| Front and side impact rating |
 |
|
|
|
 |
Pedestrian test rating |
 |
|
|
|
Test Scores: Front 11(69%) Side 15(83%) Overall 25(74%) Pedestrian 10(28%)
|
|
|
|
The
Focus delivers all-round crash protection. But, despite
its four-star rating, further improvements are possible.
In particular, the driver’s left foot and lower leg
needed better protection in the frontal impact. The Focus
was tested without side airbags because they are optional
extras but it still protected its driver reasonably in the
side impact. The child restraints performed well although
the three-year-old’s head was not sufficiently contained
during the side impact. And, in common with other cars
here, pedestrian protection was inadequate. |
Impact
Protection
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
| Driver
Front Impact |
Passenger
Front Impact |
Driver
Side Impact |
|
Frontal
Impact
|
|
|
| The
passenger cabin remained stable during impact. The
driver’s knees and legs were protected by energy
absorbing foam fitted inside the column but there were
stiff structures in this area. The front airbags worked
well. Readings taken for injury risks to the passenger’s
chest were higher than those for the driver so these were
used when computing the star rating. The driver’s door
was hardly damaged by the impact and opened easily
afterwards. |
Side
Impact
|
|
|
| The
driver was well protected for the most part but his
abdomen was exposed to injury risk because it struck a
door-mounted arm-rest. Nonetheless, the car’s
performance was reasonable for a model without side
airbags. |
Child
Restraint
|
|
|
| A
passenger airbag is standard, presenting a real danger of
death to any child placed in a rear-facing restraint on
the front seat. Only a pictogram fixed to the end of the
facia warns against this, which Euro NCAP considers
inadequate. Ford says much clearer warnings will be
attached to cars from February 23. What’s more, fitting
instructions were not visible if installing a restraint
from the left-hand-side of the vehicle. Ford says that an
additional label will be fixed to seats manufactured from
the beginning of January. In the frontal impact, the child
restraints protected the 18-month and the three-year-old.
But the three-year-old’s head was not contained within
the restraint during the side impact. |
Pedestrian
Protection
|
|
|
| The
car’s front end was very stiff, particularly around the
bumper, and the bonnet gave too little protection where a
child’s head would most likely strike. |
Model
history and safety equipment
|
|
|
| The
Ford Focus was launched in September 1998. The 1999
model-year car tested has improved airbag venting, knee
protection and brake pedal crash retraction (see above for
VINs of cars affected). It also features twin front
airbags, front belt pre-tensioners and load limiters and
power steering as standard on all models sold in the EU. |
| Make,
model and hand of drive |
ford
Focus 1.6 LHD |
| Body
type |
5-door
hatchback |
| Model
year |
1999 |
| Kerb
weight |
1080
kg |
| VIN
and date when rating applies |
GCXC79000
/ WPXC07000 |
|
