Increased availability of safety features, a new diesel engine, two new body configurations as well as some revisions to styling, mean potential Ford Focus buyers will have a lot of choices to make on the shop floor in the second half of 2007.

In move that Ford are touting as a first for Focus in Australia, the base level CL model will now roll out with dual front airbags and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) as standard. It's retail price will sneak in just under the $20K mark.

All five model series in the Focus range (CL, LX, TDCi, Zetec and Ghia) now feature dual front airbags and ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) as standard equipment. Sadly, consumers will need to fork out more and move up the Focus range before they'll see side airbags and stability control as standard. It appears to be another case of a manufacturer using safety as a means of differentiating vehicles within a given product range.

In a positive move, Ford are offering a safety pack in conjunction with the CL. The safety pack includes driver and front passenger side airbags, curtain airbags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Traction Control (TC) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), and will have an introductory price of $800 until the end of September. Price for the safety pack will double from October 2007. Whether consumers decide to take up this option or not remains to be seen. Taking up the safety option would push the price past the $20K point, and this could prove to be a psychological barrier for many.


Two new body styles will also be introduced as part of the refresh actions. A new Zetec sedan with five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission will be available, as will a Ghia hatchback with a four-speed automatic.

The 2007 Focus line-up features the first passenger car offered by Ford Australia with a diesel engine. The turbo-diesel engine is rated at 100 kW and achieves peak torque output of 320 Nm at 2,000 rpm.

All in all, the new Focus line-up looks solid, my only complaint being the apparent use of safety features as a point of differentiation.

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