Ford Focus FFV (2007) CAR review

Aren’t alternative fuel vehicles meant to look like escapees from Buck Rogers?

They used to, but Ford has the right idea. The only difference between this and a conventional Focus is a tiny ‘FFV’ badge on its rump. That's if you strip away the OTT stickers from this promomtional test car, that is; ours wasn't for shrinking violets. It runs on E85 Bio-ethanol derived from sugar and wheat crops which produces less CO2 and makes the FFV more efficient than the 1.8-litre petrol varient on which the FFV is based.

So what’s new?

Very little. The technology to convert a 1.8-litre Focus into a car capable of running on bioethanol is actually quite simple. Ethanol burns hotter and is more corrosive than petrol, so the valve seats are replaced along with ancillory hoses to cope. Finally the engine management computer is reprogrammed to avoid an electronic meltdown when the new fuel (and higher engine temperatures) take effect.