Exactly what is it that makes a hot hatch or sports car so much fun to drive? And how can we get a taste of that thrill in a small car that is not only fun but easy on the hip pocket?
There are a number of ingredients in the perfect fun to drive small car recipe. For some people, ‘fun to drive’ is all about a need for speed – either in a straight line or carving through corners.
For others, it’s more about acceleration and handling. And for some, it’s about making the journey fun by kitting out a car with the latest high tech gadgets.
More and more people are finding that a small car can offer them all of these things – in fact, someone around the world takes home a new Ford Focus roughly once every 43 seconds, every day of the year.
Here are the ingredients to look for in the perfect recipe for a small car, to make sure it puts a smile on your face every time you’re behind the wheel.
Bake in Power
A powerful engine doesn’t have to be big: in fact, by combining a smaller engine with an advanced turbocharger, many of today’s most exciting small cars not only offer more bang for your buck, they’re also much more fuel efficient.
How do they do this? When cruising around, a small-displacement engine sips fuel. Put yourfoot down and the turbocharger kicks in, offering the power of a larger-capacity engine. So you get all the power you want, and all the efficiency you need, in a small, light package. In other words: faster, lighter and more fun.
Before your test drive, ask the dealer about power and torque, measured in kW and Nm.
Add A Cup of Awesome Handling
Even if nailing apexes with the perfect racing lines isn’t your thing, you probably still value confident handling from a suspension system designed and engineered to be compliant enough to handle rough sections and potholes with minimal fuss, but firm and responsive enough to give you confidence and control on twisty roads and in emergency situations.
Enhanced handling and steering, and refined driving dynamics, for example, help deliver a more solid and responsive feel by increasing the structural stiffness at the front of the car, revising the suspension geometry, increasing lateral stiffness of “steering-relevant” suspension bushes, and retuning the shock absorbers.
Additional features such as wheel-mounted paddle shifters – which enable drivers to control gear changes while keeping their hands on the steering wheel – combine to make the driver feel even more connected to the road, improving the overall fun-to- drive experience.
“Handling is key when it comes to designing and engineering a small car,” says Grant Greenaway, a dynamics engineer based at Ford’s proving ground outside of Melbourne, Australia.“When you get into the driver’s seat of the Focus, for instance, you instantly recognize that it has been designed with the driver’s needs in mind. It just feels great.”
Sprinkle in a Quiet Interior
The driving experience is further refined with improvements to noise, vibration and harshness, or NVH, the vital but hidden technology used to limit as much as possible unwanted sounds, vibrations or feelings experienced in the vehicle.
Low levels of NVH help deliver interior quietness and contribute to a more relaxing and stress-free environment.
During your test drive, pay attention to how much noise from the road makes it into the cabin.
Lots of Tech: The Icing on the Cake
Smart features including parking assistance, cruise control, hands-free connectivity, touchscreen displays, and an advanced sound system all help to limit the frustrations of daily driving.
“We don’t usually think of these kinds of technologies as making cars more fun to drive,” adds Greenaway. “But by reducing the frustrations and stress of a lot of daily driving, they can go a long way toward making your drive more enjoyable.”
In truth then, the secret of a fun-to- drive car can’t be reduced to a single ingredient. It’s more than likely a combination of power, great handling, advanced technologies and a stress-free environment that make a small car fun to drive.
The proof, as always, is in the pudding.
Book A Service: A complete recipe
While we have all the ingredients for that perfect drive, it is always important to keep your vehicle in its best condition by following your service schedule diligently to receive the necessary updates.
It all begins with a few simple steps to book your service online via the new ‘Book a Service’ form that is available at http://www.sdacford.com.my/book-a- service-form. Having a form online to schedule an appointment makes it a lot more convenient for owners as well as the service staff to provide a better and swifter response time to support you, every step of the way.
Once you send in your particulars via the online form, you will be contacted by your selected outlet to confirm your booking arrangement. It’s a piece of cake!
“As Ford vehicles’ sole distributor partner in Malaysia, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC) ensures that every aspect of your service experience is consistent with Ford’s Global Standards, from scheduling a service online, state-of- the-art equipment, to trained technicians,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion.
“It is our commitment to offer Ford owners a quicker response time when they plan to bring their vehicles in next,” he continued.
For added convenience, you can now schedule a booking to update your SYNC, Ford’s voice- activated techonology, via ‘Book a SYNC Update Form’ available at http://www.sdacford.com.my/owner/sync-support/book- a-sync- update-form.
