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ESTATE OF THE UNION

Models Covered: 5dr estate: 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 turbo diesel [Studio, LX, Sport, Zetec, Titanium, Ghia])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

An estate variant of an existing family hatch is normally an afterthought, a hastily tacked on styling job that appeals to a market niche that’s small and getting smaller. Not so the second generation Ford Focus estate, a model which really appealed to compact estate car customers and potential buyers disillusioned with the image of small MPVs. Offering all the driveability of a Focus hatch with a welcome dose of practicality, this Focus estate scored insofar as it was even reasonably good looking, signally unlike its predecessor. Used examples are now appearing in meaningful numbers and make very decent buys, but just make sure they haven’t lived lives that were too tough.

October 1998 was the point that the whole family hatch market changed. Until that point we’d been happy with cars like Citroën ZXs, Ford Escorts and Peugeot 306s. The Ford Focus changed all that, at a sweep making everything else look dated, clumsy and silly. The estate version of the original car sold reasonably well, although it was clear Ford’s heart wasn’t really in the job of making small estates sexy. That had to wait until February 2005 when the all new Focus estate was launched. A good deal more conventional in outward appearance to the striking original, some saw this as a sign that Ford had lost their edge when it came to product development, but a short spell behind the wheel would dispel this myth for good. Despite rivals like the Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra closing the gap, the Focus was still the best value package in its class, the estate version following a few weeks after the launch of the three and five door hatches. Perhaps the only trick that Ford missed was not creating a 2.5-litre ST version of the estate. That would have been quite something. The Focus Estate was facelifted in the latter stages of 2007 with the new front end incorporating the trapezoidal grille and fog lights that had contributed to success on the success of the Mondeo’s exterior design. The engine line-up remained largely unaltered although the advanced 1.6-litre Ti-VCT unit was dropped and ESP stability control became standard.

The styling of the glasshouse may look a little reminiscent of the Honda Stream, but the overall look is anything but derivative. Ford have worked hard to give the car a more muscular look and the results are tangible. Despite the sexier lines, there’s a clear bias towards practicality and the Focus Estate features a no-nonsense but versatile load bay. Fully carpeted, it includes a pair of lashing hooks on either side to secure luggage during sharp cornering, although enterprising owners can also make use of the rear seat anchor points for much the same purpose. Given that these are metal loops rather than plastic hooks, this may well represent a more practical option for heavier items. A retractable luggage cover serves to keep your belongings away from prying eyes although there’s not the sort of underfloor tray that many manufacturers increasingly specify. A 12v auxiliary power outlet on the side of the load bay is a neat touch, as are the indented grab handles on the inside of the tailgate. If you’re reasonably tall, strong and limber of wrist, you can even close the tailgate in this way without getting your hands dirty on road grime plastered to the back of the car. The tailgate opens so high that even if you stand 6’4" tall, you’ll not bump your head. The downside to this is that shorter owners may well have difficulty reaching it. There’s no strap hanging down from the handle, so if you’re very small, you may encounter difficulties here. The other issue when opening the tailgate is that approximately 75 per cent of the water that gathers on it falls onto the rear light cluster with the other quarter landing squarely on the luggage cover or, if it’s retracted, your gear. The loading lip is low and features a non-slip surface, but it would have been nice to see some longitudinal rails built into the floor of the load bay so that bags can easily be slid into position. On the plus side, the load floor is perfectly flat with zero intrusion from the compact rear suspension assembly. Break out the tape measure and you’ll find the Focus among the leading contenders in its class when it comes to space. There’s 475 cubic litres of load space with the 60/40 rear bench in place, which compares favourably to the 385 litres available in a Focus hatch. Drop the seats and there’s a cavernous 1525 litres, making the Focus a good deal bigger than many executive class estate cars. With the seats in place the load bay is just over 104cm long, 116cm wide and up to 89cm high. With the rear seats folded, you have a 167cm long distance from seat back to tailgate. Utilising schoolboy trigonometry, I believe this means that you can, in effect, carry a pair of 203cm skis diagonally. That’s quite some achievement for a car that retains all of the Focus’ driving dynamics.

Focus estate prices are holding reasonably firm after an initial blip, with a 54 plated 1.6TDCi 90 starting at £8,000 in Studio trim or £9,000 if you prefer the more powerful 110bhp LX model. A 110bhp Ghia will be priced at around £10,000, again for a 54-plated car. Insurance ranges from Group 4 to Group 10.

Ford’s engines are, on the whole, reliable, so give the car the usual once-over looking for signs of wear and indications of hard fleet, company or rental car use. Worn carpets, and scuffed trim are the usual clues. The 1.4-litre engine is a little underpowered for such a substantial car, so avoid high mileage ex-fleeters with this powerplant. Check that all the electrical items work properly, ensure that the air conditioner delivers chilled air soon after the engine is started and remember that a full service history always helps when selling on, too. Focuses are tough but some will inevitably have been abused so make sure the estate you’re looking at hasn’t had photocopiers bouncing around the back.

(approx based on a Focus 1.6 Estate) This being Ford, parts are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. A clutch assembly will be around £100 and an alternator should be close to £140. Brake pads are around £25 a front set with rear shoes around £45, a replacement headlamp is close to £80 and a manual door mirror should be in the region of £50. A full exhaust is about £200 and a catalyst is about £240. Dampers are around £40 each and a radiator about £100.

There's the usual wide choice of engines - five petrol units plus three TDCi turbo diesels. The big news was Ford’s launch of a variable valve timing system for its big selling 1.6-litre variant. As well as a ‘conventional’ 1.6 that’s good for 98bhp, Ford’s 1.6-litre Ti-VCT unit produces a peak power of 113bhp and allowed the company to go head to head with the best engines in the class – units produced in this instance by Volkswagen and Renault. The other engine options are a budget 78bhp 1.4-litre and a 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol, plus the three Duratorq TDCi units originally seen in the C-MAX. The first of these is the 108bhp 1.6-litre TDCi powerplant sitting below a 115bhp 1.8-litre unit: the pick of the Focus range is the 134bhp 2.0-litre TDCi. The Focus suspension system remains the best in class and although the second generation’s steering doesn’t feel quite as communicative as the helm of early cars, it’s reassuring at speed and pinpoint accurate. There is a little more rear suspension noise in the estate than the hatch but the difference isn’t great.

You’re not exactly going out on a limb when buying a used Ford Focus estate, but playing it safe in this instance will net you a very good car. Avoid the gutless 1.4-litre petrol models and aim for a 2.0-litre petrol or a diesel and you shouldn’t go far wrong.

FORD’S FAMILY SUPERCAR

Models Covered: 3 & 5dr hatch, 4dr saloon, 5dr estate: 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 2.5 petrol, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 turbo diesel [Studio, LX, Style, Sport, Zetec, Zetec Climate, Titanium, Ghia, ST, ST2, ST3])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Ford’s 2005 Focus had one of the toughest tasks faced by any family car. It had to reprise the success of its ground-breaking predecessor. Not only that, but it was faced with a whole host of rivals who had taken the previous generation Focus apart, copied its technology, employed its development engineers and done all they could to try to one-up Ford. While it’s true that the 2005 model year Focus no longer enjoys the huge gulf in capability over its rivals that its predecessor could indulge in, it’s still one of the very finest family hatches around and, from a driver’s perspective, is still the one to have. The styling may have become a little lower key but the Focus has, in most of the key areas that count, become a markedly better car. Used examples are now appearing in meaningful numbers and make very decent buys.

October 1998 was the point that the whole family hatch market changed. Until that point we’d been happy with cars like Citroën ZXs, Ford Escorts and Peugeot 306s. The Focus changed all that, at a sweep making everything else look dated, clumsy and silly. Through its various developments, the Focus retained its position as the UK’s top selling family hatch until it was finally replaced in January 2005 with this all-new version. A good deal more conventional in outward appearance to the striking original, some saw this as a sign that Ford had lost their edge when it came to product development, but a short spell behind the wheel would dispel this myth for good. Despite rivals like the Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra closing the gap, the Focus was still the best value package in its class and sales soon ramped up to very encouraging levels. An estate version followed within a couple of weeks of the three and five-door hatches appearing and in March 2005, a very handsome four door saloon version appeared, erasing memories of the rather awkward-looking first generation Focus saloon. Performance fans were sated in late 2005 with the launch of the 2.5-litre ST models, powered by a 220bhp Volvo-sourced turbocharged five cylinder engine. The Focus was facelifted in the latter stages of 2007 with the new front end incorporating the trapezoidal grille and fog lights that had contributed to success of the Mondeo’s exterior design. The engine line-up remained largely unaltered although the advanced 1.6-litre Ti-VCT unit was dropped and ESP stability control became standard.

The latest Focus, offered in three or five-door hatch form or as either a saloon or an estate, has remained affordable, capable and desirable. Taking its cue from the C-MAX mini-MPV, the Focus interior looks reassuringly expensive. The branded Sony stereo, the metallic detailing on the centre console, instruments and chunky-rimmed steering wheel, the soft-touch fascia and the silicon-damped hinges all smack of executive class investment. Developers have worked to ensure that the feel of the switches – a push button in the door, for example – should have the same sound, feel and travel as a push button in the centre console or the sunroof control and that rotary switches retain the same feel whether they marshal mechanical or electrical applications. The riot of crazily intersecting hard plastics that was the first generation Focus interior has been replaced by something far more assured, more mature – a word Ford repeat frequently in their release literature. Ford were the first of the major manufacturers to realise that people were growing in size – both out and up – and designed the original Focus to suit drivers of all sizes with wider opening doors and more headroom than the class norm. The latest Focus expands on this theme, offering an optional electrically adjustable pedal set. The multi-adjustable steering column helps in ensuring a comfortable driving position and Ford have integrated a number of practical aspects from the C-MAX mini-MPV including a glove box big enough to house a 1.5-litre bottle, a sunglasses holder, a dash-top cubby and class-leading luggage space. Although it seems hard to believe given that almost coupe-like silhouette, the MK2 Focus design actually improves the rear seat accommodation and luggage space. This is partly due to Ford increasing the length of the rear overhang slightly to give a hefty 385-litre carrying capacity. The compact control-blade rear suspension helps here, as the load bay is completely flat and unencumbered by suspension intrusion.

