Ford C-Max H2 ICE

Ford C-Max H2 ICE

On sale in the UK:	Never
Engine:	2261cc 4-cyl, 110bhp @ 5500rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance:	12.0sec 0-60mph, 100mph (est), 0g/km
How heavy / made of?	1700kg (est)/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	433/1820/1595

Mini MPV

Another hydrogen-powered Focus – what’s the difference between this and the FCV?

The H2 ICE stands for hydrogen internal combustion engine. It has the kind of engine you’d recognize - Ford’s global 2.3-litre four-pot, as used in the Mazda 6, among others - but modified to burn hydrogen. Fuel-cell vehicles like the Focus FCV also use hydrogen, but they use it to create electricity in a chemical reaction, which in turn powers an electric motor. It’s a far more efficient use of hydrogen, but fuel cells are delicate, expensive and we still haven’t found a way to mass-produce them. Hydrogen internal combustion engines like this C-Max's are closer to production reality and might help to encourage the hydrogen infrastructure we need to replace petrol stations.

Is it really as clean as a fuel cell?

Pretty much; there’s virtually no CO2 produced. The big problem is storage; the hydrogen has to be carried at high pressure to fit enough of it in for the car to have a decent range. High pressure means big tanks, which means weight, and even with three tanks the C-Max only carries enough H2 to travel around 125 miles, around a third the range of a conventional model. Hydrogen burns more efficiently than petrol in an internal combustion engine however; 2.75 litres of hydrogen has the energy equivalent to 10 litres of petrol, which would propel a standard car only around 80 miles.

What’s it like to drive?

Don’t get too excited when we say the engine has a supercharger and two intercoolers. Although the hydrogen engine makes more efficient use of its fuel’s energy than a petrol, hydrogen carries less energy in the first place, so it’s less powerful; just 110bhp to the Mazda 6’s 163bhp with the same engine. We drove an early prototype; throttle response was slow and the engine note and general refinement were much rougher than a standard petrol; we noticed the same effect even in BMW’s 6.0-litre V12 Hydrogen 7-series.

But you can drive the C-Max and fill it like a normal car?

Right. And work on improving the tanks is progressing rapidly. Holding the hydrogen at much higher pressures will give a much longer range for the same physical tank size, with carbonfibre providing the required strength at an acceptable weight. And you might get a ride in one of these sooner than you think; Ford is using this technology on V10-engined buses in America; fleets able to store their own hydrogen can get around the supply problem.

Verdict

Sure, it’s another green concept car that can’t yet be built at an affordable cost, or made practical for everyday use. But this one is closer than most, and crucially it’s a ‘bridging’ technology that will help us get from our current dependence on fossil fuels to the hydrogen economy that some believe is our future.

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Ford Focus FFV

Ford Focus FFV

On sale in the UK:	Now
Engine:	1798cc, 4cyl, 125bhp @ 6000rpm, 122lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission:	Five-speed manual, front wheel drive
Performance:	0-62mph in 10.3sec, 123mph, 40.4mpg, 169g/km CO2
How heavy / made of?	1333kg / steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4342/1840/1497

Aren’t alternative fuel vehicles meant to look like escapees from Buck Rogers?

They used to, but Ford has the right idea. The only difference between this and a conventional Focus is a tiny ‘FFV’ badge on its rump. That's if you strip away the OTT stickers from this promomtional test car, that is; ours wasn't for shrinking violets. It runs on E85 Bio-ethanol derived from sugar and wheat crops which produces less CO2 and makes the FFV more efficient than the 1.8-litre petrol varient on which the FFV is based.

So what’s new?

Very little. The technology to convert a 1.8-litre Focus into a car capable of running on bioethanol is actually quite simple. Ethanol burns hotter and is more corrosive than petrol, so the valve seats are replaced along with ancillory hoses to cope. Finally the engine management computer is reprogrammed to avoid an electronic meltdown when the new fuel (and higher engine temperatures) take effect.

