Just checking here before I go back to the dealer.

FORD FOCUS 1.0 EcoBoost Hybrid mHEV ST-Line X Edition 2025

The manual says:

SWITCHING HILL START ASSIST ON AND OFF -

MANUAL TRANSMISSION

1. Press Features on the touchscreen.

2. Press Driver Assistance.

3. Switch Hill Start Assist on or off.

The system remembers the last setting when you start your vehicle.

There is no such option and I do not get:

HILL START ASSIST – TROUBLESHOOTING

HILL START ASSIST – INFORMATION MESSAGES

Message Details

Hill start assist not available Displays when the system is not available. Have your vehicle checked as soon as possible.

Auto-hold is working as I believe it should.

I've entered the VIN to enable the manual download. Is the manual always accurate or do I have a problem for the dealer to resolve?

Daft question - but is your car a manual? On an auto, the system is activated automatically afaik.

On the wider point of "are manuals always accurate?" - they may not take account of changes in specification/production, not all cars will have all the features mentioned, etc, as mentioned in the introduction:

Features and Options

Note:   This publication describes product features and options available throughout the range of available models, sometimes even before they are generally available. It could describe options that are not available on the vehicle you have purchased.

Manual: Yes, 6 forward, 1 backward.

My 'friend', ChatGPT says:

1. Not seeing it in the touchscreen is normal

2. On your spec, it’s very likely always-on and hidden

3. The hill test is the only reliable confirmation

Lots of steep hills around here, I guess I'll have to find a quiet one where rolling back isn't a problem.

Makes it very difficult when, bearing in mind I had used the VIN to get the manual, that there is no clear definitive way to know what I have bought.

43 minutes ago, AL26 said:

that there is no clear definitive way to know what I have bought.

If you enter your VIN in here you should get the spec:

https://www.fordzona.sk/

Interesting stuff on HSA. Discussion on another thread suggests Ford may have made software changes in the very last Focuses - perhaps they standardised default to "on" for both manual and auto?

I don't have auto hold on my present car, only HSA. Presumably if you do the "hill test" and it doesn't roll back the only way to tell its HSA not auto hold operating is you dont get the auto hold active indicator? Do let us know what you find.

Using Auto Hold



1. Bring your vehicle to a complete stop. The auto hold active indicator illuminates in the information display.

2. Release the brake pedal. The system holds your vehicle at a standstill. The auto hold active indicator remains illuminated in the information display.

3. Apply the accelerator and drive off in a normal manner. The system releases the brakes and the auto hold active indicator switches off.

Whilst I've marked Eric's response as Answer, and it is of some help, I've done so as to conclude the thread from my POV.

Firstly, thanks for the spec link which unfortunately does not mention Hill Start/HSA so I'm not sure how accurate the rest is.

As it is my driveway is sufficiently steep to do the HSA test, and I reverse into and up it, so the car is facing forward and down. Put the car into reverse, take foot off brake, and car stays there for a short while before rolling down.

The Auto Hold in my situation is a nuisance for getting off the (fairly narrow) driveway. For two reasons I turn the steering wheel 180deg to the left. Firstly, if the car for any reason rolls forward it will hit the lawn and some shrubs before reaching a small wall. Secondly I can put the steering wheel lock around the rather large spoke and it is clearly visible to anyone entertaining a free vehicle. If I'm on Auto Hold then the car is motoring before I've had chance to straighten up comfortably, so I take Auto Hold off, roll a little bit to straighten up, then put Auto Hold on. Auto-hold does not seem to work for reversing up the drive, but HSA does.

Bear in mind I'm still fairly new to these features, last week I was turning right into a queue of traffic on a slight uphill incline and for reasons I'm not clear on I had come to a stop and then started to roll back on trying to get going again. It may well have been that I hadn't hit the brake hard enough to enable Auto Hold but I was panicking a bit as no doubt was the car behind. I'll need to test the collision avoidance system with an empty wheelie bin next. I've only been driving 60+ years, manual, auto, trucks, car+trailer, single seater Formula Ford, and others and not had to go through this learning curve.

OT: I know but lane assist has to be turned off. If only the system was clever enough to auto-miss/optimise missing pot-holes.

1 hour ago, AL26 said:

Put the car into reverse, take foot off brake, and car stays there for a short while before rolling down.

That does sound as if HSA is operating then. I find it only just gives sufficient time to get from brake to accelerator and you really do have to press the brake firmly to activate it, at least on cars I've had with the feature.

Problem is, you're never quite sure..............!😀