Transcript: Car Comment - Ford Focus TDCi
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Next Car's Stephen Walker with the Ford Focus TDCi.
Hear
"Car Comment" by
Next Car's Stephen Walker during the
"Road Ramblings" radio programme
in Mount Isa, Gympie, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Taree, Wingham, Tamworth, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga. Current
broadcast times are shown here.
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Car Comment
Broadcast date: 26th June, 2010
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Locally, diesel-powered passenger cars claim just a
small percentage of the total sales. But sales are gaining as numerous manufacturers increase their
diesel offerings.
By comparison, car buyers in the UK, for example, have diesels taking well over forty per cent
of the market. With our cheaper petrol, we may never reach those UK figures.
One of the newer diesels on the market here in Australia is the Ford Focus hatch.
Next Car has driven the Focus TDCi over 2,700 kilometres from Sydney to Melbourne via the
Hume Highway and back again to Sydney via the Princes Highway.
Our average fuel consumption was just 5.9 litres per 100 kilometres. This amazingly low
consumption was achieved with no particular thought of achieving a low figure.
Yet the comfort was more than satisfying and the performance is quite good for this roomy small
car.
There is just no good reason to doubt the performance qualities of European diesel-engined
cars!
And the handling and control was very good.
The Focus TDCi has a full compliment of six airbags, together with Dynamic Stability Control.
Transmission choices are between a six-speed manual and a six-speed auto, which features a
sequential manual override. And it was the six-speed auto which we experienced.
Although I felt the interior lighting was poor for the back seat passengers, the Ford Focus TDCi
hatch was an impressive car. It has a good sized boot, soft bolsters on the front seats for comfort
and a very pleasing driving manner.
***** END *****
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