All-new Ford Focus

The new generation Ford Focus has been undergoing testing in the scorching sun of Southern Spain, at Antequera, where temperatures regularly rise above 40 degrees Celsius. The car’s EATC (Electronic Automatic Temperature Control) system has been put through its paces and has coped comfortably in reducing the temperature, when it gets really hot and also in warming the occupants up just as rapidly, when the temperature falls.

The engineering team are road-testing two camouflaged vehicles, a four door version from the North American market and a five door from the European market. There are over 200 sensors around the car and everything is monitored, including ambient temperature, AC pressures, engine speed and sunlight. The main challenge is that North American drivers have different preferences as they like the cabin to really be cool, whereas European drivers  like the cabin to be chilled but not cool.

Klaus Schuermanns, Ford systems engineer, said,”We get a lot of people trying to take pictures as we drive along and people are always asking us about the car. But the most important thing for us is that this AC system in the all-new Focus is great. That makes our job much easier, not to mention more comfortable”.