50 whichcar.com.au/wheels
FORDFOCUS ACTIVE
Drives
FRONTING UP
TO THE SOFT-
ROAD MARKET
HE SUN IS shining, the
fields are green and there’s
not a Hemsworth in sight.
It’s an idyllic drive on
varied surfaces through
countryside surrounding
the rich and famous of Byron Bay. Lazy,
road-hogging cows aside, it’s a fine
spot for an, ahem, active jaunt in the
German-built Ford Focus Active.
Not even Ford can tell us if the
Active is an SUV, a crossover or a
hatchback. But its raised ride height
(30mm front and 34mm rear), tough-
guy cladding, bash plates and gravel-
conquering traction modes make it
a semi-rugged faux-wheel drive. Yes,
the Active is front-wheel drive only,
but it does utilise the C2 platform and
independent rear suspension. Good.
Priced at $29,990, the Active sits in
the middle of the Focus range.The five-star ANCAP-rated package
gains loads of standard safety kit, like
autonomous emergency braking, lane-
keep assist, lane-departure warning
and a 180-degree reversing camera with
sensors. You also get an 8.0-inch touch
screen with SYNC 3 infotainment (plus
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto),
wireless phone charging and bespoke
Nordic Blue stitching as standard.
Spend an extra $1250 and you can
option the Safety Package, which
includes stop-and-go adaptive cruise
control, rear-cross traffic alert, blind-
spot warning and lane-centring steering.
For $1800 you can add 18-inch alloys,
LED adaptive headlights and tinted
glass. A panoramic sunroof is $2000.
In terms of design, the exterior kicks
more goals than the interior, but the
cabin is nicely laid out and there’s been
a conscious effort to use more high-end
materials – although Ford’s VW Golf
hunter isn’t quite a hole in one. There’s
decent space, the 375-litre boot expands
to 1354L, and it is ergonomically sound,
with the antiquated rotary dial for the
transmission being the only niggle.
On the road, the 134kW/240Nm three-
cylinder turbo petrol is a charmer. It’s
punchy, linear and refined. Despite its
1.5-litre capacity, there’s enough muscle
to relax into the higher ratios of the
intuitive eight-speed auto, while using
the torque. And it’s all accompaniedThe Focus Active’s cabin ambience is impressive but still not
quite a match for a Volkswagen GolfT