Although prices are settling fast, £5,400 is currently the kick off point for a second generation Focus, that sum buying you a 1.4-litre Studio hatch. If you’re looking for something with a little more engine (and it is recommended), the 1.6-litre Zetec three-door is just dipping under £6,000 for average mile examples. The 2.0-litre petrol engines have proven surprisingly sought after and a five-door example in Titanium trim starts at £7,300. The Focus ST is still a very rare bird indeed as a used buy although initial sales volumes suggest that this is unlikely to remain so for too long. The diesel models are big hits and £6,850 will buy a five-door 1.6TDCi LX with the first of the 1.8 TDCi Estates in Ghia trim going for around £7,480. The 2.0-litre diesels are perhaps the pick of the entire range and these start at £8,450 for a Zetec five-door hatch.

Ford’s engines are, on the whole, reliable, so give the car the usual once-over looking for signs of wear and indications of hard fleet, company or rental car use. Worn carpets, and scuffed trim are the usual clues. The 1.4-litre engine is a little underpowered for such a substantial car, so avoid high mileage ex-fleeters with this powerplant. Check that all the electrical items work properly, ensure that the air conditioner delivers chilled air soon after the engine is started and remember that a full service history always helps when selling on, too. If you’re looking at ST model, make sure the tyres still have some tread on them, and that the car hasn’t been thrashed or crashed. Focuses are tough but some will inevitably have been abused.

(approx based on a Focus 1.6) This being Ford, parts are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. A clutch assembly will be around £100 and an alternator should be close to £140. Brake pads are around £25 a front set with rear shoes around £45, a replacement headlamp is close to £80 and a manual door mirror should be in the region of £50. A full exhaust is about £200 and a catalyst is about £240. Dampers are around £40 each and a radiator about £100.

There's the usual wide choice of engines - five petrol units plus three TDCi turbo diesels. The big news was Ford’s launch of a variable valve timing system for its big selling 1.6-litre variant. As well as a ‘conventional’ 1.6 that’s good for 98bhp, Ford’s 1.6-litre Ti-VCT unit produces a peak power of 113bhp and allowed the company to go head to head with the best engines in the class – units produced in this instance by Volkswagen and Renault. The other engine options are a budget 78bhp 1.4-litre, a 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol and the 220bhp 2.5-litre unit found in the ST models, plus the three Duratorq TDCi units originally seen in the C-MAX. The first of these is the 108bhp 1.6-litre TDCi powerplant sitting below a 115bhp 1.8-litre unit: the pick of the Focus range is the 134bhp 2.0-litre TDCi. The Focus suspension system remains the best in class and although the second generation’s steering doesn’t feel quite as communicative as the helm of early cars, it’s reassuring at speed and pinpoint accurate. Real driving fans will love the ST. Despite offering a broadly similar turbocharged power output to the original Focus RS and having drive directed to the front wheels like the Focus RS, Ford insiders claim the latest ST will demolish the RS’s time around the Nurburgring by a full twelve seconds, courtesy of its superior cornering ability and improved torque. The sprint to 60mph takes just over six seconds and a top speed in the region of 150mph is more than adequate

You’re not exactly going out on a limb when buying a used Ford Focus, but playing it safe in this instance will net you a very good car. Avoid the gutless 1.4-litre petrol models and you should be very happy indeed with your purchase.

STILL FOCUSED
Smarter looks and high-tech engine offerings complement the Ford Focus’ great driving dynamics in a much improved model line-up. Jonathan Crouch checks it out…

Ford’s Focus now has sharper looks inside and out to match its sharper handling. There’s a eco-friendly diesel option, plus an extra 2.0TDCi unit. What hasn’t changed is the great packaging and rewarding driving dynamics. This car may be common but it’s still a great choice.

Add up all the points when it comes to buying a Family Hatchback and it’s hard to escape the conclusion that a Ford Focus might well be your best bet. For Ford, the problem is that most potential buyers don’t add up all the points. They’re swayed by rivals that are better looking, have higher-tech engines, offer more equipment or record more frugal fuel figures in some variants. All of which, when added to the fact that the MK2 Focus has become a rather over-familiar face since its launch here in 2005, has been costing Ford more sales than it would like. Their response is a better-looking, better equipped, higher-tech and more frugal Focus. Yet one that keeps all the good things common to the original. Make no mistake: if you’re shopping in this sector, this is a car you have to try. If driving dynamics are all you care about, this is still the very first car with which you should begin your search for a Family Hatchback. The everyday mundanity of the Focus often obscures quite what an incredible car it is. That and the fact that we take this sort of competence for granted. Get underneath the Focus and you’ll find a more advanced suspension system than that of a Porsche 911. Ford of Europe ploughed an enormous investment into the original Focus and the MK2 model continues to live off the benefits, even though many rivals have clawed back much of the ground they lost to this car in this respect in the early years of this century. The suspension system is much the same as that used in the 1998 model and the lessons learned in packaging are still as relevant as ever. This sublime handling competency means you can get the most in terms of driving enjoyment from any of the given engines on offer, so drive a Focus before opting for an apparently faster rival: more power doesn’t necessarily equal more real world speed. In terms of driving comfort, there are softer-riding rivals, certainly, but you’d be less likely to want to be in one of them on a twisting B-Road. Comfort is also about on the move convenience too, so Ford have integrated a number of practical aspects from the C-MAX mini-MPV including a glove box big enough to house a 1.5-litre bottle, a sunglasses holder, a dash-top cubby and class-leading luggage space.

"Add up all the points when it comes to buying a Family Hatchback and it’s hard to escape the conclusion that a Ford Focus might well be your best bet…."

Benefiting from Ford’s ‘kinetic design’ approach to styling, the latest Focus takes its inspiration from its larger Mondeo stablemate. Trapezoidal grilles, swept back headlamps, bolder wheel arches, re-shaped rear glass, a contoured tailgate and smarter tail lamps are the key changes. Higher trim grades benefit from chrome detailing and a stylish, body-coloured upper rear spoiler. Inside, the more upmarket aura continues. Nicer soft-touch plastics now cover the instrument panel as well as the upper front door trim and this is complemented by plusher seat fabrics plus a variety of more attractive fascia finishings. The instrumentation has been re-designed too and, along with all other interior controls, is illuminated in red. Controls for the upgraded audio equipment and two-zone air conditioning have also been ergonomically improved. The compact control-blade rear suspension helps the five-door hatch model achieve a hefty 385-litre carrying capacity, as the load bay is completely flat and unencumbered by suspension intrusion. In the Estate version, there’s 475 cubic litres of load space with the 60/40 rear bench in place, but drop the seats and there’s a cavernous 1525 litres, making the Focus a good deal bigger than many executive class estate cars. With the seats in place the load bay is just over 104cm long, 116cm wide and up to 89cm high. With the rear seats folded you have a 167cm long distance from seat back to tailgate. Prices sit in pretty much the same £12,000 to £20,000 span as you’d expect, spread across three and five-door hatches, a four-door saloon, an estate and a Coupe-Cabriolet version with its fashionable metal folding roof. In other words, much the same proposition as is offered by rivals like Vauxhall’s Astra, Peugeot’s 308 and Renault’s Megane. Trim-wise, there’s a choice of Studio, Style, ECOnetic and Titanium trim levels before you get to the sporty ST models. Engine-wise, petrol buyers have the old 78bhp 1.4 and 98bhp 1.6-litre units at the foot of the range. If you need to go faster, there’s a 123bhp 1.8-litre option, a 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol unit and the 220bhp 2.5-litre powerplant found in the ST models. For diesel buyers, there’s an entry-level 108bhp 1.6-litre TDCi, while above this unit sits the highly acclaimed 2.0-litre TDCi diesel that Ford developed with Peugeot, now available in 110bhp as well as 136bhp guises. As you would expect, equipment features run to most of what you would now expect on a car of this type (twin front airbags, air conditioning, ABS etc) but there are some nice extra touches. In addition to a movable armrest and a four-litre-capacity storage compartment, there are storage areas for back-seat passengers or the facility to add optional items such as a 230 volt socket or the USB audio connection box. Ford have put a lot of thought into lowering running costs, focusing on the popular entry-level diesel, the 108bhp 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi. For economy-minded buyers, the Diesel Particulate Filter-equipped version of this engine is now available in Focus ‘ECOnetic’ form, a guise which features an array of aerodynamic efficiencies much like Volkswagen’s range of BlueMotion models. Average consumption for the Focus ECOnetic is a frugal 65mpg. This corresponds to an average CO2 emission of only 115g/km, which is a class-leading result for a conventional vehicle in this segment. As a direct result of the Ford ECOnetic initiative, all Focus 1.6-litre TDCi variants will achieve 119g/km CO2 and this is regardless of power rating, body style or wheel dimensions. Flexifuel version of the 1.8-litre Duratec petrol four-cylinder engine can be fuelled with bio-ethanol E85-fuel as an alternative to conventional unleaded petrol – or in any mix of both. The Ford Focus range also includes CNG (compressed natural gas) and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) derivatives both based on the 2.0-litre Duratec petrol engine. Insurance groupings are mainly in the 4 to 10 bracket, though beware if you’re thinking of opting for one of the sporting ST variants which sit in a heady group 17. They also struggle in terms of CO2 emissions. Depreciation on a Ford Focus is never going to be stellar: simply take it into account and balance the difference to something like a Volkswagen Golf with the extra discount you’re likely to be able to negotiate upfront. Most of the time, the sums add up. The Focus needed this wash ‘n brush-up, if only to remind easily swayed Family Hatchback buyers just how good it still is. The smart styling enables it to sit proudly alongside newer rivals, while the cabin now feels a more appealing place to be. You can even buy one and feel much more that you’re doing your bit for the environment, thanks to the ECOnetic technology. Its biggest problem continues to be its own success, with the issues of depreciation and ubiquity that brings with it. If you don’t care on that score and simply want the best product, then move this revised Focus a couple of notches further up your shopping list.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus range PRICES: £12,795-£21,995 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-17 CO2 EMISSIONS: 115-224g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.6] Max Speed 111mph / 0-60mph 11.9s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6TDCi] (urban) 50.4mpg / (extra urban) 74.2mpg / (combined) 62.7mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, window & side airbags, ABS, traction control, WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5dr Hatch] Length/Width/Heightmm 4342/1840/1447

