Wheels Australia – August 2019

@wheelsaustralia 51

byanendearingoffbeatthrum.Thanks
tocylinderdeactivation,thecombined
consumptionis a claimed6.4L/100km.
Thankfully,theextrarideheight
hasn’tcomeattheexpenseofkeen
roadholdingorbodycontrol,withthe
1348kgActiveretainingthedynamic
verveoftheFocusrange.Thesteering
remainsa highlightandthere’sgenuine
funtobehad.Theconsequence,despite
well-tuneddamping,is firmridequality

• onboththe17-and18-inchalloys.The
  Slippery(snowandice)andTrail(sand,
  gravelanddirt)modeshelpthefront-
  wheeldriveActivegainextratraction
  togetherwiththechunkiertyres.But
  ultimately,you’rebetteroffina Subaru
  XVif youwanttoveeroffsealedroads.
  It’shardtoargueagainstthe
  Active’sexistence.Thehigh-riding
  Focusis packedwithtechandwell
  equipped.Butmoreimportantly,it
  doesn’tdetractfromthepositivevirtues
  ofthe‘normal’Focus.Anditsrugged
  pretencesmightactuallymakeyouget
  outandseesomecows...
  TRENTGIUNCO

Goodspec

forthe

price;keen

dynamics;

brilliant

turbotriple

Ridequality

canfeel

overly

sharp;

limitedoff-

roadability

PLUS

MINUS

Coming

attractions

ComingComing

BMW1 SERIES

MERCEDES-BENZGLE

AUDIA4

The new metal we’re driving next issue

There was a time when the idea of a front-drive BMW would

have been sacrilegious, but China has had an FWD 1 Series

for three years. Now the rest of the world will, too, with the

unveiling of an all-new 1, built on the same platform as the

Mini, which will mean much part-sharing. We’ll be driving the

new tail-dragger in 118d form and, more enticingly, the sporty

new all-wheel-drive M135i, which promises to be a corker.

Not just bigger and better, the new GLE, which we’re throwing

straight into a comparison test, is smarter, too. A new ‘curve’

function is supposed to stop kids from getting car sick, and you

can also option a pair of cameras to scan the road ahead for bumps

and pre-adjust the suspension. Speaking of which, the GLE also

gets a ‘Bounce’ mode, to rock ’n’ roll its way out of sand or mud.

Audiclearlyhasn’t read the stories touting the death of diesel,

asit’sjamminga new 3.0-litre V6 TDI into the facelifted S4.

Less unexpectedly there are yet more tweaks to the corporate

grille, and a more chunky, A6-like design feel to the A4 sedan

over all. Another typical Audi move is the upgrading of cabin

tech, with a 10.1-inch touchscreen to replace the dated MMI

system and voice-recognition improvements promised as well.

1

2

3

AUDIA4

Model Ford Focus Active

Engine 1.5-litre 3cyl, dohc, 12v, turbo

Max power 134kW at 6000rpm

Max torque 240Nm at 1600rpm

Transmission 8-speed automatic

Weight 1348kg

Economy 6.4L/100km

0-100km/h 8.7sec (claimed)

Price $29,990

On sale Now

Model Ford Focus Active

Engine 1.5-litre 3cyl, dohc, 12v, turbo

Max power 134kW at 6000rpm

Max torque 240Nm at 1600rpm

Transmission 8-speed automatic

Weight 1348kg

Economy 6.4L/100km

0-100km/h 8.7sec (claimed)

Price $29,990

On sale Now