European Ford Focus diesel fuel-economy rated at 42 mpg!

looks better than the prius...that's for sure

Looks better than the US Focus, actually, it looks pretty damn GOOD.

And that's the 2.0 version, there are 2 1.6 versions with less hp but better economy.

And the Focus is a great handler, best in class, with a great interior.

Basically the same as a US Mazda3 under the skin - why Ford doesnt do that in the states is why, well, they're not making the right decisions...

^I was thinking the same thing!

For anyone who knows anything about diesels, 40MPG out of a hatch is NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE. The Audi A4 3.0TDI can get 40MPG.

I agree, my 2000 320d gets better mpg than this.

High speed testing yielded 34mpg. High speeds in my Prius,like 80-85 on the way to Vegas, still yields 45mpg. And I emit far fewer exhaust emissions in the process, and the fuel I use is about 40 cents per gallon cheaper. I guess someone just had to post something negative about the Prius, no matter how ridiculous the claim, thanks to 009's dramatic turnaround this week, re:hybrids. :)

+

and we will never see it in the US...

The Focus is three years old. This is only a mid-cycle refresh.

The Prius is also three years old. It came out in early 2004 as a 2004 model.

Indeed, because it was on sale long before the Prius and long before any green hype.
Put it on sale now and it will sale allot better.

sell*

My little black Citroen C1 1.4 diesel now with 5367miles from new returns a genuine 80+ to the gallon on long journeys and on my daily commute to work here in North Wales averages around 67mpg.

I always use Shell V Power diesel for its impressive cleaning properties and improved refinement.

Now im not saying a C1 is ideal family transport but when people talk about the over priced Toyota Prius as being the final word in fuel economy IT NOWHERE NEAR IT.
The new Mini Cooper Diesel and Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion beat the Prius hand down with far simpler technology.

My C1 has one of the cleanest CO2 engines on the market at 109 and is a joy to drive and so easy to park.The reason i bought it was for its real terms economy which it returns with little effort due to its very lite weight of joust over 800Kg and very tall gearing.

In all independent car reports on its use it beats the competition every time with an impressive 64mpg in daily use.Not even the Prius can achieve this with it averaging around 58mpg hardly brilliant for what people claim to be the savior of the planet.

The only problem with the Prius is that Toyota didnot equip it with an efficient small diesel engine alongside all those electrics then it would have been a different proposition.

Look for 50 mpg plus from the VW Jetta TDI.

You should change your name to ToyotaPressReleaser. :-)

Right..and it will be able to fly and reach light speed when it comes out.

The 1.5 litre Toyota Prius consumes less than a 2 litre Ford diesel ? In real world circumstances even that is not true. Idling in downtown rush hour traffic, possible.

Good job Ford...now produce the Two-mode diesel hybrid and bring it to the US. You can't criticize progress.

better yet bring the euro ford to our shores.

I second that!~

huu76 i think you alone share that sentiment...Me thinks it's you who is the dumb one and everyone who are just realizing the benefits of diesels
http://news.windingroad.com/automotive-news/diesel-out-performs-e85-in-new-cost-benefit-study/
Europeans are way ahead of ure kind, having found that hybrids aren't what they say on the tin....
Diesels are for now, diesel hybrids are for immediate future. Within a year or so I will double dare you to say that a diesel pollutes more...
If you genuinely don't like something just be man enough to admit at times that you are over doing it..when it comes to ure hating of all things diesel...

Only in your stupid country can the Tahoe Hybrid SUV get green car of the year, No where else in the world, especially not in Europe can this happen.. A 5.3l V8 petrol guzzler! Only in the US....They are lauding the 21 mph which will surly drop in the mid teens in real world driving (just look at the LS600h comparison with the Audi A8 (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/211689/lexus_ls600h_vs_audi_a8.html) and other comparisons I am sure you can dig up ...So what would happen if they got my 2.7 TD V6 (disco 3) LR3, which gives 25 mpg (us gallon) combined actual milage city and highway driving..surely it would be the green car of the year....Just face it..you and ure kind are the dumb ones (where autos r concerned) who are very slow in catching up with the rest of the world..

A Toyota Prius is a poor choice for comparison, because one cannot compare a nonhybrid Prius to a hybrid Prius, since there is no non-hybrid Prius.

In the case of other hybrids, however, we can judge the fuel savings afforded through hybrid technology, and in the case of all diesels we can as well. From everything I've seen, diesels do just as well at improving fuel economy versus the regular, gas-powered versions of the same car as do hybrids versus non hybrid gas burners. This is true for the VW Jetta; the Mercedes E Class; the Mercedes SUVs; and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. They all do just as well as (say) the Honda Civic hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Saturn Aura Hybrid versus their non-hybrid counterparts. From the above article, it would seem that the Ford Focus diesel also does much better than the regular, gas-powered Focus that would put it on par with hybrid technologies applied to a similar, compact car.

For example, the VW Jetta TDI is estimated @ 36/41 (38) mpg, but I average 44 mpg burning B20. The gas Jetta comes in at 22/30 (26) mpg. In this case, the diesel has a 46% mpg advantage, even using the underestimated EPA estimate for the diesel. The Honda Civic base four cylinder versus the Honda Civic Hybrid gets the hybrid no more advantage than the diesel versus non-diesel Jetta. The same conclusion can be drawn comparing the Mercedes E320 BlueTec versus the E350 and then comparing that diesel advantage versus the hybrid advantage in the Toyota Camry. Again, the diesel does just as well. With respect to SUVs, the diesels seem to give a better advantage in most cases as compared to the hybrid SUVs. The only exception would be the Ford Escape Hybrid.

And then we have to put in the x-factor for those who argue that hybrids score better on emissions. This is only true when diesel drivers choose regular diesel fuel, but if diesel drivers choose biodiesel blends or renewable diesel belends, they will then emit fewer harmful emissions and less CO2 output than hybrid drivers. And they will do this without engine modification; without losing fuel economy; without paying much of a premium at the pump; and without having to choose a specific diesel model that can accept that fuel, because all diesel models can accept any blend of biodiesel without modification. What gas-electric hybrid owner can make that boast with the hybrid models currently on the market?

Now I'm not choosing sides, but I believe there is room for both diesel technologies and gas-electric hybrid technologies in our country, and it seems to me that those who have comitted themselves to only one technology for all have (in some cases) become self righteous in their thoughts towards American energy security. Those self righteous individuals should look at themselves and wonder what is motivating their negative thoughts towards other, competing technologies. If one is driving a Prius @ 80-85 mph, then he or she is not really doing all he or she