TORQUE COMES CHEAP
Ford’s Focus ST has been visually tweaked but under the skin, nothing’s changed. Which means it’s as good as ever. Jonathan Crouch reports

Having rather under-achieved with fast versions of the first generation Focus, Ford really delivered when it came to the MK2 model. The Focus ST has proved to be the enthusiast’s choice in its sector and now it’s received the current Focus’ styling improvements.

It’s all a world away from the rather weak RS and ST170 variants that were offered to sports fans as part of the MK1 Focus model line-up. When the second generation range was announced, Ford were also determined to give real enthusiasts a real segment-leading hot hatch. And they have. As a measure of this car’s ability, a standard production Focus ST has set a segment-leading record time of 8 minutes 35 seconds around the Nordschleife circuit at the famed Nürburgring. This sort of achievement requires more than just brute power and the Focus ST remains one of the sharpest handling cars in its class. In fact, this car may well also still be the definitive choice for enthusiastic drivers who also demand comfort around town: an array of subtle suspension enhancements aim to ensure that this remains the case. As before, there’s a powerful braking system, while Ford’s Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and Traction Control are now standard on all versions.

"The Focus ST offers layers to its talents that no competitively priced rival can hope to match"

If you want this whole test summed up in one word, we’ll give it to you. The Focus ST is brilliant. It’s a hot hatch that flatters the average driver and rewards those with a few more tools in their locker. So many seriously powerful GTi hatches feel as if they have a little too much power but the chassis of the Focus is so talented and the engine so tractable that it always feels a class act. Having clocked up quite a few miles in the Focus RS, I was initially worried that the ST would be a little soft in the belly. Over the first couple of miles I wasn’t feeling much love for the steering, the electrically assisted system offering too much help. I then discovered that it’s possible, via the car’s computer, to change the weighting. I was on a Comfort setting. Notch it up to Sport, grab the thick-rimmed wheel and you’ve got a car that loves to be thrown at corners. Catch it off guard and the car can feel slightly nose heavy, that five-cylinder 222bhp turbo engine being quite a hunk of metalwork, but traction is so good that when you get it right, the Focus just slingshots out of a bend with no drama, very little in the way of torque steer and one of the most infectious engine notes around. Despite offering a broadly similar turbocharged power output to the original Focus RS and having drive directed to the front wheels like the Focus RS, Ford insiders claim the latest ST will demolish the RS’s time around the Nurburgring by a full twelve seconds, courtesy of its superior cornering ability and improved torque. I can believe it. The sprint to 60mph takes just over six seconds and a top speed in the region of 150mph will be more than adequate. Wet traction off the line isn’t the greatest but lateral grip is superb. The Volvo-sourced powerplant serves up a big slug of torque between 1,700 and 6,750rpm. It’s this driveability that makes the Focus ST such a formidable weapon. I drove the Ford to an event where I was driving a 414bhp Audi RS4 and it’s a real compliment to the Focus to say that it felt neither slow nor cheap afterwards. As before, the production version of the ST comes in three trim levels, priced from £18,250. You can specify an ST, an ST-2 or an ST-3 but some revision of this nomenclature will presumably be required if a diesel model is ever introduced. Every Focus ST boasts 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, sports styling, body-hugging Recaro sports seats, a unique sports steering wheel and upgraded instrumentation. New to this generation of ST are the 'Ford Power' starter button and Easyfuel capless refuelling system. Upgrading to ST-2 adds a Sony audio system, bi-xenon lights, LED rear lights and Quickclear heated windscreen while the ST-3 includes an in-dash six CD player plus full leather trim. In common with other members of the 2008 Focus family, a range of high-tech options can be specified. Among the list is a Tyre Deflation Detection System, a new audio connectivity module for external devices like Bluetooth, voice control and navigation systems plus various infotainment options including an affordable sat nav system with SD card slot. The Focus ST remains more than we could have hoped for. It’s a more mature car than you might expect given the loud colour schemes of the press fleet models you’ll have seen in magazines but it’s also a very talented, extremely tactile and awesomely skilled car. With cars like the Vauxhall Astra VXR and Volkswagen Golf GTI around, it needed to be. Ford have pulled it out of the fire.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus ST PRICE: £18,250-£20,850 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 17 CO2 EMISSIONS: 224g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 150mph / 0-60mph 6.1s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (average) 25.3mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4342/1840/1447

FAMILY FAVOURITE
Still Britain’s favourite family hatchback, Ford’s latest Focus claims to have been designed around the needs of families. But has it? Jonathan Crouch and family have been putting the car to a long term test…

People buy Ford Focuses for the same reason that their default shopping trip takes place at Sainsburys or Tescos. In short, there’s no hassle and they know what they’re going to get. This isn’t the sexiest reason for purchasing a car but it’s probably the one that accounts for most Focus sales.

But is Ford’s latest Focus really worth such blind purchasing obedience? We thought we’d find out by putting one to the test over six months, first on our company fleet and then into the hands of the most demanding family known to man: namely, mine. Step forward my wife Katie and our two daughters Caris, who is 9, Ellie who is 7 and Amy who is 2. All four have developed an extremely acute perspective on what they like and don’t like about modern cars. Both older girls are picked up every day from school with snacks and (hopefully healthy) treats, so reduce the interior of any school run transport to that of an urban bus shelter within minutes. Crushed crisps, sticky fingermarks and soft drink spillages are par for the course. In vain, I’ve asked my wife to stick to fruit – but that’s another story. Anyway, what did they make of the Focus, day-in and day-out? Well things got off to a bad start by dint of the fact that the test car was a five-door hatch rather than the estate they were used to. Still, that’s not Ford’s fault and in any case, merit points were regained when a cursory inspection was made of the extras included on the 1.8 TDCi Titanium model available for test. Even in standard form, this flagship Focus looks a comprehensive package for buyers seeking an economical family hatch with a sporty edge and at prices starting from £17,200 in this plushest guise (Focus 1.8 TDCi prices actually start at £16,450 if you can do without the bling), it’s not ridiculously expensive. What did open our eyes was the potential for nudging that price skyward with a foray into the options list. In addition to the standard Titanium features, our car chipped in with cost options running to metallic paint, rear parking sensors, the communications pack (satellite navigation, Bluetooth hands free technology and the Voice Control System), the Titanium X pack (full leather trim, powered drivers seat, heated front seats, xenon headlamps, LED rear lights and powered mirrors) and the Sport pack (Titanium 18" alloy wheels and sports suspension). If I’d been paying for that little lot, it would have pushed the asking price up to around £21,000, which seems a tad on the high side for a Focus. Particularly as the Titanium trim level already includes rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, sports seats, air-conditioning, the Quickclear heated windscreen, a leather steering wheel, front fog lights and rear privacy glass. You get the idea: this isn’t the stuff of a stripped-down shopping hatch.

"Our test reminded us why the Focus remains such a resoundingly sensible choice for so many ordinary family hatchback buyers..."

Not that the Crouch family were interested in all this detail. They were more bothered about the dark privacy glass (they think it makers it look as if drug dealers are on board) and the performance of the Ford-fit stereo (very satisfying for a loud rendition of ‘With Love From Me To You’ – they’re into the Beatles at present). My wife wasn’t hugely gripped by the performance of the 1.8-litre 115bhp diesel engine (10.8 seconds from rest to sixty) but she loved the regular 55mpg return at the pumps. The interior trim and plastics didn’t look that impressive at first glance but they did prove easy to wipe clean – which is far more important. The car has a purposeful stance with clean bold lines around the front end and a tidy rear where the light clusters are positioned high up out of harm’s way. There’s nothing fussy about the detailing with the designers obviously preferring to keep things solid and chunky, two themes that are echoed on the inside of the vehicle. Space is definitely a key asset for the Focus. There’s plenty of room in the back for two six-foot adults and even if they were joined by a third passenger of similar dimensions, the squeeze wouldn’t be unbearable on long trips. The boot too is remarkably large, harbouring more than enough capacity for one of my wife’s regular really expensive trips to Tesco. As I’ve suggested, some might find the cabin a touch bland in terms of decor and design, especially at a time when rival family hatchback manufacturers have given their design departments free reign to dream up all manner of outlandish interior features. Luminous plastics, gaudy colours and curvaceous facias have been left on the drawing board, the Focus instead keeping it simple. Some will like the look, some won’t but the build quality is impressive. The main thing is that it all works and even a driver who is new to the vehicle should be able to locate the control they want almost instantly. This was certainly the case when my wife sat herself behind the wheel. She found that the driving position was excellent and that there was good scope for adjustment so that passengers of varying shapes and sizes had no problem getting comfortable. She reported that when fiddling with the seat position, it was best to have the door open as the controls are difficult to get at once you’ve shut yourself into the car. She awarded plus points to the leather-covered steering wheel ("which has a nice feel to it") and the positioning of the gear lever ("perfectly placed quite high on your left side"). On the road, both of us agreed that the steering had a reassuringly weighty feel and thought the gearchange to be superb with its precise short-throw action. The 1.8-litre TDCi engine generates 115bhp and puts a decent about of low down urge at the driver’s disposal. This TDCi is quite refined when cruising: you just get that gruff oil-burning engine note when accelerating up to speed. The main sound inside the car is the road roar and this can become intrusive over time but the engine certainly doesn’t make its presence felt too overtly. Overall, our test reminded us why the Focus remains such a resoundingly sensible choice for so many ordinary family hatchback buyers. Unremarkable it may be in some respects but it does all the things a family hatchback should do and it does them well. The driving experience is good, there’s plenty of space inside, it’s solidly build and the TDCi engine delivers startling economy. Now all I’ve got to do is to clear out all those crushed crisps and sweet wrappers before Ford come to collect it…..

