FOCUSED ELECTRIFICATION (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Ford has given its improved Focus family hatch a useful dose of electrification in EcoBoost mHEV Hybrid form. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 74

The family hatchback market segment is offering an increasing wide range of electrified models, but there's usually quite a price to pay for the battery tech. Ford offers what it thinks is a more sensible approach with this Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost Hybrid model, recently updated and most affordably offered in this 125PS mHEV form. The brand's mild hybrid tech gives you some of the benefits of electrification without the priciest parts of this technology.

Backgroundword count: 104

When it comes to family hatchbacks, electrification is really getting into gear, with full-Hybrid, Plug-in and full-electric options all available to the eco-conscious buyer prepared to pay the price for the technology on offer. But not everyone can stretch to cars like these. Ford says it can offer a more sensible solution and this is it, the Focus EcoBoost Hybrid, most affordably offered in 125PS form. This model adds mild hybrid tech to the company's usual 1.0-litre EcoBoost three cylinder petrol engine to create a small but significant improvement in efficiency. And, at the same time, a perkier feel through the gears. Sounds promising.

Driving Experienceword count: 382

Hybrid engines aren't new in this class; Toyota has been offering one in the family hatch segment since 2010. But they add what for many buyers is an unacceptably large price premium to cars of this kind - the cheapest, most basic Corolla Hybrid does, after all, cost around £25,000. What if a slightly more affordable approach into hybrid tech could be delivered that would be lighter, cheaper and more driver-orientated? Ford says that its 'mHEV' mild hybrid tech does just that. True, it's nothing like as efficient as a full-Hybrid (like the Corolla), or indeed a plug-in Hybrid or a full-electric model - you'll find all three technologies represented right across this segment: make sure you know what you're buying. But in compensation, 'mHEV' tech boosts driver feel because it's lighter and it adds a slice of extra pulling power just when you need it. Simplicity's the keynote here, so the 1.0-litre three cylinder EcoBoost petrol powerplant this car features is essentially the same one Ford's been offering since 2011, more recently enhanced with cylinder deactivation tech which cuts down on cylinder use at low-to-medium throttle speeds. In mHEV mild hybrid form though, this unit gets a lower compression ratio and a larger turbo. And it's been embellished by a beefed-up starter/generator driven by a belt at the front of the engine that stores the energy harvested when you brake or decelerate in a tiny 48-volt lithium-ion battery secreted at the back of the car. Which provides a bit of extra zip when you accelerate (Ford says up to 50Nm of extra torque) and delivers a little electric boost from low revs to 'torque-fill' while you're waiting for the turbo to spool up. Most Focus EcoBoost Hybrid buyers will probably choose the 125PS version of this mHEV engine, which gets to 62mph in 10.2s en route to 121mph - but the disadvantage there is that you have to have the brand's 7-speed Powershift auto transmission. A manual gearbox Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost model is available with a stick shift, but it lacks the latest mHEV hybrid tech. Alternatively, you could pay a lot more and get the 155PS version of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost mHEV in your Focus, which offers both transmission options but will set you back a minimum of nearly £26,000.

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