Small estate cars (compact wagons to you? In the U.S.) are an important business for European OEMs like Ford.
The latest Focus version pictured here has already attracted 2000 orders and is expected to attract 15 percent of Focus sales here in the UK and double that in Europe.
It shares the same wheelbase as the five-door, but at 179.3 inches, it come in at 7.8 inches longer than the hatch. With the rear seats in place there’s 16.8 cu.-ft. of storage area which can be expanded to a generous 53 cu.-ft.with rear seats folded flat, while the inclined monotube rear dampers minimize intrusion into the luggage space while also ensuring a low rear floor height for ease of loading.
There are a slew of powertrain options available, but I spent most of my time driving the 1.6-liter EcoBoost; producing 179 bhp the six-speed manual has a top speed of 138 mph and reaches 62 mph in a respectable 7.9 seconds.
Low CO2 figures, that are so important over here due to different fiscal ratings, are helped by Stop-Start and an active grille shutter that closes down with speed to minimize drag resulting in an average 39.2 (US) mpg – not bad for a family sized load lugger like this.
On the road, you really don’t feel as if you have that extra weight and capacity aft of the rear seats; it still displays that secure ride and fluent handling first experienced in the five-door version. Maybe the steering still lacks a little communication compared to the old Focus, but it’s nothing really to quibble about.
And, with standard equipment now including Bluetooth and voice control, USB connection, DAB, Thatcham Category 1 alarm (that’s a UK standard aimed at reducing car theft and insurance costs, one being the best category), aluminum roof rails, tonneau cover, driver lumbar adjust and torque vectoring control, it’s a good package even before moving onto higher equipped models.
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