. What’s more, the new 153bhp engine is 17% more fuel efficient than the traditional Focus engine – making it not only cleaner for the environment, but also kinder on your running costs too.
Besides the new engine, Ford has given the Focus a new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and FordPass Connect modem, which receives and relays information about hazards on your journey. Ford has also introduced a new entry-level Zetec Edition trim for the 2020 Focus, with standard wireless smartphone charging, front and rear parking sensors and Sync 3 infotainment with sat-nav.
If the new Focus has caught your eye, contact your local Johnsons Ford to find out more and register your interest, so that you can be one of the first to get behind the wheel when it arrives!