Wheels Australia – August 2019

(Axel Boer) #1

@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
Free download pdf