Ford is now fitting the potentially life-saving 'ESP' safety feature as standard in the latest Focus.
Ford was the first company to make airbags standard and yet again is leading the way by bringing the electronic stability control/programme to Ireland's most popular size of car. This is a first in the 'B' sector and has to be welcomed as a major step forward.
ESP is an electronically controlled driver safety aid that senses when any of the four wheels loses grip and will assist the driver in maintaining control of the car by applying braking force to individual wheels as needed to avoid the loss of directional control. It must be stressed that ESP is an aid and not a replacement for poor driving. Be under no illusion: you can still crash in a car fitted with ESP, but you will have to make a concerted effort!
Here's a simple example of ESP in operation: if you were to go around a roundabout in a car increasing the vehicle's speed as you progressed; in very little time the car would run wider and wider and you would not be able to keep it close to the roundabout no matter how hard you tried to steer. If you did the same thing in a car with ESP the vehicle would maintain a close line to the roundabout by applying the brakes to the inner wheels and retarding the car's power. The ESP-fitted car is able to go around it quicker and with greater safety. In everyday driving if you were to take a bend and there was oil or a greasy residue on the road surface ESP would potentially help avoid a skid.
Sadly you can't see ESP but if I were Ford I would have put a big sticker on the car saying it was fitted to encourage more motorists to ask for it in their cars. Remember it wasn't so long ago that people would frequently opt for a CD player instead of ABS brakes!
There are some other changes to the Focus that you can see, namely the front end that features the new Mondeo-like nose. Focus now looks a little smarter, although the next generation model will hopefully bring back the wow factor the car had when first launched. The other exterior tweaks are subtle enough. Inside the dash gets freshened up. I must say the main dial needles are a little tacky as they feature reflective chromed plastic.
Focus continues to be the best handling car in its class by some way and now that ESP is standard it is simply stunning. The fact that Ford has taken the lead will hopefully see all the competition fit ESP as standard. The question is can a sector, which is still quite price sensitive, absorb the cost of ESP? At the moment ESP as an option can cost anything from €300-€800.
Mondeo has just snuck ahead in the sales charts as Ireland's favourite car but the revised Focus with ESP should see it return to the top as it is an excellent proposition.
Well done Ford.
Michael Sheridan
