What's the news?
Ford is about to launch the Active versions of the new Focus, and it's been giving us some more details about the new wannabe SUVs.
Both the estate and hatchback versions will get unique styling, copying the extra body cladding of the Fiesta Active and Ka+ Active, as well as some bespoke chassis tuning, including a clever traction control system. The Focus Active also gets raised-up suspension for greater ground clearance, and a higher seating position, which Ford reckons gives the Active "enhanced rough-road ability and a higher driving position for more confident urban and highway driving."
The Active versions get the same choices of 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engines, and 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines as the standard Focus, although the engine lineup for Ireland has not yet been confirmed - regular Focus models here only come with the choice of 1.0-litre EcoBoost or 1.5-litre diesel. You will be able to choose from a six-speed manual gearbox, or an eight-speed automatic.
Safety kit will include such things as Ford's Adaptive Cruise Control, Adaptive Front Lighting System and Active Park Assist technologies.
One reason why an Active model might actually be the Focus of choice for Ireland is the suspension - it comes as standard with the SLA (Short-Long Arm) independent rear suspension, as opposed to the cheaper torsion bar rear end which is all Irish customers have thus far been offered. That should give the Active a handling advantage over the standard car, and it means that if you're going for the estate model, you'll get a wider, flatter load area.
The Active gets a choice of 17- or 18-inch wheels, and the 17s come with tyres that have taller sidewalls, supposedly giving them a a little more rough-ground ability.
The clever bit is in the traction control. As well as the usual Normal, Sport, and Eco modes which you can pick from the Selectable Drive Modes in your Focus, the Active gets extra modes - Slippery, and Trail.
Slippery has been tuned to give the Focus a little extra traction on mud, snow and ice, and dials back the throttle response to help quell any potential wheelspin. Trail sounds like a bit more fun - it's designed to help you keep up momentum on surfaces like sand or gravel, allowing more wheelspin and slip which helps to stop the engine bogging down. It'll be interesting to see how that compares with the full four-wheel drive system offered by such rivals as the Skoda Octavia Scout.
Styling changes other than the extended wheelarch lips include a black mesh grille, new bumpers, fake 'bash plates' finished in silver, new paint options including Metropolis White and Orange Glow, and a contrast roof colour option.
Inside, you get leather for the steering wheel and gearshift, scuff plates on the door sills, and seats with unique Active detailing. Needless to say, the cabin also benefits from the legroom boost that comes with having a wheelbase some 50mm longer than the old Focus, but then so does that of the normal hatchback and estate.
The estate model has a maximum boot capacity of 1,653 litres if you fold the seats flat, and Ford says that it has been designed to accommodate a large dog crate. There's also now space under the boot floor to stow the luggage cover, and an optional electric tailgate. All Active models come with the high-end eight-inch SYNC3 touchscreen, and a Bang & Olufsen sound system, as well as other tech options such as a wifi hotspot and wireless phone charging.
CO2 emissions start from 107g/km for the 1.0-litre 125hp EcoBoost petrol and 93g/km for the 1.5-litre turbo diesel. Full Irish prices and specs will be announced shortly.
"Ford SUV sales grew more than 19 per cent in October year over year, and SUVs now account for more than one in five Ford vehicles sold in Europe. Our Active family of crossover models offers a further compelling SUV-style option for customers," said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service. Ford of Europe. "The all-new Focus Active does more than just look the part - its bespoke chassis and new Selectable Drive Mode options deliver genuine rough-road capability for families who want to explore off the beaten track."