There are a lot of reasons why the driving dynamics of vehicles like the all-new Ford Focus have consistently won critical acclaim from the international automotive press, but it certainly helps to have engineers like Jürgen Pützschler on your team. Just consider: He was recently named “Dynamicist of the Year” by the prestigious Vehicle Dynamics International magazine.
Pützschler supervises the vehicle dynamics program for Ford’s new C-car platform, which as explained by Graham Heeps, the publication’s editor and a member of the judging panel, is the automaker’s “most versatile yet: a range of family cars, MPVs, SUVs, electric vehicles and performance cars will all derive from it, for worldwide markets, and with a remarkable degree of commonality between them. It can be a thankless task to serve so many masters, but on the evidence of the Focus and [the European] C-MAX, Jürgen has done a remarkable job.”
And while the award may not catch Houston Ford owners’ attention, you can be sure the results of Pützschler’s efforts certainly do. “Vehicle dynamics” is a general term that refers to how a vehicle behaves on the road, and Ford’s ultimate goal, for all its products, is to ensure that that behavior both flatters the novice driver and rewards the expert in a vehicle that’s fun to drive for everyone. Just ask the folks at Clovis Ford.
Which probably explains the following kudos for the Focus’ driving experience:
- LeftLaneNews.com praised the car’s “tightly-tuned, European-derived suspension.”
- Edmunds.com lauded its “nimble handling” and “refined ride.”
- Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com called it “comfortable, confident and impressively responsive to driver inputs under virtually all conditions.”
“Most car manufacturers concentrate on either vehicle dynamics performance or on quality and refinement,” said Pützschler. “The perfect combination of both attributes may be the key reason for the award. We could have decided to significantly increase refinement, quality impression and maturity, and trade vehicle dynamics against it, but we decided to improve on both.”
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