Tell me future boy, what’s it like to drive?

Dissapointingly, it feels exactly like any other Focus. No flashing lights, whirring noises or black smoke belching from the exhaust. It’s quiet, refined, quick to rev – exactly what you’d expect from a Focus. The FFV cracks 62mph in 10.3sec (matching the petrol version) and returns a reasonable 40mpg – up only 0.6mpg over the standard car. Unlike the Lotus Exige Bio-Ethanol, the Focus can be filled up with any combination of conventional petrol or ethanol making it far more usable.

Anything else?

Ford hopes to sell around 200 Focus FFVs annually around Somerset where the wheat is refined into ethanol; if the fuel takes off in the UK, clearly that figure could blossom. In other markets around the world, Ford is selling vast numbers of FFV models. But in the UK today, the cost of ethanol is roughly the same as petrol which, along with limited supply of fuel, harms its appeal to the mainstream market. In Sweden however, where ethanol costs 40 percent less than petrol, the FFV accounts for 80 percent of all Focii sold.

Verdict

This is the future of alternative fuel cars. By making them blend in, they become far more acceptable to buyers – no one wants to drive a car that looks like a Flymo. If the infrastructure in place in Sweden (where ethanol sits alongside conventional petrol and diesel at the pumps) can be replicated here, then Bio-Ethanol becomes a realistic alternative. As ever, we're waiting for the Government to create the fiscal conditions to encourage proper take-up of this emerging technology.

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Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi Titanium

Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi Titanium

How much?	£18,345
On sale in the UK:	Now
Engine:	1997cc 4-cyl 16v turbo diesel, 134bhp @ 4000rpm, 251lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance:	9.3sec 0-62mph, 126mph, 50.4mpg, 148g/km
How heavy / made of?	1421kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4342/1840/1497

A facelifted Ford Focus diesel? Is it still fun?

In a word, yes. Britain’s bestseller has been under Martin Smith’s scalpel to bring it in line with his ‘kinetic design’. Gone is the slightly mundane look of the current car to be replaced by rakish headlights, little and large opposing trapezoid intakes, and botox-injected sides. This is where the money has been spent.

Dynamically it’s untouched, but it's interior has been given a visual polish, and particular attention has been paid to boosting refinement levels and reducing noise levels.

All Focuses now get ESP, and we tested the (pricey) £18,345 Titanium spec model. Your money's better spent on the Zetec trim - you’ll save around £800, end up with all the kit you need, and be spared the privacy glass that made the rear of our car quite depressing.

So is it even better to drive than before?

Yes and no. Yes, because the Focus can now gobble miles with even more ease, and no because we’re still reminiscing about the wonderful steering on the Mk1 Focus. The current car lacks the wonderful tactility of that car, or of the current Mondeo. Relatively speaking though, it’s still very good - it's light when manoeuvring around town and there's no slack when you hustle it along. By comparison, the Golf is overly light and the Megane plain stodgy.

And not only is the steering better than any other car in its class, but the Focus still out handles its rivals, too. It has typical Ford damping: firm, but not overly stiff and definitely expensive. Even on our test car’s 17-inch wheels the ride never fidgeted. Few cars below £18k are as dynamically competent as the Focus - impressive for a range that actually starts from £11,695.

So what about the mile munching then?

It’s nigh on perfect. The Focus offers more front and rear room than a Mondeo from a generation ago. The cabin is quiet, refined, and crossing five countries and covering 600 miles in one day was, well, all in a day’s work for the Ford. Cruise control should be standard though, especially on a car wearing an £18k pricetag.

The seats are supportive, though perhaps too tight around the kidneys, but caused no aches and pains, and the only stops on the journey were to refuel the driver, not the car. Motorway miles for reps will be a breeze, and you know that once you turn off onto a B-road, it’ll get even better.

What’s the diesel powerplant like?

It’s not class best in refinement, economy or emissions, but it’s still a good engine. The 2.0 TDCi common rail unit delivers 134bhp, 251lb ft, 50.4mpg and 148g/km.

