|
Ford Focus series expands with a new ZX5 hatch and ZTW wagon
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
DEARBORN, Mich. -- In the fall of 1998, one of the flashy new designs causing a stir at the Paris International Auto Show was an eensy-weensy economy car from Ford.
Dubbed the Focus, this new vehicle was narrow like other subcompacts, which made it ideally suited for navigating narrow streets of such worldly cities as London, Cairo, Cape Town, Dubai, Rio, Sidney, Singapore and Bangkok, where Ford intended to market the car.
Yet it also had a relatively long wheelbase and the roof was hiked much higher than conventional subcompacts.
Ford's designers -- based in England, Germany and the United States out of Ford's headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. -- were able to counterbalance the physical limitations of small cars by raising the roof in Focus and lengthening its wheelbase to fashion an interior environment that seemed downright spacious.
Focus became a production reality for the European market in 1999 as conformed to a three-door hatchback coupe, a four-door sedan and five-door wagon.
It was an overnight sensation and went on to earn "Car of the Year" accolades from European automotive writers.
Early that year, we tested all three variations during a week on the road in Spain before Focus reached the United States. The little hatchback particularly impressed us with its tiny package size, that surprisingly spacious cockpit and aggressive driving manners.
Yet hatchbacks, we figured, had long fallen from favor with American automotive consumers, and Ford would no doubt leave the hatch behind when Focus arrived in North America the following summer as a 2000 model.
Ford surprised us again with the debut of Focus for the United States because the Focus hatchback was included in the mix of models. In fact, it appeared with racy styling as the ZX3 cast in zippy mode with dual cams on the four-pack engine to deliver some extra spark.
Focus in all flavors quickly caught the attention of American car buyers and during the next two years it became the country's best-selling subcompact label.
Ford assembles Focus at plants around the world, although all sedans and wagons for North America are produced in Wayne, Mich., while hatchbacks come out of a Ford plant in Hermosillo, Mexico.
With Focus editions for 2002, Ford expands the line dramatically by offering three sedans, two station wagons and three sporty hatchbacks with the three-door ZX3 or souped SVT and new five-door ZX5.
The five-door ZX5 capitalizes on edgy styling of ZX3 but adds two more doors for easy access to the rear seat.
Focus SVT, rigged by Ford's Special Vehicle Team, targets pricy tuned imports by installing upgrades for suspension, brakes and powertrain. Exterior modifications extend to a specific front air dam, special ground effects bodywork and big wheels with performance tires.
Three trims for Focus sedans are the LX, SE and ZTS.
The five-door station wagon segments into SE and new ZTW designations.
Regarding powertrains, choices include two versions of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder aluminum Ford engine.
The economy mode with single-cam configuration and split-port induction drops into base editions of the sedan and wagon, delivering 110 hp at 5000 rpm and torque of 125 lb-ft at 3750 rpm.
Fuel economy figures run as high as 36 mpg with a manual five-speed transmission.
The zippy mode with dual cams on top has more spark and more power -- up to 130 hp at 5300 rpm with 135 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm.
This is Ford's so-called Zetec engine and it shows up as the standard plant for the "Z" models -- ZX3 and ZX5 hatchbacks, ZTS sedan and ZTW wagon.
Also, the Zetec engine may be added optionally to a LX and SE sedan or SE wagon.
A manual five-speed gearbox serves as the standard transmission for Zetec Focus, and it comes with a stubby shift lever that's short to throw and fun to ply.
An optional four-speed electronic automatic also links to the engine and feels smooth and easy to manage.
Despite increased strength, the Zetec engine still earns thrifty fuel figures that cap at 34 mpg for the manual transmission and 32 mpg for the automatic.
We spent time recently steering the new five-door Focus issues -- ZX5 hatchback and ZTW wagon.
Both look similar up front with a sloping hoodline and bold triangular headlamps on front corners underscored by a thick bumper and thin nose grille.
Side sections also mirror one another as far back as the second door with rolled flanks, flared wheelwell arches and blacked-out roof pillars.
Beyond the second door, structures vary. ZX5 has its tail door canted forward in hatchback style while ZTW shows the boxy rear section of a station wagon with its back door almost squared against a linear platform.
Inside, layouts are the same with twin bucket seats up front followed by a bench for three in back with seatback split 60/40 and foldable to expand the cargo bay.
Due to the squared roof design for the wagon, it carves out more storage space -- 37.5 cubic feet versus 18.6 for the hatch with rear seatback raised. With seatback folded flat, the wagon's bay gains 18.3 cubic feet more.
Both five-door Focus models come with a long list of standard features, from air conditioning and dashboard trim resembling dark brushed aluminum to remote entry fobs and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, plus foglamps in front bumpers and six-spoke aluminum wheels crowned by 16-inch P20550R16 tires.
Several trim variances occur between the two. The ZX5 carries a premium stereo sound kit with four speakers and an in-dash CD changer that holds six discs, while the ZTW shows a single-disc CD player in the dash. The wagon stocks low-back bucket seats in front clad in leather with lumbar support on the driver's side, while the hatch has sport buckets with firmer bolsters and cloth fabric covers.
Also, the automatic transmission is standard on the wagon, but the manual drops into the hatch.
A power moonroof is optional for both, along with anti-lock brakes and a traction controller.
ZTX prices out at $15,615 and ZTW comes to $17,705.
|
| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2002 FORD FOCUS ZTW Specs |
| Description: |
Subcompact economy car, 3-door hatchback coupe, 5-door hatchback sedan, 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon
|
| Model Options: |
Subcompact economy car, 3-door hatchback coupe, 5-door hatchback sedan, 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon
|
| Wheelbase: |
103.0 inches
|
| Overall Length: |
Hatch: 168.1 inches
Sedan: 174.9 inches
Wagon: 178.2 inches
|
| Engine Size: |
SOHC 2.0-L I4
DOHC 2.0-L I4
|
| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4
|
| Drive: |
Front
|
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/
opt. ABS/TCS
|
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + opt. 2 (side)
|
| Gas Mileage: |
SOHC M/5: 28/36 mpg
SOHC A/4: 26/33 mpg
DOHC M/5: 25/34 mpg
DOHC A/4: 26/32 mpg
|
| Price: |
$ 13,000 to $ 21,000 |
|
|
