Model tested: Ford Focus Econetic auto start-stop 103bhp five-door
Price as tested: £20,428
Date tested: January 2010
Road tester: Stuart Milne

The Ford Focus just got greener - the Econetic model with auto start-stop is the most environmentally-friendly Focus yet. Its CO2 emissions fall below 100g/km, so road tax is free.

The Ford Focus has been Britain's biggest-selling car from its launch in 1998 to 2008 - when it was beaten to the top spot by the Ford Fiesta. But until now, it hasn't offered a start-stop system.

The car we've come to Ford's Dagenham plant to drive, changes that. It combines Ford's 103bhp 1.6-litre diesel powerplant with the start-stop technology that stops the engine when the car is stationary.

Ford Auto start-stop is among the slickest on the market, with a smooth start-up which takes just 0.3 seconds.

And another Ford first is the Focus' Eco Mode, which gives detailed information on how economically the car is being driven. It displays three flowers, one each for gear selection, smoothness and efficient speed. The more petals gained on the flower, the more economically the car is driven.

The Focus auto start-stop also features two batteries; one heavy-duty unit to start the car and a much smaller battery to maintain the continuity of power delivery when the car is restarting. This avoids dimming of the lights and other interruptions when the starter motor is drawing load from the battery.

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Another system employed is a new alternator bracket and belt pulley which allows belt tension to be reduced. Ford's engineers say this can improve fuel consumption by around one per cent. This illustrates the kind of thinking that sets the Focus Econetic out from the crowd.

Naturally, the Focus Econetic auto start-stop features all the usual accoutrements of a highly-efficient diesel car, including improved aerodynamics, longer gearing and low roll-resistance tyres.

On the road, there's little to indicate the car is gentle on the environment. It drives like the standard car, and its high-profile tyres make for a cosseting ride.

Stops to fill up should be few and far between. It returns a best-of-the-range average of 74.2mpg, bettering the other Econetics by around 3.5mpg. Road tax is currently free with its sub-100g/km emissions, and should be unaffected by the forthcoming showroom tax.

The biggest barrier is the Focus Econetic's cost. At more than £20,000, it's considerably more than the Volvo C30 Drive, Seat Leon Ecomotive and Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion.

But the savings are there for fleet and high-mileage drivers, and the technology works better than most of its rivals. With a three-strong Focus Econetic line-up, there are also two sub-£20,000 models on offer.