Ford Focus Active – on a high

The new Ford Focus Active, like its smaller sister the Fiesta Active , has a bit of an identity crisis. Ask anyone to classify a car into a single category and the answer will be: "it's a crossover", "it's an SUV", "it's a raised Focus", "it's a plastic station wagon". Ford marketing classified the Focus Active literally: "It's a passenger vehicle with improved off-road capabilities." Well, let's check out this hybrid of identities a bit…

The ground clearance of the Focus Active is what mainly identifies it as the variant best suited for dirt roads or lighter terrain. The car is 30mm higher at the front and 34mm at the rear compared to the normal version of the Focus and is styled to look like an SUV.

The black grille at the front stands out with a glossy finish, which is also used to decorate the windows, mirror covers and roof (you can have all this in the basic body color at no extra charge). In addition, there are black plastic fender skirts and a specific design of the bumpers, which are characterized by artificial lining. It looks good, it protects common areas from stones and the front "lollipop" is shaped upwards and improves the approach angle. So you don't have to worry about even the most unusual curbs in the city.

A perfect "gadget" is also the retractable mechanical door protection, which pops up after opening any door and with its rubber edging protects not only your door but also the door of the vehicle you are parking next to. A great thing, but one that should be mandatory on every car, regardless of brand. Because today you can be considerate, but others will beat up your car.

In the cabin, you will find only very small differences between the Active version and other members of the Focus family . The Active adds half-leather seats with the A logo (like the Active) and blue stitching. The dashboard retains its shape and is dominated by the eight-inch screen of the Sync 3 infotainment system in the upper center part. I note again that the infotainment works perfectly and offers compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and has clean and simple graphics with intuitive movements between different menus.

The quality of the interior is very good thanks to the careful selection of materials and the "strength" of the structure. In the front part, even the fillings of the internal storage compartments in the doors are upholstered with suede. The processing is exemplary and I don't mind the well-managed false stitching in the plastics. The design and processing of the rear door is a little worse than the front door, it's just pressed imitation leather.

What is worth mentioning and highlighting (and what every audiophile should not leave unchecked in the price list) is the audio system with 10 speakers and a subwoofer in place of the reserve, from Bang&Olufsen. The overall performance and presentation is at a very high level, and even "luxury" brands would not be ashamed of such an audio design in the middle class of their fleet.

Admit it. Even young audio tuners once chased after such parameters:

• Sound calibration for a specific model
• Top 10-speaker system
• Dual voice subwoofer mounted in the luggage compartment
• Select stereo or surround sound
• Output power 675 Watts

The overall driving comfort is typically Ford and you won't even realize that the car is a few cm higher than the classic version. Even the back seats are comfortable and there's legroom to spare. At the back, for example, I would rather have a USB output than a 12-volt socket. There's also plenty of space for luggage, with a 608L boot.

The classic shift lever of the automatic transmission has been replaced in the interior of the Focus by a circular selector. It has a soft and smooth running and its only drawback is. that you must not make a mistake, whether to turn clockwise or counter-clockwise. However, there is more space for a mobile phone (including Qi wireless charging) and we also find two full cup cutouts with a very good upgrade – a third cutout in the middle between the two, where a standard size mini can fits perfectly.

A three-cylinder gasoline engine with an output of 110 kW (150 hp) at 3,500 rpm and a torque of 240 Nm is also available for the Focus Active. We also received this unit, and it got along very well with the 8-speed automatic transmission with hydrodynamic converter. Unlike, for example, the French competition, this automatic does not keep revs unnecessarily low and, for example, the 7th gear shifts only at approx. 110 km/h. The 8th gear is a pure highway tractor with a long gear.

Focus with gasoline, however, does not score much in terms of consumption. The car takes around 7.5-9 L of gasoline per hundred kilometers when driving briskly. However, its three-cylinder turbo petrol is so brilliantly quiet that you almost don't even know it's there. The amazing chassis from the normal Focus was modified by Ford, it received, among other things, a different geometry or a different tuning of the shock absorbers. However, it is still true that it has precise steering with nice feedback, it communicates in an exemplary manner and does not let any noise from the axles into the interior. Even on the tested 18" discs, it "irons" unevenness incredibly beautifully and literally swallows any potholes.

The tested car is currently priced at just over 35,000, but you can get a very decently equipped model (with navigation, cruise control) for 5,000 cheaper. And that is a price that the German concern and its competitors could imagine. Compared to the Focus , however, they have a big attraction – 4 × 4 drive. Ford simply does not offer that even in the active Focus, only two new driving modes have been added for slippery surfaces and unpaved roads. It's worth trying, but the average driver won't recognize the significant differences. The question remains as to how much the 4 × 4 drive is worth for the large surcharges of the competition. Otherwise, the Focus Active is a brilliantly practical and playful car for the forest and the field, which you will fall in love with. And you probably won't even need that four-wheeler…

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