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi PRICES: £16,450-£17,800 – on the road CO2 EMISSIONS: 137g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 14.7s / Max Speed 101mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 42.1mpg / (extra urban) 65.6mpg / (combined) 54.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags, ABS, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4342/1840/1447

THE SHARPEST FOCUS
The Focus RS is Ford’s opportunity to show just how quick its Focus hatchback can get. Steve Walker reports

Ford’s RS brand has a heritage that leads us to expect excellence and the Focus RS has pulled out all the stops not to disappoint. With a completely revised front suspension system designed to manage the stresses of channelling 296bhp through the front wheels, sharpened steering, up-rated brakes and super-aggressive styling, it’s a car that transcends the hot hatch genre and goes after some big name performance models.

As performance brands go, Ford’s RS belongs very much in the premier league. With a heritage stretching back to 1970, the RS badge is held in reserve and only applied to the most focused high-performance machinery to emerge from the Blue Oval’s production lines. RS iterations of the Escort, Capri and Sierra all hold a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts and in recent times it’s been the Focus RS that’s carried the torch with no little distinction. The latest Focus RS is the 21st RS-badged model to take its place on Ford’s roll of honour and if past form is any indication, we can expect a thoroughly well-sorted performance hatchback. There are a select group of badges that when spotted on the tailgate of an otherwise everyday car, really guarantee that it harbours serious sporting ambitions. BMW’s M Sport would get the nod as would Audi’s RS. Then there’s Subaru’s STi and Mitsubishi’s Evolution. Honda’s Type-R demands respect while Renault’s Renaultsport and Vauxhall’s VXR are promising newcomers in this company but despite some genuine highlights down the years, both Peugeot and Volkswagen have conspired to devalue their GTi monikers with some questionable past efforts. Ford’s RS stands comparison with the very best here and serves to guarantee that in gaining Rallye Sport status, a conventional Ford model has undergone an extensive package of modifications. So to the nitty-gritty. The Focus RS guarantees its entry into the exclusive VIP area of the hot hatchback market sector with a 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine achieving 296bhp. Torque is rated at a massive 410Nm and it all helps the Focus RS launch itself through 62mph in less than six seconds. Such capabilities see the RS transcend the conventional hot hatchback market where Ford’s Focus ST is already one of the finest exponents and match it up against the likes of Subaru’s Impreza STi and Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evo X. These four-wheel-drive rally-replica models are ambitious targets for a front-wheel-drive Focus but Ford is confident and certainly doesn’t award its cars RS status lightly.

"The car pushes Ford into an area of the performance car market where front-wheel-drive models rarely tread…"

Ford’s secret weapon in the battle the Focus RS faces against its four-wheel-drive rivals is the RevoKnuckle – an advanced front suspension system developed uniquely for the Focus RS which aims to deal a knockout blow to assumptions that nearly 300bhp in a front-wheel-drive car is too much. It’s true that asking a car’s front wheels to deploy that much power while also taking care of steering duties can lead to serious handling compromises. You’d expect torque steer to occur under hard acceleration, while cornering or on uneven surfaces and to manifest itself as a sharp tugging on the steering wheel as the car’s front wheels battle for purchase. Ford’s solution is the RevoKnuckle suspension which works in tandem with the Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited slip differential to reduce torque steer and generally minimise the negative effects that the driven front wheels have on the steering. The solution enables the RS to deploy its power while retaining its poise and controllability. It also negates the need for an all-wheel-drive transmission, saving significant amounts of weight in the process. RS Fords have never been shrinking violets from a styling perspective. Fierce bodykits and super-sized rear wings big enough to hold a board meeting around have long been the order of the day where these fastest of Fords are concerned. The Focus RS continues that theme in its own muscle-bound style, confirming beyond doubt that this is not your normal Ford Focus. The front end is dominated by the huge angry intake carved into the valance.This, the grille and the slits below the headlamps are all filled with black honeycombed mesh. The bonnet features louvered air intakes, there are more honeycomb vents behind the front wheelaches and the back sports a roof-mounted spoiler with a diffuser under the car from which the chrome exhausts pipes sprout. The car’s planted stance is achieved through its low skirts and a track that’s 40mm wider than a standard Focus. Of course, beneath the surface, the changes to the Focus RS are even more far reaching. The springs and dampers have been completely revised and a more substantial anti-roll bar is fitted. The braking system features 336mm front discs and 300mm items at the rear to bring all that power under control. Inside, the driver and front passenger are clamped into extreme-looking Recaro sports seats while the RS badging crops up on every available surface including the specially-designed three-spoke steering wheel. The whole cabin is highlighted in brushed aluminium and carbon fibre-effect finishes while three additional gauges from the ST model, including one for turbo pressure, sit atop the dash. Saving weight has been a central focus of the Focus RS and Ford aren’t about to ruin all their hard work by offering a vast array of hefty optional extras. The car will be offered as a three-door only and equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox. The exclusive 19" alloy wheels are standard fit and all models get an ESP stability control system that has been configured especially for the car. The system can be disengaged completely by drivers wanting to fully explore the handling of the RS but while activated, it still allows a large degree of slippage before intervening and that should be more than enough for most drivers away from the race track. You don’t buy a car like the Focus RS and expect to get away lightly in terms of running costs. Drive the car as Ford’s RS engineers intended and both fuel economy and emissions will be subjects that you’ll be keen to avoid while regaling friends about the car’s awesome capabilities. Insurance too is unlikely to be a picnic but you have to put things in context of 300bhp performance hatchbacks and in this company the lightweight Focus RS won’t be the biggest drain on its owner’s resources. Ford has jealously guarded its RS performance brand down the years, to the point where the public knows that any car bearing the famous moniker is going to be supremely capable. The Focus RS is unquestionably pushing the limits of just how much power it’s possible to put in a front wheel drive car but far from simply banging in a massively powerful engine and hoping for the best, Ford has comprehensively revised the front suspension to cope. The 296bhp Focus RS looks a thoroughly engineered product but we never really expected anything less. The Focus RS is a giant leap away from the 1.6-litre shopping hatches at the opposite end of the Focus range. Designed to sate the enthusiast who deems mere hot hatchbacks to be too slow, the car pushes Ford into an area of the performance car market where front-wheel-drive models rarely tread. Of course, if the Focus RS can do what it says on the tin, it’s going to look like a huge bargain in that esteemed company and some big fast car brands are going to have some serious thinking to do.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus RS PRICE: £25,000 - on the road [est] INSURANCE GROUP: 20 [est] CO2 EMISSIONS: 250g/km [est] PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 165mph / 0-60mph 5.8s [est] FUEL CONSUMPTION: (average) 22mpg [est] STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4342/1840/1447 [est]

AIR APPARENT
The Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet is the perfect folding tin top for those who don’t fancy a French car and can’t run to a premium German badge. Andy Enright reports

One of the biggest growth sectors in the car market over the past few years has been that of affordable coupe-cabriolets. Time was when you had to buy French but there’s now a bigger choice and the very best drive of the lot is this Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet. Even in the latest facelifted form, it’s no great looker though and that could be key for some.

There no getting away from the fact. As a nation we have gone ga-ga over small cars with folding hard tops. If statistics are to be believed, we’ve already bought more drop top cars than France, Italy and Spain combined, notwithstanding our decidedly aqueous climate, and now that manufacturers can factor in the additional safety and security of a metal roof, there’s no stopping us. Perhaps we should pause for a moment and ask ourselves what convertibles are really all about. It’s the wind in the hair and, yes, looking good, which is why it’s all the more perplexing that most compact folding hard top cars look about as sexy as mini-skip. Enter Ford’s latest Focus Coupe-Cabriolet. From some angles it’s a stunner, from others it looks as if it has, to coin a phrase, a bit too much junk in the trunk. Still, no car is perfect and the Focus counters with a sharper driving experience than any of its direct rivals can serve up. Buy the 1.6-litre version of the Focus Coupe Cabriolet and it’s hard to escape the nagging suspicion that you’ve not bought a whole lot of engine, the lion’s share of your money having gone on the basics and that fancy folding tin top. Things get a little more satisfying if you’re prepared to dig a little deeper and get the 2.0-litre petrol model. This engine feels as if it’s made for the Coupe-Cabriolet. Dragging around a hefty welter of electric motors isn’t child’s play and the 143bhp 2.0-litre will punch the car to 60mph in 10.2 seconds. Coincidentally this is exactly the same time as the 2.0-litre TDCi diesel manages but Ford rather greedily wants another £1,500 model for model for the oil burner. Most will stick with this petrol option. A top speed of 129mph may be academic to some but it’s indicative of just how much the Focus has in reserve when cruising at typical UK motorway speeds. Suffice to say, you’re not flogging the car’s guts out to keep pace.

"If you like the way the Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet looks, then there aren’t too many reasons to look elsewhere…."

Like all Ford Focus models, the multilink rear suspension is set up to handle the worst you can throw at it, although the springs and dampers on the Coupe-Cabriolet have been tuned to offer a more supple ride than the surprisingly well focused hatch. The electrically-assisted steering system is one of the better examples of its ilk, although owners of Mk1 Focuses will still probably mutter about how good the original was before realising they sound like their fathers. In the early days, most coupe cabriolet models looked rather ungainly, with huge distended rears that would open up like something from a Bond movie and then swallow the hood mechanism whole. That’s no longer acceptable. Nor is having a car that features next to no luggage space. That sort of thing is all rather 2001 and the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet counters with 500-litres of room when the hood is up, although this does drop when the folding roof cartridge is in place. A full four-seater, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet may not be the answer to the family motorist’s prayers but it’s a lot more practical than its fun-loving agenda may suggest. Benefiting from Ford’s ‘kinetic design’ approach to styling, the latest Focus CC has been smartened up around the front end. Trapezoidal grilles, swept back headlamps and bolder wheel arches are the key changes. Inside, the more upmarket aura continues. Nicer soft-touch plastics now cover the instrument panel as well as the upper front door trim and this is complemented by plusher seat fabrics plus a variety of more attractive fascia finishings. The two-piece electrically-operated hard-top roof operates at the touch of a button and takes just 29 seconds, with no catches, latches or levers needing to be manhandled. Once the roof is stowed in the boot, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet’s lines are a good deal more elegant, with a classic rising waistline and a clean rear deck. Inside, the car’s dashboard layout follows the style of other Focus models, but with a different colour scheme developed to distinguish it as a flagship. There are three trim levels on offer and the names are fairly self explantory: CC-1 (only offered with the 1.6-litre engine), CC-2 and CC-3. All feature alloy wheels, an embossed chrome Focus logo at the rear, four-seats with sculptured rear bench, a range of unique colours, electronically-operated and heated door mirrors with side turn indicators, Thatcham Cat 1 alarm, CD stereo and air-conditioning. Go for the CC-2 models and you can expect 17in alloy wheels, three-spoke leather steering wheel, Sony MP3 player and Ford’s excellent Quickclear windscreen defroster. Opt for the CC-3 and you’ll also get leather seats, cruise control, a Sony six-CD system and automatic lights/wipers/mirror. Safety of course is paramount in a car like this and Ford’s new Rollover Protection Device (RPD) plays a vital role in increasing the Coupé-Cabriolet's passive safety performance. In addition to standard front and side airbags, the RPD is designed to help protect passengers in the event of a vehicle rollover. If the system detects an imminent roll, two safety roll-bars "fire" and extend out by up by 20cm to provide a supportive safety strut along with the ultra-strong windscreen pillars to protect the car's occupants. ESP stability control is also standard. The 2.0-litre petrol model is, for the time being at least, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet model in biggest demand from new, but that doesn’t always translate into top notch residual values. In fact, it’s pipped by the 1.6-litre entry level car in this regard but does better than the 2.0-litre diesel. Expect this car to retain around 47 per cent of its new price after three years. That’s still an extremely strong showing from a car that wears a mainstream badge. By way of comparison, a 2.0-litre Focus hatchback will retain around 35 per cent and again, the diesel versions actually perform worse in terms of depreciation. Fuel economy is reasonable at 37.7mpg for the 2.0-litre petrol car, rising to 39.8mpg for the 1.6-litre petrol and 47.9mpg for the diesels. Unless your daily commute takes you to Istanbul and back, the 2.0-litre petrol looks the best bet as it’s unlikely that you’d recoup the additional expense in fuel savings offered by the diesel and the Focus 1.6-litre is only marginally better on fuel despite being a good deal slower. If you like the way the Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet looks, and there are many that don’t care for its rather distended bottom, then there aren’t too many substantive reasons why you should look elsewhere. Narrowing down the best buy in the range is also a fairly simple procedure. It’s the CC-2 version with the 2.0-litre petrol model. It drives sharply, is respectable value for money and won’t cost an arm and a leg to run. The issue that I find unsettling about the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet is that its key asset, namely its sparkling handling, is an attribute that tends to be largely wasted on buyers of this sort of car. Far higher up in the motivation hierarchy are factors such as what this vehicle says about them and how pretty it is. Those are thornier quandaries. When all is said and done, this is a Ford Focus, that most ubiquitous of cars, and it’s not the most cohesively proportioned one at that. Although keenly priced and well engineered, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet isn’t going to dominate its market sector in quite the same way its hatchback sibling has.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet range PRICES: £17,995-£21,995 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-11 CO2 EMISSIONS: 156-179g/km PERFORMANCE: [2.0 petrol] Max Speed 129mph / 0-60mph 10.2s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0 petrol] (combined) 37.7mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4509/1834/1448

CORPORATE FOCUS
How would the Ford Focus fair as a company car? We set out to find out. Steve Walker reports.

When we think of company cars, it’s usually the medium range family cars that come to mind. If not the Ford Mondeo and its ilk, then maybe the compact executive set or even the crop of premium-badged hatchbacks might be also be considered as typical fleet fodder. Family hatchbacks like the Ford Focus don’t tend to figure all that prominently in most peoples’ perceptions of the archetypal company car but Ford does shift a significant number of Focus models to business users and the car’s range of abilities suggests it should be more than up to the job.

We’ve been putting a Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi Titanium through its paces over the course of a few months, pounding the motorways, locking horns with the rush hour traffic and taking care or family duties on evenings and weekends. Essentially, we’ve been replicating the life of a fairly average company car and the results have been enlightening. The motorway is home turf for the armies of fleet vehicles operating in the UK today and our Ford Focus has seen its fair share of outside lane action. A big part of the logic behind company car drivers choosing larger cars is that they’re perceived to be more comfortable and relaxing cruisers and we have to admit that the Focus does feel more jittery on long distance jaunts than the supremely composed Mondeo. It’s nothing too drastic, however, and can be put down, at least in part, to the firm sports suspension on our model. The Focus certainly makes smoother progress than some of the family hatchbacks we could mention. It also out does many models from the compact executive arena where low profile tyres, sports suspension and journeys of a few hundred miles or more don’t always make happy bedfellows.

"Over the course of our long term test, the Ford Focus has preformed in fine style"

Over the course of out high mileage stint in the Focus we average around 45mpg which is a great showing from the 1.8-litre TDCi common-rail diesel powerplant. With real world economy like that (the official combined cycle economy figure is 54.2mpg) and 137g/km emissions, company car users will see big benefits over a larger more profligate vehicle that would present a bigger target for the tax man. The 1.8 TDCI engine in our model is a little bit of a letdown in some other respects. There’s a coarse noise from start-up but once the engine is into its stride, this subsides greatly. The engine feels strong enough through the middle of its rev range but a flat spot before the turbo kicks in means you need to pull away with a few revs on the board. Likewise, there’s not much going on at high revs and you’re better served by changing up early. Venture away from the motorway and, predictably, the Focus handles beautifully. The independent suspension that had seemed a little busy when cruising really works like a charm to keep the car planted and balanced. Great steering and no shortage of grip also help you to forget that you’d really like a bit more power up front. The other potential drawback with a company-owned smaller car is a smaller cabin but the Focus neatly sidesteps that issue. It’s impressively roomy inside with good head and leg room for those in the rear. The boot is quite a size as well and the hatchback aperture is plenty wide enough to get large items in with no problem. The Focus is easily a more practical car than the premium badged hatchbacks that are often chosen by company car users. The interior design in our Titanium trim Focus is characterised by lots of shiny finishes and a high-tech feel underlined by the sheer amount of equipment. Titanium trim endows the Focus with a very detailed specification in its own right. Rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, sports seats, air-conditioning, the Quickclear heated windscreen, a leather steering wheel, front fog lights and rear privacy glass: this isn’t the stuff of a stripped-down shopping hatch. Our test car, however, raises its game with options including metallic paint, rear parking sensors, the communications pack (satellite navigation, Bluetooth hands free technology and the Voice Control System), the Titanium X pack (full leather trim, powered drivers seat, heated front seats, xenon headlamps, LED rear lights and powered mirrors) and the Sport pack (Titanium 18" alloy wheels and sports suspension). The cabin all works reasonably well and looks good although the steering column-mounted console for adjusting the stereo controls is a rather ugly hunk of plastic and can be hard to reach with your hands on the wheel. Otherwise, the controls feel solid to the touch and are well-damped. It’s enough to make you question the need to pay extra for a premium-badged product. Over the course of our long term test, the Ford Focus has performed in fine style. It’s nimble, sporty driving characteristics make it more fun to punt about than most of the larger models that company car users usually focus their attention on and it will do most of the things that a larger car will, if sometimes with a little less panache. Our model had its price bumped up by a generous specification but a more modestly equipped version without the sports suspension would make a fine company car option.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi PRICES: £16,450-£17,800 – on the road CO2 EMISSIONS: 137g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 14.7s / Max Speed 101mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 42.1mpg / (extra urban) 65.6mpg / (combined) 54.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags, ABS, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4342/1840/1447

OPEN SEASON ON DIESEL
Diesel cars with open roofs are a relatively new phenomenon. Andy Enright assesses the Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCI’s place in the emerging hierarchy

The diesel engine has been around for a long time but it’s only been in the last handful of years that technology has progressed to such an extent that you could conceivably fit one to a drop-top car. Diesels used to be agricultural, smelly and noisy and to drive around without the protection of a roof would have given any driver an insight into what it must have been like to be a stoker on the flying Scotsman. Much has changed in recent years and the development of smooth, refined common-rail diesel engines has meant that open top driving while your car squashes its heavy oil is not just possible but increasingly desirable. Ford has pitched in with their contender in this rapidly expanding market with the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCI and it’s a belter.

