A new low emitting petrol engine has been added to the Ford Focus range, which will help reduce company car tax costs.
The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine in the Focus is available with two different power outputs. The 124bhp version emits just 114g/km while the smaller 99bhp model produces 109g/km of CO2 emissions.
This means that both models fall in to lower Benefit-in-Kind bands, which is so important when choosing a company car. More often than not it is diesel models that are the top choice because of the lower emissions but they are then subject to the 3% diesel BIK surcharge which can push them up BIK bands and increase the cost.
For 2012/13 tax year, the lower-powered engine will fall in to the 12% Benefit-In-Kind bracket. With a P11d price of £17,165 for the Zetec model 20% tax payers will be charged £34 per month while those in the 40% bracket will have to pay £68. For the 124bhp engine, this falls in to the 13% BIK band. This means the Zetec model, with a P11d value of £17,665, will cost those paying 20% tax £38 per monthly with monthly costs for the 40% tax payer at £77.
This represents a substantial saving compared to the cheapest diesel choice. The 1.6-litre TDCi Zetec model will cost £46 per month for anyone in the 20% tax bracket with monthly costs for 0% tax payers coming to £92, for the 2012/13 tax year.
As well as the tax savings, the fuel economy of the latest engines will be a welcome addition to company car drivers. The 124bhp engine can achieve a claimed 56.5mpg while the 99bhp version could reach 58.9mpg, according to Ford. This will come as a welcome relief as the price gap between petrol and diesel continues to grow.
The two new engines are available on both the hatchback and estate models, while the lower-powered choice comes with a five-speed manual gearbox and the 124bhp engine gets a six-speed manual. The latest additions to the Ford Focus line-up will be available from February.
