Of more importance for most folks, all the Focus models ride extremely well with a feeling that it's a bigger car than it really is. Again, the automatic option is only for those who physically or legally can't drive a manual. This left the Zetec as the hero model, and with 96 kW and even more torque, it was the quickest Focus but hardly what you'd call fast up against some of its rivals. Even then it was hardly a performance car. The Ghia moved you up to a 2.0-litre engine with the same 85 kW peak power but more torque spread further across the rev range.
#2004 ford focus manual#
As with many European cars, it's a much better proposition in five-speed manual form than with the optional four-speed automatic. Standard engine on the CL and LX was a 1.8-litre DOHC four-cylinder, which looked OK on paper but was a bit of a yawn to drive. The Ghia had cruise control, a six-stacker CD player, a much better level of trim and even side airbags.
#2004 ford focus windows#
The LX added those items and brake-force distribution as well as air-conditioning, alloy wheels and power windows in the front. There was also a driver's airbag and seatbelt pretensioners, but it missed out on standard anti-lock brakes and the second airbag. The entry-level CL wasn't overloaded with standard gear, but had remote central locking, fog lights (its European heritage was showing) and a CD player. And for those looking for something a little more sporty, there was the Zetec model. The sedan was a slow seller and most people saw the versatility of the hatchback as a bonus and bought it.įour trim levels were available: the base-model CL, the mid-range LX and the upmarket Ghia. Given that Ford's reason for the sedan was to lure older, more conservative buyers, this seemed odd. So while the hatches looked fresh and different, the sedan was an ungainly looker with odd proportions. One element of conservatism that Ford Australia couldn't shake off was its insistence that the Focus be available in both hatchback (three and five-door) and four-door sedan formats. The sharply pointed headlights and strong, angular themes gave the car a modern appearance and the high tail-lights on the hatchback versions were a masterstroke. It used Ford's then "Edge" design, which was the downfall of the AU Falcon but somehow looked right on the smaller, cheekier Focus. It was European looking and while not a new design on the Continent, it was novel here. So it was dropped, and the Focus became Ford Australia's small-car hope.īuilt in Europe, the Focus was immediately a new and different flavour for local car buyers.
Rear-wheel-drive was out and front-drive was in, and clever hatchback packaging was, thanks to the Laser, about to become the segment standard.īut by 2002, it was clear that the rest of the world had caught up and the Laser wasn't remotely special in the eyes of consumers. The original Laser of the early 1980s was a huge hit. There was a time when Ford virtually owned the small-car market in Australia.
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