2008 Ford Focus XR5 Turbo

A lot of so called sports cars these days comprise of little more than a badge, a spoiler kit and a set of alloy wheels - an anodyne, half baked attempt at attracting the brain dead if you ask me. But if instead you’re the type whose right foot gets a little itchy at the mere idea of pounding down a twisty country road in a no holds barred bona fide hot hatch, then perhaps you’d better take a look at this.

The face-lifted LV Focus XR5 Turbo, unlike its LT series South African siblings, is a completely German designed and manufactured five-door, five-seater boasting not only the sporty good looks deserved of wearing the XR badge, but a tremendous and dynamic engine and handling package sure to delight the driver in all of us.

The 2.5-litre, in-line five-cylinder, turbocharged engine is the embodiment of all that’s right in forced induction. Strong, linear boost and flat, early torque delivery make the 166kW, 320Nm, at 6000rpm and 1600rpm respectively, offering a lithesome, overtly usable affair that has an uncanny habit of putting on more pace than you’d at first give heed to. Whilst the sub-seven second 0-to-100km/h time may at first seem a little off pace, it’s worth remembering this is but a small part of the overall equation and the car should not be penalised in the eye of a potential buyer for this fact alone. This engine shines for other, better reasons.

The ESP (or Dynamic Stability Control in Ford speak) calibration compliments the car perfectly, and isn’t as overly obtrusive as some systems tend to be. Traction too isn’t overtly sustained but still provides enough grab without being too sensitive on take-off. Adding to the usual raft of three letter acronyms (ABS, EBA, EBD, ESP & TCS), there’s also dual front, side and curtain airbags to keep you safe which have contributed in earning Focus a Four Star ANCAP rating.

I’d very much like to have seen cruise control fitted, or at least made optional. Given it’s available in the Mondeo XR5 Turbo and Volvo C30 (which both share this engine) I cannot see why it isn’t included here. The instrumentation back lighting is also a nuisance on the open road as the central multi-function display on the cluster has a red hue which does not dim with the gauges, making for an unpleasant and distracting glow in your peripheral vision. That said though, I still love this car.

© Source: caradvice
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