What Is It?
2002 Ford SVT Focus
What's Special About It?
Take one Focus ZX3 hatchback, add a healthy dose of Special Vehicle Team (SVT) know-how, and the result is the hottest hatch this side of a Volkswagen GTI VR6. SVT's gearheads have squeezed 170 horsepower and 145 foot-pounds of torque out of the ZX3's Zetec four-cylinder engine with better breathing, variable valve timing and reduced backpressure through the exhaust system. This massaged motor is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that drives the front wheels, sized 17 inches and shod with 215/45ZR17 rubber. Four-wheel disc brakes with larger rotors shorten stopping distances over regular Focus models, and a tuned suspension keeps the SVT Focus glued to the road. Less than ideal is the 61/39 front/rear weight distribution.
Revised front and rear fascias sporting SVT-signature mesh detail and other unique exterior styling cues announce this Focus coming or going. Inside, black leather upholstery trimmed with red or blue cloth inserts is the primary difference between the SVT Focus and the donor ZX3, with metallic accents decorating the dash, pedals and shifter. Special equipment that comes standard on the SVT Focus includes a power seat height adjuster, side airbags, heated outside mirrors, fatter front seat side bolsters for improved lateral support, rear head restraints in all positions, titanium-faced electro-luminescent gauges with 160-mph speedo and added oil temp and pressure gauges.
The 2002 SVT Focus is available in Sonic Blue, Infra-Red, CD Silver and Pitch Black. Options include a winter package (with traction control, heated seats and an engine block heater), a thumping Audiophile audio system and a power sunroof.
Why Should You Care?
If SVT has done for the Focus what it did for the Contour, this car will constitute a bona fide performance bargain. Ford plans to bring the nicely appointed SVT Focus in at $18,000, undercutting Volkswagen's turbo GTI, Toyota's Celica GT-S and the upcoming Acura RS-X. Given the number of recalls issued for the Focus during its first year on the market, it might be a good idea to invest some of your savings in an extended warranty. -- Christian Wardlaw
2002 Ford SVT Focus
What's Special About It?
Take one Focus ZX3 hatchback, add a healthy dose of Special Vehicle Team (SVT) know-how, and the result is the hottest hatch this side of a Volkswagen GTI VR6. SVT's gearheads have squeezed 170 horsepower and 145 foot-pounds of torque out of the ZX3's Zetec four-cylinder engine with better breathing, variable valve timing and reduced backpressure through the exhaust system. This massaged motor is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that drives the front wheels, sized 17 inches and shod with 215/45ZR17 rubber. Four-wheel disc brakes with larger rotors shorten stopping distances over regular Focus models, and a tuned suspension keeps the SVT Focus glued to the road. Less than ideal is the 61/39 front/rear weight distribution.
Revised front and rear fascias sporting SVT-signature mesh detail and other unique exterior styling cues announce this Focus coming or going. Inside, black leather upholstery trimmed with red or blue cloth inserts is the primary difference between the SVT Focus and the donor ZX3, with metallic accents decorating the dash, pedals and shifter. Special equipment that comes standard on the SVT Focus includes a power seat height adjuster, side airbags, heated outside mirrors, fatter front seat side bolsters for improved lateral support, rear head restraints in all positions, titanium-faced electro-luminescent gauges with 160-mph speedo and added oil temp and pressure gauges.
The 2002 SVT Focus is available in Sonic Blue, Infra-Red, CD Silver and Pitch Black. Options include a winter package (with traction control, heated seats and an engine block heater), a thumping Audiophile audio system and a power sunroof.
Why Should You Care?
If SVT has done for the Focus what it did for the Contour, this car will constitute a bona fide performance bargain. Ford plans to bring the nicely appointed SVT Focus in at $18,000, undercutting Volkswagen's turbo GTI, Toyota's Celica GT-S and the upcoming Acura RS-X. Given the number of recalls issued for the Focus during its first year on the market, it might be a good idea to invest some of your savings in an extended warranty. -- Christian Wardlaw
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