The engine and gearbox are well matched, so you need never drop below fifth on a motorway, even for steep hills, and sixth still allows for good economy and some overtaking pull.

On our fast continent-crossing journey it managed 40.5mpg, which means over 600 miles on one tank, which means the new standard-fit Easyfuel capless system will be rarely used.

And the interior?

This is where Ford made the biggest leap with the switch from Mk1 to Mk2 and started to give Volkswagen a few worries. But even with the latest soft-touch plastics and silver highlights the Focus’ cabin is starting to feel its age - a Peugeot 308 is more airy, spacious and has higher quality materials inside.

There are hard surfaces around your knees, and the Sony-branded stereo looks out of place. The keyless-go is a mere gimmick, leaving you with an unsightly blanking plate where the key hole used to be.

Is the cabin that bad?

Don't get us wrong - the cabin is a fine place to be. The dark leather with white stitching and the silvered highlights make it feel pretty special. It's not as classy or elegant as a Golf, but then every time you turn the wheel you know you're driving a better car, and one with the dynamics to make you forget about the foibles.

Our (left-hand drive) car also had a two-point plug so you can have your iPod and sat-nav plugged in at the same time, but the iPod aux port is in the glovebox, which you can’t close without crushing the cable if your MP3 player is plugged in. Another sign that the Focus is showing its age...

Verdict

It's rather telling that two CAR staffers own Mk1 Focuses. Why haven’t they switched to Mk2 cars? Because the Mk1 Focus still does an unimpeachable job.

The Mk2 Focus improved on the Mk1 car in every area bar the steering, and the facelifted car has tweaked and improved the refinement and quality of the car. It’s still the best hatch on the market until the next-gen Golf and Megane arrive next year, and as a practical everyday car still has what it takes to hold its own against the huge number of niche products available for the same money.

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Ford Mustang Bullitt

Ford Mustang Bullitt

How much?	£31,075
On sale in the UK:	now
Engine:	4600cc 24v V8, 315bhp@6000rpm, 325lb ft@4250rpm
Transmission:	Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Performance:	5.2sec 0-60mph, 151mph
How heavy / made of?	1607kg/ steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4770/ 1880/ 1410

Mr Bullitt, we’ve been expecting you

It was inevitable. You can’t build a retro version of America’s favourite sporty car and then ignore the fortieth anniversary of its starring appearance in arguably the greatest car chase film of all time, could you? Well Ford’s Mutsang team couldn’t, and we don’t blame them. The result is this limited production Bullitt Mustang, a mildly reworked GT model complete with Highland green paint, albeit a slightly darker shade than the stuff covering Steve McQueen’s ’68 390 GT. This isn’t the first time Ford has cashed in on the Mustang’s McQueen connection: in 2001 Ford did a similar job on the previous shape Mustang, eventually shifting over 5000 copies. And of course it worked some CGI magic to put him behind the wheel of the Puma in TV adverts.

So green paint aside, what do you get?

It’s more about what you don’t get. Like the film car, this one is fairly stripped of ornamentation. There’s no galloping pony in the grille, no graphics down the side and just a Bullitt logo on the rear panel-mounted fake gas cap and a set of 18in Torq Thrust rip-off rims to give the game away. The result is a tastefully understated car, possibly too understated for some and it sits far too high, particularly at the rear. Inside, while flat vinyl perches were enough for Frank Bullitt, modern buyers get sportier seats from the supercharged Shelby GT500, a leather-wrapped wheel, aluminium shift knob and a special engine-turned dash panel. The retro dash looks okay but the centre console is disappointingly bland and the cabin plastics are a couple of generations behind everything else in the world. You just know that if the Mustang was in Honda or Nissan’s back catalogue rather than Ford’s, they’d do the job so much better. Incidentally, if green isn’t for you, you can order your Bullitt in black, the only other hue available. But wouldn’t that be missing the point?

