Ford�s new Focus will join the 40-mpg club. The compact has been rated by the EPA at 28 mpg city/40 highway�when the car is ordered in sedan form with the $495 SFE (or Super Fuel Economy) package. This package is paired exclusively with the company�s not-so-hot PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmission, and outfits the Focus with aerodynamic wheel covers, low-rolling-resistance tires, a rear spoiler, and active grille shutters that can close to reduce drag�all of which help cut fuel consumption. Fuel economy ratings for other Focus trim levels and equipment combinations have not been released yet, but you can expect them to drop a few mpgs.
The Blue Oval is not the only company to offer an efficiency-oriented trim level in the interest of bragging rights. Chevrolet�s Cruze comes in a special Eco spec, which allows the company to tout the car�s 42-mpg highway rating�although that rating is specific to Cruzes with manual transmissions�while other Cruzes wind up in the mid-to-high 30-mpg range. That�s still nothing to be ashamed of, but this MPG maneuvering lends some credibility to Hyundai�s recent boasting that the Elantra is rated at 40 mpg highway regardless of transmission choice, and without tacking on any special packages.
Thanks to the efficiency-friendly aerodynamics of a longer sedan shape, the Focus SFE is able to just about tie the smaller, less-powerful Fiesta in EPA ratings. That car, in its own SFE trim, musters just 29 mpg city/40 highway, leaving the 118-hp Fiesta to compete against its 160-hp sibling on price and parking advantages alone.
At a later date, Ford will add engine stop-start functionality to the Focus, further improving economy. We�ll update you as soon as the Blue Oval spills the beans on EPA ratings for other Focus trim levels.
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