Sold in sedan and hatchback body styles, the 2012 Focus comes with a 160-hp, direct-injection four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. It will catch the eyes of those looking for a new compact car.

Mark Maynard

11-05-03

Ford has done such a complete remake of its 2012 Focus small car that it is now a "want" and not so much a "have to."

Until this year, none of the American car brands put much effort into making well-made small cars. Profits on them were low, and this country just didn't roll that way. Big was better.

Ford still has big — Explorer, Flex, Expedition — but it now has a competent lineup of passenger cars: Fiesta, Fusion, Taurus and, now, Focus.

Sold in sedan and hatchback body styles, all models come with a 160-hp, direct-injection four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. There are four trim levels — S, SE, SEL and Titanium — and pricing starts at $16,995 for the entry-level sedan with a five-speed manual. Base equipment includes remote locking, power windows and locks, four-speaker audio system, air conditioning with air filter, height-adjustable driver's seat and tilt-telescopic steering wheel, six air bags, and electronic stability and traction controls.

The six-speed automatic is so slick — and it gets better fuel economy than the manual — that most retail sales will be for the SE and SEL ($17,995 and $20,995), which includes the automatic. (The transmission adds $1,095.) These models come with the much talked about Sync system — voice-activated phone, cabin and audio features - and access to more option packages.

The Titanium sedan test car was a believable $24,385 with the moonroof ($795) and the handling package ($595), which added good-looking 18-inch alloy wheels, sport suspension and a full-sized spare tire.

The hatchback starts at the SE level for $18,790; the SEL five-door, $21,790, includes the automatic. The loaded Titanium is $23,490.

The much-advertised 40 mpg highway fuel economy rating is for the SE sedan with SFE package — super fuel economy — for $19,585. It adds 16-inch steel wheels with aero wheel covers, active grille shutters, high-efficiency tires, four-wheel disc brakes, rear spoiler and a special SFE badge.

The S model comes with front discs and rear drum brakes with 4-sensor, 4-channel ABS and electronic stability control. Uplevel models have four-wheel discs.

I'm partial to the hatchback styling, but the Kona Blue Metallic test car turned heads and provoked positive comments from colleagues and passersby. The sedan has trunk space of 13.2 cubic feet, though the Titanium's subwoofer tucked along the ride side cuts into some space. The hatchback has 23.8 cubic feet behind the second row and 44.8 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The test car was enjoyable to drive with good steering feedback, smooth road manners and good sightlines for the driver. The sport suspension is firm, but not so rough that you wouldn't want to make long daily commutes. The gasoline direct-injection 2.0-liter engine has good pull around town, and there's freeway merging power after a double downshift from the six-speed.

There are a lot of good new compacts this year, including the Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and the upcoming re-engineered Honda Civic. Compared to the new Elantra or Cruze, the Focus is sportier looking and sportier to drive, but those competitors have their own finesse, too.

Focus will be an easy sell. Prices are higher than the 2011 model, but there is no comparison to quality of assembly or the materials that go into the 2012.

Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at Mark.Maynard@uniontrib.com.

COPYRIGHT 2011 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE.