Ford is offering the ESP safety system as standard on all new C-Max and Focus models for 2008.

Ford has announced that its electronic stability programme (ESP) will be made standard on both its offerings in the compact family segment in 2008. The incorporation of ESP on Focus and C-MAX follows its standardisation across the Mondeo, Galaxy and S-MAX ranges in 2007.

ESP prevents a driver from under - or over-steering in slippery conditions or extreme driving manoeuvres. It detects in milliseconds when a car is deviating from the driver's chosen line and automatically applies brake force to inner or outer wheels to keep the car 'on line'.

Ford Ireland has also reduced the price of ESP as an option on the popular Ford Fiesta by over €1,000 from January 2008. Ford standardised ESP on Ireland's best-selling commercial vehicle, the Ford Transit, earlier this year. ESP is standard on the Ford C-MAX for all units produced from January 2008. The new Focus arrives in Ford dealerships in March.

Ford Ireland Chairman and Managing Director Eddie Murphy claims the move is a first on the Irish market. "Ford is now the only volume manufacturer on the market with a suite of family cars incorporating this technology as standard. None of the rivals to Focus has it, for example. As we did with the airbag in the mid-90s, we are again leading the market with a safety feature that can save lives. ESP is bound to proliferate within the compact family segment on foot of this move," he said. The compact family segment is the largest in the Irish car market, accounting for 30 per cent of registrations in 2007.

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