THE Ford Focus is the latest family car to gain a mild-hybrid powertrain. These electrified systems are regarded as essential by manufacturers as they try to meet tough EU emissions targets.
In the case of the Focus, a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup to deliver 153bhp with CO2 emissions of just 116g/km.
Ford claims that this new setup brings a 17 per cent fuel efficiency improvement over the outgoing equivalent of a 1.5-litre petrol engine linked to a six-speed manual gearbox.
The new engine is capable of delivering more than twice the power density of a 2.0-litre powertrain available for the Focus 10 years ago but with a 45 per cent efficiency boost, says Ford.
The location of the batteries under the front passenger seats has allowed the mild-hybrid model to retain the regular Focus' boot space, too.
The system works by replacing a standard engine's alternator with a belt-driven integrated starter-generator which can then be used to recover energy lost during braking or coasting. This energy is then stored in the battery pack.
From there, it can then be deployed to provide additional torque during normal driving or when accelerating, and it can be used to power functions such as the air conditioning and media functions.
Roelant de Waard of Ford of Europe said: "Our electrified powertrains are designed not just to save drivers money on fuel, but also to boost the fun-to-drive character of our vehicles."
Meanwhile, Ford has also introduced a 12.3-inch LCD instrument cluster to the Focus, which enables drivers to tailor readouts to their liking.
On hybrid models, the screen can also display information about electrical energy usage, as well as how much energy is being generated by the system.
A new Zetec trim level has also been added to the Focus range, with standard equipment such as wireless smartphone charging, front and rear parking sensors and full satellite navigation.
