MHEV’s are sugar-light engine equivalents. They’re not sugar-free electrics, so you can indulge in some fossil-fuelled masochistic guilty pleasure, but a good MHEV can make a positive dent in your carbon wheelprint.
You can drive a MHEV and no one needs to know that you are doing your bit. You’re not seen to be ‘environmentally emasculated’ but you are helping with CO2 reduction – it’s our little secret, eh?
Not all MHEVs are equal. Ford’s system however, is a darned good one and in the dwindling market a traditional company car plays in, the Focus hatchback still flies the flag loud and proud, just doesn’t stop at fuel stations quite as often.
Ford has two MHEV Focuses: the ST-Line X – my personal preference from the same spec level in the Escape – and the Active – which everyone said I’d like.
“Little Red’ here, is the ST-Line X, which means it has leather seats, a bigger instrument cluster, 10 speakers from Bang and Olafsen, a sporty rear spoiler, seats (heated), suspension and steering wheel with paddles, 3-function drive mode selector, automated parking ability and a heads-up display. Oh, and the mirrors have puddle lamps.
More relevantly, the ST-Line X – despite sharing the engine/48-volt mild hybrid combo with the Active – gets better economy, 4.8 litres per 100km as opposed to the Active’s 5.1. Those are Ford’s figures by the way.
We got better in both so there’s a challenge for you: Beat our 4.3 in Little Red.
All up, this meant a week’s running around in the 52-litre tank in the Focus, which would normally mean at least a $15 top up to return the car with around a quarter tank.
The Boss’ fuel-card stayed firmly in my wallet and there was a respectable amount of Dino-juice left at the end. Sorry Boss, no loyalty points for that week.
NZ Company Vehicle is a fan of the Focus; we like the organic look, we like the inner space and the luggage allowance. We like the stick shifter for the automatic and, less prosaically, we like the way the car makes us feel when we drive it.
The ST-Line X lives up to what I remember so fondly in the Escape – yes, it’s largely cosmetic as opposed to being truly ST, but that’s just fine with me. ST-Line delivers the comfort level a long-distance driver will appreciate over the more aggressive nature of an ST.
What the MHEV does is allow more of that long distance driving to be done for less fuel used, but – a word of caution – not all MHEVs are equal in terms of their returns.
Ford’s Focus is a benchmark, given its stated economy can be achieved and bettered, without effort on the part of the driver. It’s a winner, and a good-looking practical hatch too.
