The Ford Focus was last year’s Car of the Year in Finland 2019, and the car received well-deserved attention throughout the year.

The Focus is available in a wide range of variants. The body can be a five-door or a wagon, and there are two trim levels for the base model, Trend and Titanium. There is also Active, which is both a version and a trim level.

There is also a luxury version of the Focus, the Vignale, and a sporty version, the ST.

With the Active model, the aim is to make the car a little more SUV-like. The ground clearance is three centimetres higher than in the base model and the car sits slightly higher.

We looked at the Focus Wagon Active, which had a powerful 182bhp engine and automatic transmission.

The cheapest version of the Active range costs just over €24,000 and the most expensive version costs just over €31,000. The cheapest option is a 5-door model with a 125 hp petrol engine and the most expensive is the Wagon with a 150 hp diesel engine.

The test-drive model starts at just over €30 000.

The test car was equipped with a wide range of equipment and a large number of optional extras.

Standard equipment includes keyless start, sync multimedia system with eight-inch screen, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, roof rails, a small spare wheel and electrically operated folding and heated side mirrors.

Lane Keep Assist, Collision Mitigation Assist, Intelligent Speed Limiter and Post-Collision Braking are also standard.

The test car also had four separate option packs: the Technology Pack, Winter Pack, Comfort Pack and Parking Pack.

The Technology Pack includes a traffic sign recognition system, driver alertness monitoring, automatic high beam headlights, active cruise control, stop & go and lane departure warning, automatic wipers, auto-dimming rear view mirror and parking lights.

The Winter Pack adds a heated windscreen and a heated steering wheel.

The Comfort Pack includes, among other things, dual automatic air conditioning.

The Parking Pack brings automatic parking assistance, a reversing camera with 180-degree image and door edge protection to automatic gearboxes.

In addition to the option packs, the test car had LED headlights and LED rear lights and an auxiliary combustion engine heater.

The car also had a windscreen display, AGR-certified 18-way adjustable front seats and a blind spot monitoring system with cross-traffic warning and braking.

The optional extras brought the price up to almost €39 000.

A traditional Focus feel

So we set off in a fairly well-equipped and slightly higher Focus, with a bouncy and powerful engine to boot.

The driving experience was that of the Focus, and there was little to complain about during the whole test drive.

The Focus Active is a good touring car and is stable even at high speeds.

The car’s automation worked well, for example the automatic high beams were quick enough.

The lane-keeping assist worked well on the motorway and made driving easier.

The cabin is reasonably spacious, but there is no SUV-like feeling of space in the vertical direction. In practice, the Active doesn’t really add any significant value over the standard Focus. Perhaps the biggest plus is the slightly higher ground clearance.

In terms of driveability, the Focus Active doesn’t surprise; the already traditional good driveability of the Focus is also present in the Active model.

The Focus’ controls are easily accessible, with the most notable surprise being the rotary gear selector.

The test car also had automatic cruise control, which worked well and was easy to operate from the left side of the steering wheel.

The drive mode button is on the centre console, and there is a choice of modes: in addition to eco, normal and sport, there are also slick and off-road options.

The seat adjustments were well adjusted and there were no problems on the long journey.

The Focus Wagon has a boot capacity of 375 litres in the base model, which increases to 1320 litres with the backrests folded down. There is a temporary spare wheel under the floor of the boot. This will be a welcome feature for many car buyers.

The test car is a good touring car, but it also works well on more winding roads. The car handles accurately and is well balanced in corners. The Focus does not roll even at high speeds.

The car’s 182-horsepower engine has plenty of power. Especially in Sport mode, overtaking on the highway is quick.

During the test drive, the car consumed around 7 litres per 100 km. Ford promises fuel consumption of around 6 litres per 100 km.

For whom?

The Focus Active doesn’t really have a clear target group. The standard Ford Focus is already a traditional family car that meets the needs of most people.

But if you want a slightly higher and slightly different Focus, you can opt for the Active. However, it does not add significantly more features for the user.

Test drive and text by Niclas von Bell, Clas von Bell.