As well as having a diesel engine, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet also has another feature that’s mushroomed in popularity – the folding hard top roof. Making this a vehicle that reflects the current leisure-oriented fashion for those with a bit of disposable income. Prices start at around £21,000, so it’s not pocket money change but rest assured that this model will be in demand for quite some time yet, thus plumping up residual values nicely, in turn driving down the cost of a typical three to four year ownership tenure. The 2.0-litre diesel engine is good for 136bhp and is acceptably refined. There are smoother diesel units out there in this class but few that offer this sort of response and broad spread of torque. It’s almost as if you’ve got a big, unstressed petrol under the bonnet so lazy and muscular is the pick up. In this way, it’s not wholly unlike the old Ford 3.0-litre Essex engine, a unit that, coincidentally, also made 136bhp. Even with the roof of the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet safely tucked away in its chunky rump, there’s little in the way of engine din, the wind and tyre noise being a good deal more voluble. Even these sounds aren’t overly intrusive though and 70mph cruising with the roof down isn’t going to leave you feeling as if you’ve been twelve rounds with Amir Khan.

"The 2.0-litre diesel engine offers fuel economy figures that read like a misprint. In a good way of course"

The bald figures make respectable reading. The Duratorq diesel is by far the most impressive powerplant in the line up and makes sixty from rest in 10.3s on the way to 128mph and a combined fuel figure of nearly 50mpg. Backed up by a six-speed gearshift, it develops more torque than a Porsche Boxster S. This means that as long as you keep the needle in the sweet spot around 2,000rpm, you’ll have plenty of acceleration in reserve whether it’s just you at the wheel or even if the car is fully stacked. That fuel economy figure means that you won’t begrudge using that torque at will either, making this Focus a very effective cross country mover. Hood up or down, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet is a neat piece of styling. In the early days, most folding metal top coupe cabriolet models looked rather ungainly, with huge distended rears that would open up like something from a Bond movie and then swallow the hood mechanism whole. While they undoubtedly provided good pavement theatre, they weren’t what you’d call conventionally good looking. Still, the benefits of added safety and security married to the fun of a convertible overcame their aesthetic shortcomings and the market for this sort of car has exploded. While early adopters like Peugeot’s 308CC and Renault’s Megane CC made hay, it took other manufacturers such as Vauxhall (with their Astra TwinTop) and Volkswagen (with their Eos) a little longer to join the fray. Ford have played a particularly patient waiting game and the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet has, as a result, to adhere to a tougher set of customer demands. The two-piece electrically-operated hard top roof operates at the touch of a button and takes just 29 seconds, with no catches, latches or levers needing to be manhandled. Once stowed in the boot, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet’s lines are a good deal more elegant, with a classic rising waistline and clean rear deck. Ford turned to Italian styling house Pininfarina to create this model and you can’t really argue with the finished result, even if it is severely toned down from the striking Vignale concept car paraded at the Paris Motorshow in 2004. The specially styled rear end is characterised by unique tail lights linked by a chrome strip bearing an embossed Focus logo to give the new model what Ford hopes is ‘a premium feel’. This is further enhanced by a redesigned front bumper shape and ‘distinctive’ wheel arches. Inside, the car’s dashboard layout follows the style of other Focus models, but with a different colour scheme developed to distinguish it as a flagship. Two different colour schemes are offered: dark, sporty Ebony/Flint, and the warm, elegant Iris/Camel. Both CC-2 and CC-3 trim levels come with alloy wheels, electronically operated and heated door mirrors, a Thatcham 1 Cat alarm, a CD player and air conditioning. The CC-3 adds leather seats 17-inch Vignale alloys, a six-CD Sony stereo, cruise control, auto lights/wipers/mirrors plus chrome trim oin the fog lights and grille surround. Safety of course is paramount in a car like this and Ford’s new Rollover Protection Device (RPD) plays a vital role in increasing the Coupe-Cabriolet's passive safety performance. In addition to standard front and side airbags, the RPD is designed to help protect passengers in the event of a vehicle rollover. If the system detects an imminent roll, two safety roll-bars "fire" and extend out by up by 20cm to provide a supportive safety strut along with the ultra-strong windscreen pillars to protect the car's occupants. The Focus Coupe-Cabriolet looks set to mow down many of its erstwhile rivals in the hurly-burly of becoming the biggest selling drop top car in the UK and this 2.0-litre diesel model is going to account for a hefty slug of those sales. It’s a very rounded car and it’ll appeal to a wide range of potential customers.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCi PRICES: £20,995-£21,995 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 11 CO2 EMISSIONS: 156g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 128mph / 0-60mph 10.3s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 47.9mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4509/1834/1448

OPEN SEASON ON DIESEL
Diesel cars with open roofs are a relatively new phenomenon. Andy Enright assesses the Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCI’s place in the emerging hierarchy

The diesel engine has been around for a long time but it’s only been in the last handful of years that technology has progressed to such an extent that you could conceivably fit one to a drop-top car. Diesels used to be agricultural, smelly and noisy and to drive around without the protection of a roof would have given any driver an insight into what it must have been like to be a stoker on the flying Scotsman. Much has changed in recent years and the development of smooth, refined common-rail diesel engines has meant that open top driving while your car squashes its heavy oil is not just possible but increasingly desirable. Ford has pitched in with their contender in this rapidly expanding market with the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCI and it’s a belter.

As well as having a diesel engine, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet also has another feature that’s mushroomed in popularity – the folding hard top roof. Making this a vehicle that reflects the current leisure-oriented fashion for those with a bit of disposable income. Prices start at £19,287 for the CC-2 model and top out at £20,287 for the CC-3 variant, so it’s not pocket money change but rest assured that this model will be in demand for quite some time yet, thus plumping up residual values nicely, in turn driving down the cost of a typical three to four year ownership tenure. The 2.0-litre diesel engine is good for 136bhp and is acceptably refined. There are smoother diesel units out there in this class but few that offer this sort of response and broad spread of torque. It’s almost as if you’ve got a big, unstressed petrol under the bonnet so lazy and muscular is the pick up. In this way, it’s not wholly unlike the old Ford 3.0-litre Essex engine, a unit that, coincidentally, also made 136bhp. Even with the roof of the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet safely tucked away in its chunky rump, there’s little in the way of engine din, the wind and tyre noise being a good deal more voluble. Even these sounds aren’t overly intrusive though and 70mph cruising with the roof down isn’t going to leave you feeling as if you’ve been twelve rounds with Amir Khan.

"The 2.0-litre diesel engine offers fuel economy figures that read like a misprint. In a good way of course"

The bald figures make respectable reading. The Duratorq diesel is by far the most impressive powerplant in the line up and makes sixty from rest in 10.3s on the way to 128mph and a combined fuel figure of nearly 50mpg. Backed up by a six-speed gearshift, it develops more torque than a Porsche Boxster S. This means that as long as you keep the needle in the sweet spot around 2,000rpm, you’ll have plenty of acceleration in reserve whether it’s just you at the wheel or even if the car is fully stacked. That fuel economy figure means that you won’t begrudge using that torque at will either, making this Focus a very effective cross country mover. Hood up or down, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet is a neat piece of styling. In the early days, most folding metal top coupe cabriolet models looked rather ungainly, with huge distended rears that would open up like something from a Bond movie and then swallow the hood mechanism whole. While they undoubtedly provided good pavement theatre, they weren’t what you’d call conventionally good looking. Still, the benefits of added safety and security married to the fun of a convertible overcame their aesthetic shortcomings and the market for this sort of car has exploded. While early adopters like Peugeot’s 307CC and Renault’s Megane CC made hay, it took other manufacturers such as Vauxhall (with their Astra TwinTop) and Volkswagen (with their Eos) a little longer to join the fray. Ford have played a particularly patient waiting game and the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet has, as a result, to adhere to a tougher set of customer demands. The two-piece electrically-operated hard top roof operates at the touch of a button and takes just 29 seconds, with no catches, latches or levers needing to be manhandled. Once stowed in the boot, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet’s lines are a good deal more elegant, with a classic rising waistline and clean rear deck. Ford turned to Italian styling house Pininfarina to create this model and you can’t really argue with the finished result, even if it is severely toned down from the striking Vignale concept car paraded at the Paris Motorshow in 2004. The specially styled rear end is characterised by unique tail lights linked by a chrome strip bearing an embossed Focus logo to give the new model what Ford hopes is ‘a premium feel’. This is further enhanced by a redesigned front bumper shape and ‘distinctive’ wheel arches. Inside, the car’s dashboard layout follows the style of other Focus models, but with a different colour scheme developed to distinguish it as a flagship. Two different colour schemes are offered: dark, sporty Ebony/Flint, and the warm, elegant Iris/Camel. Both CC-2 and CC-3 trim levels come with alloy wheels, electronically operated and heated door mirrors, a Thatcham 1 Cat alarm, a CD player and air conditioning. The CC-3 adds leather seats 17-inch Vignale alloys, a six-CD Sony stereo, cruise control, auto lights/wipers/mirrors plus chrome trim oin the fog lights and grille surround. Safety of course is paramount in a car like this and Ford’s new Rollover Protection Device (RPD) plays a vital role in increasing the Coupe-Cabriolet's passive safety performance. In addition to standard front and side airbags, the RPD is designed to help protect passengers in the event of a vehicle rollover. If the system detects an imminent roll, two safety roll-bars "fire" and extend out by up by 20cm to provide a supportive safety strut along with the ultra-strong windscreen pillars to protect the car's occupants. The Focus Coupe-Cabriolet looks set to mow down many of its erstwhile rivals in the hurly-burly of becoming the biggest selling drop top car in the UK and this 2.0-litre diesel model is going to account for a hefty slug of those sales. It’s a very rounded car and it’ll appeal to a wide range of potential customers.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCi PRICES: £19,287-£20,287 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 11 CO2 EMISSIONS: 156g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 128mph / 0-60mph 10.3s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 47.9mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4509/1834/1448

THE DAY TO OWN A 500
The Focus ST500 commemorates one of the finest days in Ford’s motorsport history. It’s also a highly capable performance hatch in the here and now. Steve Walker reports.

In 1966, the Circuit de la Sarthe erupted with American pride as the Le Mans 24hr ended with three Fords on the podium. In the closest ever running of the world famous endurance race, the Ford GT40 of New Zealanders Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon was involved in a photo finish with the Ford GT40 of Britain’s Ken Miles and New Zealand’s Denis Hulme. The McLaren/Amon car was declared the winner after it started the race a few places behind its rival on the grid and so covered the greater distance in the allotted time. The winning car on this illustrious day for Ford motorsport featured distinctive black bodywork with silver stripes, livery that is reprised today by the Ford Focus ST500.

The ST500 is a swansong for the original shape Ford Focus ST performance hatchback. When this car was announced, a facelifted version of the Focus had already been unveiled so an ST version sporting those revisions was inevitable. In that respect then, the ST500 represents that last of its particular kind but this Focus ST isn’t a bad kind to be the last of. With just 500 models being produced, the ST500 offers extra exclusivity over normal ST models and the £20,495 asking price gives it a fierce competitive edge to match its hostile performance. At around £20,500, the ST500 doesn’t immediately strike you as a nailed down bargain. The car, however, isn’t based on the standard ST model that can be yours for under £19,000, it gets its specification straight from the range-topping ST-3 derivative. That car starts at £20,595 and not only gets items like the ST’s 18" alloy wheels and sports bodykit, it has the ST-2’s Sony CD stereo, Quickclear windscreen and bi-xenon headlamps. To that little lot, it adds a 6 CD autochanger and full leather heated Recaro sports seats.

"The Focus ST has always been one of the more extrovert hot hatchbacks"

It’s a well-specified car but the ST500 goes further. Not only do buyers get that evocative black paintwork with silver bonnet and roof stripes, they’re also on the receiving end of scarlet red leather for their Recaro sports seats. It all goes to make the ST500 quite an eye-catcher and while the racy colour schemes won’t be to everyone’s taste, they certainly help the car stand out. The GT40s that secured Ford’s 1-2-3 triumph at Le Mans were running 7.0-litre V8 engines but the ST500 employs a more reasonable 2.5-litre turbocharged unit. It might lack the V8 thunder but there’s character there and, by hot hatchback standards, quite a bit of performance. The 222bhp peak power output is achieved at 6,100rpm but there’s real fun in getting there. The 5-cylinder engine feels seriously muscular from low in the rev range thanks to the 320Nm maximum torque being available at just 1,600rpm. It’s a hot hatch that flatters the average driver and rewards those with a few more tools in their locker. So many seriously powerful GTi hatches feel as if they have a little too much power but the chassis of the Focus is so talented and the engine so tractable that it always feels a class act. Having clocked up quite a few miles in the Focus RS, I was initially worried that the ST would be a little soft in the belly. Over the first couple of miles I wasn’t feeling much love for the steering, the electrically assisted system offering too much help. I then discovered that it’s possible, via the car’s computer, to change the weighting. I was on a Comfort setting. Notch it up to Sport, grab the thick-rimmed wheel and you’ve got a car that loves to be thrown at corners. Catch it off guard and the car can feel slightly nose heavy, that five-cylinder 222bhp turbo engine being quite a hunk of metalwork, but traction is so good that when you get it right, the Focus just slingshots out of a bend with no drama, very little in the way of torque steer and one of the most infectious engine notes around. Despite offering a broadly similar turbocharged power output to the original Focus RS and having drive directed to the front wheels like the Focus RS, Ford insiders claim the latest ST will demolish the RS’s time around the Nurburgring by a full twelve seconds, courtesy of its superior cornering ability and improved torque. I can believe it. The sprint to 60mph takes just over six seconds and a top speed in the region of 150mph will be more than adequate. Wet traction off the line isn’t the greatest but lateral grip is superb. Underneath all the sporty paraphernalia on the ST500, you’ve got one of the market’s finest hot hatchbacks and this helps make the ST a pleasantly easy car to live with day to day. The rear bench is moulded into two separate berths so carrying three in the rear isn’t really an option but space is far from stingy even with the bulky Recaro seats installed. The boot too is a bit of a whopper with its utility maximised by the folding rear seat backs. You could certainly get away with the Focus as a family car, assuming you can live with its less than parsimonious approach to fuel consumption. There’s bound to be a drawback to all that performance and engaging handling but 30mpg will be tough for some buyers to bear and you’ll be lucky to achieve that if you drive like the ST500 constantly encourages you to. The Ford Focus ST500 is the swansong for one of the finest hot hatchbacks we’ve seen. The facelifted Focus ST will be largely the same with a smarter set of clothes but the ST500 represents your last chance to own the car in its original form. The Focus ST has always been one of the more extrovert hot hatchbacks and the ST500 doesn’t shy away from this. The aggressive looks won’t be to everyone’s taste and neither will the running costs but buyers will get a high quality performance hatch with a little bit of history thrown in.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus ST PRICE: £20,495 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 17 CO2 EMISSIONS: 224g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 150mph / 0-60mph 6.1s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 30mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4342/1840/1447

THE ITALIAN JOB
When Ford needed a sleek Coupe-Cabriolet version of their Focus, who better to turn to than renowned Italian design studio, Pininfarina? Andy Enright reports…

Although Ford aren’t going to score any points for leading the way with the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, they might well win some plaudits for doing a very thorough job in developing their take on the folding tin top theme. After all, we can’t accuse them of rushing into this market sector feet first. It’s been more than six years since Peugeot launched the 206CC and in that time customers have come to expect quite a bit from a car that claims to offer both the sleekness of a coupe and the open air pizzazz of a drop top.

Cohesive styling is a must. In the early days, most coupe cabriolet models looked rather ungainly, with huge distended rears that would open up like something from a Bond movie and then swallow the hood mechanism whole. While they undoubtedly provided good pavement theatre, they weren’t what you’d call conventionally good looking. Still, the benefits of added safety and security married to the fun of a convertible overcame their aesthetic shortcomings and the market for this sort of car has exploded. Whereas rivals such as Peugeot and Renault made hay, it took other manufacturers such as Vauxhall and Nissan a little longer to join the fray. Ford have played a particularly patient waiting game and the Focus has, as a result, to adhere to a tougher set of customer demands. For instance, it’s now no longer acceptable to have a car that features next to no luggage space. That sort of thing is all rather 2001 and the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet counters with 500-litres of room when the hood is up, although this does drop when the folding roof cartridge is in place. A full four-seater, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet may not be the answer to the family motorist’s prayers but it’s a lot more practical than its fun-loving agenda may suggest.

"Expect this Focus to become the biggest selling convertible car in Britain"

The two-piece electrically-operated hard top roof operates at the touch of a button and takes just 29 seconds, with no catches, latches or levers needing to be manhandled. Once stowed in the boot, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet’s lines are a good deal more elegant, with a classic rising waistline and clean rear deck. Ford turned to Italian styling house Pininfarina to create this model and you can’t really argue with the finished result, even if it is severely toned down from the striking Vignale concept car paraded at the Paris Motorshow in 2004. The specially styled rear end is characterised by unique tail lights linked by a chrome strip bearing an embossed Focus logo to give the new model what Ford hopes is ‘a premium feel’. This is further enhanced by a redesigned front bumper shape and ‘distinctive’ wheel arches. Inside, the car’s dashboard layout follows the style of other Focus models, but with a different colour scheme developed to distinguish it as a flagship. Two different colour schemes are offered: dark, sporty Ebony/Flint, and the warm, elegant Iris/Camel. There are three trim levels on offer – CC-1, CC-2 and CC-3 – but all come with alloy wheels, electronically operated and heated door mirrors, a Thatcham 1 Cat alarm, a CD player and air conditioning. Three engines are offered from launch and prices start from £16,822. The entry-level unit is the 100bhp 1.6-litre Duratec, while those looking for a punchier petrol engine will tick the box for the 144bhp 2.0-litre Duratec unit. The 1.6-litre petrol unit provides 0-62mph acceleration in 13.6sec, a top speed of 114mph and a combined fuel consumption figure of 39.8mpg. Go for the 2.0-litre and you can expect a 0-62mph time of 10.3sec, a top speed of 130mph and combined fuel consumption of 37.6mpg. Probably the most impressive powerplant in the line up however, is the 135bhp 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel which makes sixty from rest in 10.3s on the way to 128mph and a combined fuel figure of nearly 50mpg. The main thing however, is that this unit is quiet. Indeed, it’s a measure of Ford’s confidence in the refinement of this engine that they can put it into an open car. The Focus has established a reputation as one of – if not the - the best handling cars in its class and although the Coupe-Cabriolet is being touted as a Grand Tourer rather than a pure sports roadster, it shares the same brilliant and infinitely tuneable suspension. It also features the electrically-assisted steering that’s one of the best systems of its type and the expertise of thousands of hours of Focus research and development. Safety of course is paramount in a car like this and Ford’s new Rollover Protection Device (RPD) plays a vital role in increasing the Coupé-Cabriolet's passive safety performance. In addition to standard front and side airbags, the RPD is designed to help protect passengers in the event of a vehicle rollover. If the system detects an imminent roll, two safety roll-bars "fire" and extend out by up by 20cm to provide a supportive safety strut along with the ultra-strong windscreen pillars to protect the car's occupants. There are advantages to turning up late for any party and in this case, Ford has learned from the mistakes committed by others in this sector and not repeated them. As a result, despite tough competition from cars like Vauxhall’s Astra TwinTop, Volkswaqen’s Eos, Peugeot’s 307CC and Renault’s Megane CC, only a fool would bet against this Focus becoming the biggest selling vehicle of its type across Europe. In fact, one suspects it’ll break quite a few records in its lifetime.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet range PRICES: £16,822-£20,287 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-11 CO2 EMISSIONS: 156-179g/km PERFORMANCE: [2.0 TDCi] Max Speed 128mph / 0-60mph 10.3s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0 TDCi] (combined) 47.9mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4509/1834/1448

AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE?
Until now, there’s always been a reason to dislike one or other of the affordable coupe-cabriolets but with the Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, the objections start to vanish. Andy Enright takes a look at the 1.6-litre model.

The Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet might score well on many criteria but when it comes to originality, it’s awarded a big, fat zero. Ford accepts this and has paid the price in opportunity cost for the sake of bringing a very well-developed car to market. While the likes of Peugeot and Renault had their snouts firmly in the trough, Ford was quietly going about developing a model that would knock them into the next semaine.

That was the theory in any case. As it stands, the French aren’t taking the threat to their hegemony laying down and have responded with slashed prices and increased equipment counts, so it’s really a case of paying your money and making your choice. The inherently right fundamentals of the Focus will still swing it for many customers, despite the fact that many will see Vauxhall’s Astra TwinTop as arguably the prettier car. What needs to be made clear from the outset is that at Focus CC entry-level, you’re not buying a whole lot of engine. The lion’s share of your money has gone on the basics and that fancy folding tin top. Pay more and you’ll get more in terms of brake horsepower but if you want to occupy rung one on the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet ladder, you’ll need to manage your expectations and make do with 100bhp. The Duratec 1.6-litre unit is a sweet-revving engine but it’s not heavy on torque, which means that you’ll have to prod it and use the gearbox if you’re to make respectable progress. Ford quotes a 0-60 time of 13.3 seconds and a top speed of 114mph, which is reasonable if not rapid. Like all Ford Focuses, the multilink rear suspension is set up to handle the worst you can throw at it, although the springs and dampers on the Coupe-Cabriolet have been tuned to offer a more supple ride than the surprisingly, well, focused hatch. The electrically-assisted steering system is one of the better examples of its ilk, although owners of Mk1 Focuses will still probably mutter about how good the original was before realising they sound like their fathers.

"Even if the Ford drove like a bag of nails it would still bag a bunch of orders."

In the early days, most coupe cabriolet models looked rather ungainly, with huge distended rears that would open up like something from a Bond movie and then swallow the hood mechanism whole. That’s no longer acceptable. Nor is having a car that features next to no luggage space. That sort of thing is all rather 2001 and the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet counters with 500-litres of room when the hood is up, although this does drop when the folding roof cartridge is in place. A full four-seater, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet may not be the answer to the family motorist’s prayers but it’s a lot more practical than its fun-loving agenda may suggest. The two-piece electrically-operated hard-top roof operates at the touch of a button and takes just 29 seconds, with no catches, latches or levers needing to be manhandled. Once the roof is stowed in the boot, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet’s lines are a good deal more elegant, with a classic rising waistline and a clean rear deck. Inside, the car’s dashboard layout follows the style of other Focus models, but with a different colour scheme developed to distinguish it as a flagship. Two different colour schemes are offered: dark, sporty Ebony/Flint, and the warm, elegant Iris/Camel. Although it at first appears that there are three trim levels on offer – CC-1, CC-2 and CC-3 – the 1,6-litre engine is only offered with the entry-level CC-1 trim. This features alloy wheels, an embossed chrome Focus logo at the rear, four-seats with sculptured rear bench, a range of unique colours (including Acqua metallic – previously known as Vignale Blue), electronically-operated and heated door mirrors with side turn indicators, Thatcham Cat 1 alarm, CD stereo and air-conditioning. That lot is yours for £16,822. If you’re wondering, the next model up the hierarchy is the £17,822 2.0-litre CC-2. Safety of course is paramount in a car like this and Ford’s new Rollover Protection Device (RPD) plays a vital role in increasing the Coupé-Cabriolet's passive safety performance. In addition to standard front and side airbags, the RPD is designed to help protect passengers in the event of a vehicle rollover. If the system detects an imminent roll, two safety roll-bars "fire" and extend out by up by 20cm to provide a supportive safety strut along with the ultra-strong windscreen pillars to protect the car's occupants. With strong demand, residual vales look to be firm and the 1.6-litre entry model is the best performer of the range, holding on to 48 per cent of its value after three years. That’s a couple of percentage points better than the Renault Megane CC, although still not in the league of the entry-level Peugeot 307CC. The Ford hits back with Group 8 insurance which will really bring the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet within the reach of the younger driver looking for his or her first smart car. Fuel economy is relatively good at 36.9mpg, and if you’re looking to keep a lid on costs, this 1.6-litre Focus CC-1 is certainly the model to opt for, the slightly more fuel efficient diesel Focus CC-2 costing around £2,500 more. Unless your daily commute takes you to Istanbul and back, it’s unlikely that you’d ever recoup the additional expense in fuel savings. Where the Ford scores is in offering better economy figures than not only the Peugeot 307 and the Renault Megane CC but also the Astra TwinTop, probably the Focus CC’s closest rival. The key question when considering the Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet 1.6 CC-1 is what else does your £16,795 buy. It won’t get you the entry-level Vauxhall Astra TwinTop, nor will it be enough to put the most basic Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet or Peugeot 307CC in the garage. You’d still be thousands of pounds shy of a Volkswagen Eos or a Volvo C70. This fact alone will be enough to net Ford a big slew of conquest sales. Even if the Ford drove like a bag of nails it would still bag a bunch of orders. The fact that it’s possibly the best handling model in its class and is also very well-equipped for an entry-level car serves it well. It’s also reasonably good looking, if a little J-Lo in the posterior dimension. In bringing a modern, well-engineered folding tin top to market for such a modest price, Ford should be applauded. It’s right on the money.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Ford Focus 1.6-litre CC-1 PRICE: £16,822 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 8 CO2 EMISSIONS: 169g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 114mph / 0-60mph 13.3s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 36.9mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4342/1840/1420

FORD’S FINEST FLIP TOP
Although the novelty of a folding hard top may well have worn off some time ago, Ford’s Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0-litre remains an appealing choice. Andy Enright reports

Can we level for a moment? Really get down to the crux of the matter? There’s something about cars with folding hard tops that I have a little trouble coming to terms with. Given that a convertible car is all about looking good and feeling good, why is it that the market is populated with quite so many cars that are, shall we say, aesthetically challenged? I can understand the appeal of folding metal drop-tops like the Volkswagen Eos or the BMW 3 Series Convertible because they look the part. The Peugeot 307CC and the Nissan Micra C+C I have a little more of an issue with.

Halfway between the two sits the Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet. From some angles it’s a stunner, from others it looks as if it has, to coin a phrase, a bit too much junk in the trunk. Still, no car is perfect and the Focus counters with a sharper driving experience than any of its direct rivals can serve up. Buy the 1.6-litre version of the Focus Coupe Cabriolet and it’s hard to escape the nagging suspicion that you’ve not bought a whole lot of engine, the lion’s share of your money having gone on the basics and that fancy folding tin top. Things get a little more satisfying if you’re prepared to dig a little deeper and get the 2.0-litre petrol model we look at here. This engine feels as if it’s made for the Coupe-Cabriolet. Dragging around a hefty welter of electric motors isn’t child’s play and the 143bhp 2.0-litre will punch the car to 60mph in 10.2 seconds. Coincidentally, this is exactly the same time as the 2.0-litre TDCi diesel manages but Ford rather greedily wants another £1,500 model for model for the oil burner. Most will stick with this petrol option. A top speed of 129mph may be academic to some but it’s indicative of just how much the Focus has in reserve when cruising at typical UK motorway speeds. Suffice to say, you’re not flogging the car’s guts out to keep pace. Like all Ford Focus models, the multilink rear suspension is set up to handle the worst you can throw at it, although the springs and dampers on the Coupe-Cabriolet have been tuned to offer a more supple ride than the surprisingly well focused hatch. The electrically-assisted steering system is one of the better examples of its ilk, although owners of Mk1 Focuses will still probably mutter about how good the original was before realising they sound like their fathers.

"This engine feels as if it’s made for the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet…."

In the early days, most coupe cabriolet models looked rather ungainly, with huge distended rears that would open up like something from a Bond movie and then swallow the hood mechanism whole. That’s no longer acceptable. Nor is having a car that features next to no luggage space. That sort of thing is all rather 2001 and the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet counters with 500-litres of room when the hood is up, although this does drop when the folding roof cartridge is in place. A full four-seater, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet may not be the answer to the family motorist’s prayers but it’s a lot more practical than its fun-loving agenda may suggest. The two-piece electrically-operated hard-top roof operates at the touch of a button and takes just 29 seconds, with no catches, latches or levers needing to be manhandled. Once the roof is stowed in the boot, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet’s lines are a good deal more elegant, with a classic rising waistline and a clean rear deck. Inside, the car’s dashboard layout follows the style of other Focus models, but with a different colour scheme developed to distinguish it as a flagship. Two different colour schemes are offered: dark, sporty Ebony/Flint, and the warm, elegant Iris/Camel. There are two trim levels on offer with this engine – CC-2 and CC-3. Even the CC-2 comes with 17in 10-spoke 'Vignale style' alloy wheels, three-spoke leather steering wheel, Sony MP3 player and Ford’s excellent Quickclear windscreen defroster. Opt for the CC-3 and you’ll also get leather seats, cruise control, a Sony six-CD system