Car Star: Ford Focus CC

It’s spring at last and as the weather warms up, you may be tempted by a new Cabriolet car to help you make the most of the sunnier days ahead.

With this in mind, Car Star this month selects a good ‘ol drop-top as a recommended way of cruising in style this summer.

Ford’s massively popular Focus model, is perhaps even better in its coupe-cabriolet form. First introduced in 2006, the Focus CC was developed and engineered with sports car experts Pininfarina- known for its luxurious models produced for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati to name a few. This alone should reassure you of the quality and thought ploughed into making an open air version of the UK’s best selling C-segment car.

Sadly, the Focus CC has not quite the slick looks of its saloon counterpart, but nonetheless is not entirely ugly unless you approach it from behind, where its rear and boot space, designed around incorporating a folding roof, are a little unrefined.

As with all convertibles however, Ford had to juggle the usual conflicting demands to introduce a drop-top version of the much-adored Focus: retain ride quality despite needing to stiffen the chassis, provide boot and rear passenger space despite needing room for a folding roof, minimise wind noise and rattling without depriving front passengers of head room, all of this is quite difficult and no carmaker has every approached these hurdles and come away completely unscathed. The same is true with the Focus, so all that really remains to tell you is where exactly the compromises have been placed.

Well we already know that it is not quite as stylish as its saloon counterpart nor does it compare with some of its slicker rivals, however primarily it’s a little bit reduced in its performance, and a little bit in its boot and passenger space compared to the saloon. While convertibles such as the Volkswagen Eos steal a lead on it in terms of style.

But where the Ford Focus CC stands out is in its approach to the market; providing an affordable alternative to pricey German counterparts while still bringing with it the reassuring presence of the Blue Oval badge which may hold sway over French counterparts in some car buyer’s minds.

By choosing to install the Focus CC with a two part folding roof rather than a three part like many rivals, Ford saved considerable weight allowing the CC to retain much of the ride and responsiveness of the saloon model. This decision however accounts for the ugly butt on this car and reduced rear passenger space.

The diesel makes for the best option, with the 2.0 TDCi starting from just under £25,000. It retains a pacy 0-62 in 10.3 seconds, just a shade under the 9.3 seconds achieved by this engine in saloon guise. Likewise it produces 251 lb torque at 2000 revs compared to 236 lb of torque at 2000 revs, so no huge loss of power. Despite the stiffened chassis, the Focus CC still offers a refined and comfortable ride, with only the biggest potholes communicated to the cabin.

Available with a choice of three trim levels and either a 1.6 or 2.0 petrol engine as well as a 2.0 litre diesel, the CC comes with a good level of kit as standard; alarm, immobiliser, alloys, air conditioning and an option for parking sensors for an extra £230 in case you have trouble parking that big rear.

The only expensive option is for metallic paint, which comes in at an extra £434 whichever model you buy. The diesel is the most fuel efficient model achieving 47.9mpg on a combined cycle and emitting just 156g/km CO2 (conveniently just under the all-important 160g/km CO2 figure for company car tax purposes). Although the 2.0 petrol is a couple of grand cheaper than the diesel. it emits 179g/km of CO2 and achieves just 37.6mpg combined, so approach with caution.

But what’s best about the Focus CC is that despite the popularity of the saloon, it’s still fairly uncommon on the roads. While there is no real reason for this, it means that you can buy a convertible of similar quality to certain German models without paying a premium and still be seen is something a bit different. And if your heart is set on a drop top, then the Focus CC will be ready to help you soak up the sun, while you feel reassured that thanks to its saloon equivalent, parts and spares will be abundant and cheap when the time comes for such things. This means you benefit from all the positive sides to owning a popular model with none of the downsides. That alone should put a smile on your face this summer, and that’s why the Focus coupe cabriolet is this month’s Car Star.

Author: Faye Sunderland, April 1st, 2010
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