Say hello one of the UK’s best-selling mid-range hatchbacks, the Ford FOCUS DIESEL HATCHBACK 1.5 TDCi 120 ST-Line Navigation 5dr Manual, which was on the CarLease UK premises recently.
While perhaps a little less popular than the SUV and crossover range, the hatchback segment is still very much alive in the UK automotive segment. While some budgetary constraints push some customers into the small cars like the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 208, if you do have passengers or you are utilising the vehicle as a “family car” , the smaller city options are less desirable. This means you need to consider cars with ample room for 2-3 passengers together with a decent boot space.
To preserve many a budget, we have found customers will look at cars like the Focus shown here or the Vauxhall Astra, Hyundai i30 or Peugeot 308. These do offer a compromise between budget and practicality.
The big question with many of these cars is whether not I should go for a petrol or diesel car? The issue many of us are now facing is that political and media forces are now saying that diesels are very much an enemy to environment.
This is in complete contrast to 2001, where the Government made changes to reduce tax for cars with lower CO² levels. This helped fuel a desire for diesel vehicles in a growing company car market and create a nation obsessed with CO² and MPG.
Notwithstanding the current “anti-diesel” emphasis, CO2 and MPG is still at the heart of many customers purchasing decisions. However, customers need to be aware of three relevant issues when considering a diesel car:
1) diesels emit nitrogen oxide (“NO”);
2) diesel engines utilise a diesel particulate filter (“DPF”) which is causing issues for certain drivers;
3) scandals from manufacturers have questioned the validity of CO²/MPG statistics.
Much of your buying/leasing decision for a diesel car should be a practical one. If you are a high-mileage customer, covering 20,000 miles per annum and more, then you do need to consider that a diesel vehicle will offer better fuel consumption than a petrol alternative. As many diesel cars offer long-life service intervals, there may be a small cost saving on the running costs too. However, if you are an urban/town driver, with stop/start journeys and are covering 8,000 miles per annum or less, you really need to consider a petrol vehicle.
Low-mileage leasing customers need to do their research based on their driver habits and behaviours before deciding on their next vehicle.
In terms of the car shown, the Focus 1.5 TDCi 120 ST-Line Navigation, this is based on the following configuration:
· Special metallic – Candy red
· Cloth – Charcoal black
· 17″ alloy wheels with rock metallic finish
The St-Line is very much the sporty specification within the Focus range. With a considerable standard specification which includes a Quickclear screen, hill start assist, floor mats, navigation, 8” screen, electrically adjustable door mirrors, body coloured bumpers/handles/side skirts, body kit, LED lights, air conditioning, leather steering wheel, 17” alloys, stainless steel pedals, 60/40 split folding seats, keyless start and a Thatcham cat 1 alarm, many of the key features are included. On factory options, consider rear parking sensors, the appearance pack and cruise control for the complete vehicle.
On the technical-side, company car drivers can note the P11d at £22,560.00 and CO2 at 99g/km for calculation of BiK. The 1499CC 6 speed manual engine delivers 120ps, 74.3MPG combined and 0-62 times of 10.5 seconds. Service intervals are set at every 12 months or 12,500 miles, whichever is sooner. With the shorter service intervals, do consider weighing up a driver-maintained vs funder-maintained contract.
So would the Ford Focus be your preferred leasing option? Or would you be heading over to one of the alternatives?
Or perhaps these smaller family hatchbacks are more up your street?
Let us know your thoughts!!
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