Here is a bit which I posted in February in relation to the Focus C-max. This refers to a roadtest of the new Mazda 323 which is the same floorpan etc. To have a report of the C-max being hard to handle in that it is very finely tuned (ie to the limit of the +ACI-normal+ACI- driver PLUS to have another write-up which criticises the handling of the Mazda would seem to me that the design of the +ACI-floorpan+ACI- may not be quite right at the moment... In case anyone is interested in reading the article, I repeat the bit I posted previously here:-
Repeated portion: Now this doubt about the handling. I have just got the Telegraph Motoring email and there is a feature on the new Mazda 3 which is based (with the Volvo S40 etc) on the +ACI-new+ACI- Focus floorpan. The report is at
formatting link
(I did start to quote from it but of course it is covered by copyright but it mentions being let down by skittish handling, attempts to breakaway when cornering only being saved by brutish efforts of the electronic stability package to stop the slide and descriptions of the handling as both
+ACI-tricky+ACI- and +ACI-excitable+ACI-).
Looks like Ford may be following Mercedes A class into a real Moose/Mess?????????????????
At least it says that on country roads the +ACI-old+ACI- Focus will eat the new car alive - methinks this doesn't bode well for the new Focus
End of repeated portion Justin Case ps There were +ACI-spy+ACI- pictures of the new Focus undergoing trials on the Channel 4 motoring section
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+AD4- +AD4- I've been searching on the web for information and pictures rergarding the
+AD4- +AD4- next generation Focus which I believe will be on sale in the UK later this
+AD4- +AD4- year, but without much luck. I think Ford probably still have it tightly
+AD4- +AD4- under wraps.
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+AD4- +AD4- Does anyone have any links to any information on the new Focus?
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+AD4- I understand the European Focus will be similar to the Mazda3, which is now
+AD4- on sale in some markets and has been written up in many places.
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+AD4- The North American 2005 Focus is closer to the old one (apparently Ford
+AD4- decided that the Mazda3 was too heavy for use here). You can see info on it
+AD4- on the Ford Canada website (but not, surprising, Ford U.S.A.)
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