Ford Focus Active 2019 Review

It looks to the untrained eye much the same as a regular Ford Focus ST-Line hatch. But the high-riding Active variant offers plenty of subtle but worthwhile advantages over its already-endearing siblings.

Ford has what is probably one of the most ill-defined crossover vehicles in its Focus Active hatchback.

Sure, we don’t mind accepting crossovers which show at least a modicum of recognition as “lifestyle” vehicles; if they are just a little more capable than your average sedan or wagon when it comes to taking an occasional wheel off the bitumen, well good for them.

But, although Ford in fact avoids describing its jacked-up small hatch as a crossover (rather, it’s “SUV inspired”), the Focus Active exists more in the product-planners’ imagination than it does in the mind-set of the broader new-car market.

If you see one in the streets, you are hardly going to start drifting into fantasies about implied adventures, or even about joining the SUVs on parade outside the local primary school.

This is certainly not an SUV and, almost equally certainly, it’s not a crossover.

But Ford in its wisdom has decided its new-generation Focus range, highly esteemed though it is, could do with a little extra marketing oomph to dig it more deeply into contention in the small-car segment. The Focus Active, sort of, fills the gap between the EcoSport (soon to be replaced) and Escape SUVs.

At $29,990 (plus on-road costs), the Active sits square in the middle of the new Focus line-up, more expensive than the $25,990 entry-level Trend and second-rung $28,990 ST-Line hatches, and less so than the $30,990 ST-Line wagon and $34,490 Titanium hatchback.

So, what do you get, for the extra $1000 that’s not already in the ST-Line Focus hatch?

Well, in addition to as much as 34mm of extra ground clearance that provides a little more room underneath to help clear rocky and rutted surfaces – at the same time infinitesimally lifting the hip-point to assist cabin entry/departure – there’s also the Focus Active’s multilink, independent rear suspension.

Adding extra subtlety to the Active’s ride and handling qualities, it replaces the torsion-beam arrangement of all other Focus models apart the ST-Line wagon.

The Focus Active also comes – as a sort of nod to minor off-road excursions – with “Slippery” and “Trail” driveline modes, accessed by a button on the centre console, that are designed to help on either skittery surfaces, or when powering through soft sand.

The big difference with the similar-size crossovers from Volkswagen (Golf Alltrack) and Subaru (XV) is that the Focus Active is front-drive only – although whether that matters or not is up to the customer. It’s certainly of no concern in the broader SUV segment.

More superficially, the face presented to the world by the Focus Active is a sort of amalgam of base Trend and ST-Line with a honeycomb grille, built-in LED cornering fog lights and what Ford describes as “skid plates” at the front and rear (they are really just painted silver inserts in the lower part of the front and rear fascias).

A set of black wheel arch extensions widens the body by about 20mm and the wheels are Active-specific 17-inch alloys with slightly higher-profile 215/55R17 tyres (regular ST-Lines wear 215/50R17s).

Otherwise, what you get in a Focus Active is pretty much the same as a regular ST-Line hatch: The powertrain combines the charming 1.5-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost engine developing a sturdy 134kW at a mere 4500rpm, along with 240Nm of torque at an also low-strung 1750rpm, with a tight-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Active and ST-Line Focus interiors are interchangeable, with more suggestively-supportive cloth-covered seating, a nicely-thick leather-trimmed steering wheel, and an array of instruments, complete with a centre-mounted, tablet-style sat-nav screen, that’s not about to offend.

All in all, whether you perceive the Ford Focus Active as some sort of hopeful crossover or a slightly pretentious regular five-door hatchback, it’s not hard to see the extra value of simply being able to drive around without too much anxiety about taking out the front and rear bumpers on steepish gutters, or falling foul of a slightly-jutting rock.

As for feeling elevated and superior on the road, or sliding with ease into the slightly-higher-set seats – well, you’d not really notice unless it was pointed out that there’s an extra 34mm of height working in your favour.

The question is maybe not so much about squaring-off the new Active against other crossovers or SUVs, but whether it’s actually a better Focus than other Focusses, particularly the very similarly-specced, but $1000 cheaper ST-Line hatch.

And whether, at just under $30 grand before on-road costs, it’s better than comparably-equipped small hatchback competitors such as the Toyota Corolla ZR ($30,370), Mazda3 Evolve ($30,490), or Hyundai i30 Elite ($27,790).

As it turns out, the extra $1000 appears to be well-spent. Those considering buying a Focus, any Focus, should think seriously about the Active’s advantages. Not only does it ride higher than all its siblings; it also comes with a tighter “sports” suspension settings that, although making it more firmly damped than regular Focus models, benefit from the multi-link, independent rear suspension that helps make for an overall more-absorbent ride.

The Focus Active is a tad more polished on the road than the already-impressive twist-beam rear axle variants. So if you liked the firmish, lower-riding setup of the ST-Line hatch, you are bound to like the Active’s higher-perched but more giving dynamic responsiveness even more.

As for exterior presentation, there’s not really a lot to see here: It’s only when parking an Active alongside a regular Focus variant (our review car was wearing the optional 18-inch wheels with 235/40 tyres) that you can pick the differences – and then they are subtle at best.

The ever-so-slightly guttural three-cylinder engine is well served by the crisp-shifting conventional eight-speed tranny which feels more like a super-refined dual-clutch system than a regular, torque converter auto. There’s the awareness of a steady, strong power delivery that works in well with the responsive steering and the nicely modulated ride to make for a confident, sporty drive.

The only downside on our review car was the rotary-dial transmission controller that sometimes took appreciable moments before the selected position was engaged. This occasionally resulted, if the accelerator was pressed before the shift mechanism sorted itself out, in an unsettling, abrupt leap forward.

The Focus Active was found to be pretty efficient too – even if it didn’t match the official 6.4L/100km claim – by sitting on a solid 7.5L/100km during an extended test covering a mix of urban and freeway driving. As a downside, it does ask for premium unleaded (or E10) fuel.

The Active’s regular equipment, including autonomous emergency braking (high and low-speed), pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist and lane-departure warning is pretty much in line with similarly-priced and a frag more-expensive Toyota Corolla/Mazda3/Hyundai i30 models, but it’s necessary to step up to the $1250 “Active Driver Assistance Pack” to bring adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert on board. Add another $1800 if you’d like bigger 18-inch wheels and see-around-the-corner, auto-dipping LED headlights, and a further $2000 for the review car’s expansive panoramic sunroof.

As far as passenger amenities are concerned, the story otherwise replicates that of the ST-Line Focus. The cabin, though it never feels lacking in terms of internal ambience, is still disadvantaged by the missing rear-passenger air vents, the lack of a rear centre armrest and a downgrading of trim that’s mainly evident to back-seat passengers – who nevertheless get more room to move than most other small hatchbacks.

They don’t do too badly in terms of luggage space either, with the ability to open up the 375-litre boot (a space-saver wheel is under the floor) to a seats-folded 1345 litres which betters all its main competitors apart from the Volkswagen Golf.

One is left thinking, though, that Ford might have been better-served by a more blatantly-obvious visual approach to its Focus Active. Although it makes a strong case for spending the extra grand over the ST-Line hatch, those opting to fork out the money surely wouldn’t mind if others could see where it’s been spent.

The best of the new Ford Focus range? There are plenty of good reasons to think so.

How much does the 2019 Ford Focus Active cost?
Price: $29,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 134kW/240Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.4L/100km (ADR Combined); 7.5L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 148g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP