By Ian Strachan.
Close on £35,000 for a Ford Focus? That sounds expensive, but the likes of Audi and BMW have been selling medium sector cars with that sort of price tag for quite a few years, and the Ford Focus Active X Estate mild hybrid is certainly a cut above.
Apart from attractive, rugged styling and a classy interior, you get a host of extras on this car, which is packed with technology and creature comforts.
The range starts below £28,500. The Active X with a 155 bhp 1.0 EcoBoost petrol engine connected to a seven-speed automatic gearbox comes in at £34,530 on the road.
The Focus, which has been on British roads for nearly 35 years, has a quality feel to it inside and out. It feels substantial, both to sit in and to drive. The doors close with a satisfying clunk – always a good sign.
The Active X Estate is certainly a good looker – every bit as attractive as some of its more exalted competitors. It has a strong side-on presence, helped by hefty 18 inch nicely-designed five-spoke alloys.
Inside, the car has a lot of class about it. The nicely-stitched black upholstery is of a very high quality. The dash is simple and attractive, with sensibly placed, easily accessible controls and a centrally-mounted 13.2 inch touchscreen and head-up display (£450 extra). You get powered driver’s seat, heated, powered door mirrors, heated front seats heated windscreen and that now indispensable heated steering wheel.
Other standard features include LED headlights and daytime running lights, lane keeping aid with lane departure warning and cruise control with adjustable speed limiter.
Interior space is good, and can be further improved with the folding split rear seat which also has a load-through ski hatch. The impressively high specification includes front and rear parking sensors, satellite navigation, dual-zone electronic temperature control, a good 10-speaker DAB radio with MP3 compatibility, Apple CarPlay, voice control and Bluetooth.
I drove the 1.0 litre petrol version which gives a more than adequate 155 bhp. Linked to a smooth seven-speed automatic gearbox, this is a good unit, offering plenty of power with little noise or fuss. Acceleration is pleasingly brisk without being neck-snapping.
The £34,530 price tag is reasonable for such a high specification. You get a lot of car for your money. Extras fitted to my test car included premium Frozen White colour (£300), blind spot monitor (£450), a parking pack including active park assist (£550), dynamic matrix headlights with glare-free lighting (£1,000), hands free tailgate (£450) and trailer coupling (£750).
It’s difficult to fault this offering from Ford. It’s an improvement on earlier versions, and offers attractive styling, comfort and extra refinement.