What’s up front? The paint might be green but big-block V8s aren’t in tune with these eco times...

Bullitt runs the same 4.6-litre V8 as the GT model its based on but a heavier crank damper has allowed Ford to raise the rev limit 250rpm to 6500rpm and there’s an aftermarket-style cone-type air filter that constantly draws cold air, so boosting power from 300bhp to 315bhp. That’s backed up by a stout 325lb ft of torque. These figures were recorded on regular fuel too. Engineers reckon that premium juice fattens the torque curve considerably, although peak power remains unchanged. While we’re on the subject, a cursory glance at some old figures suggests that the original 390GT was actually packing 10bhp more than this new Bullitt but in fact its 325bhp was calculated, as all sixties muscle cars were, using a totally different – and wildly optimistic system. It was probably nearer 250 ponies in truth. Equally optimistic - allegedly - is the engine noise you hear on the film’s soundtrack. Some stories have it that the producers dubbed in a racer’s engine sound; others that it was a 390’s burble, just beefed up. Whatever the truth, Ford execs on the new Bullitt programme say they spent ages listening to that noise and trying to replicate it. The silencing effects of catalytic converters, noise laws and common sense means it’s actually pretty muted though.

But will it keep up with a ’68 Charger?

Unlike the original, yes. Because although the performance of McQueen’s old 390GT (0-60mph in around 7sec depending on transmission and diff ratio) was pretty epic by the standards of the British cars of the sixties, it was nothing startling compared to some of the proper muscle cars of the time. Including RT versions of the contemporary Charger with the 440-inch or 426-inch V8s. But this car will hit 60mph in close to 5sec, around 0.3sec faster than the standard GT. That’s partly down to the power boost but has a lot to do with the shorter 3.73:1 rear axle ratio. This isn’t some undergeared freeway nightmare though – it cruises happily at 90mph, radar detector willing, and doesn’t run out of puff until 151mph has registered on the retro speedo dial. Except that it only reads to 140mph. The uprated pads offer decent brake feel and manage to stave off fade on all those rollercoaster San Francisco hills and the gearchange of the five-speed manual gearchange – the only one available - surprises with its slickness. In fact it’s easier to drive the Bullitt smoothly in traffic than it is a modern BMW.

But how does it manage that serious left hander from Taylor on to Filbert?

Surprisingly well. That prehistoric live rear axle means it can thump and skip on mid-corner bumps that wouldn’t faze a modern independently sprung coupe but it steers fairly tidily, unlike the ’68 original, the body control is pretty decent and there’s enough poke to crank the rear round by just a degree or two or the full half turn depending on how lairy you’re feeling. The BF Goodrich boots aren’t the grippiest, but so what? Defining a primitive V8 rear driver by the number of Gs it can pull is plain wrong. Clearly it’s no M3 then, but it’s not a sham either. Accept that the driving experience is going to be a retro encounter and you can have a lot of fun without feeling you’re driving a classic car.

So what’s the cost for this blue-collar supercar?

Depends where you live. If you’re in the US then the $31,075 sticker (slightly more than a top spec GT) makes it look pretty great value - and incredible value to Brits, for whom that translates as just £15k. But by the time you’ve shipped it to the UK and paid your duties, you’re looking at nearer £25k, although at that price it’s still significantly cheaper than a Nissan 350Z. If you can’t be bothered with the hassle of bringing a car in yourself, various grey importers will do it for you, but expect to pay nearer £30,000. And that’s if they can get hold of one. Just 7700 will be made and Ford expects them to be snapped up quickly.

Verdict

This isn’t a landmark in the history of Mustang but it’s probably the best of the current generation of cars. It’s still crude by European standards, but think of it as a bargain 350Z that’s quicker, sounds better, is full of charm and has a proper boot and room for four and it starts to make a lot of sense. Even with a thirst for fuel that means you’d be amazed to see 25mpg, this is a car that wouldn’t be out of place in Europe. So what about it Ford?

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