Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet Car Review

HerCar Rating: Model Reviewed: Ford Focus Cabriolet Coupe 2.0 litre petrol manual $45,490 Other models priced from: No other models available HerCar 3 Word Summary: Sporty, Sophisticated & Fun

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HerCar Review

The Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet is a good looking four-seater convertible that is well equipped, easy to handle and large enough to cope with four passengers. And, the Focus CC boasts Italian styling - so you won’t be disappointed with the interior finish.

The real emotion behind this car however is the drop-top. It’s a two piece folding hard top that retracts in 29 seconds. The Ford Focus CC is a convertible of the best kind – the kind that doesn’t destroy your hair. Top down, the cabin is very well protected from the wind. Roof down, the car goes from feeling a little tight to sporty and spacious unless you’re squeezed into the small back seat. There’s not much room back there. Despite its sleek looks, don’t mistake the Focus CC for a ‘sports car’ – it’s more of a comfortable cruiser. There is a bit of competition in the convertible market these days, particularly from European rivals, but I’d rate the Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet as a strong contender. It is definitely worth a test drive.

Driver Comfort & Visibility

Driving the Focus Coupe Cabriolet is a pleasure. It’s a sophisticated and glamorous looking coupe. Comfortable manual/electric seats and steering wheel adjust allows easy manoeuvrability. Large side windows, with no middle pillar, provide excellent visibility and give the cabin a nice spacious feel. The leather seats are nicely contoured, giving a snug and sporty feel. The cabin is well equipped and steering wheel controls for audio and cruise control keep everything at the driver’s fingertips.  The whole drive experience is tame and understated, yet comfortable and elegant.

Safety

The Focus has safety well covered, with airbags, stability control and brake assist. Additional features specifically designed for convertible safety include a Rollover Protection Device which protects exposed heads in the event that the car flips.

Comfort

Heated leather front seats, dual zone climate control, an 8-speaker sound system, electric windows, electric retractable roof and a very tasteful interior make the Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet a very comfortable car. It feels, dare I say, a little bit special and sophisticated. Not dissimilar to much more expensive European models to be honest.

Storage

There’s very little! A glove box and two in-door compartments don’t offer much room for storage. The back seat gets no storage compartments other than back of seat pockets. The boot is spacious, but when you retract the roof, you lose a great amount of this – about 50% of it. The message here is to pack light!

Kids’ Comfort

Two kids would sit very comfortably in the plush leather seats. Top down, the car feels very spacious. With the roof up however, visibility is poor for rear passengers and they may feel like they’re tucked away, out of sight. There are two child seat anchor points.

Green Factor

The Focus CC has a greenhouse rating of 3.5 stars out of 5. It consumes about 7.5 litres per 100kms, which is just OK for a car of this size. This model is only available in petrol at this stage.

Overall View

The Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet is well executed – it looks great, has a lovely interior, it’s comfortable and handles well on all road conditions. A folding hard top makes this coupe a fun option that can cater to a small family reasonably well – storage space aside. In a competitive convertible market, it will come down to a matter of personal taste on this one. As with most new Fords, I found the package surprisingly good. The benchmark has been raised and this car is well worth a test drive.

Test Drive Tips

• The roof will not retract unless the boot cover is pulled across. This is a safety precaution, to prevent you from squashing the contents of the boot.
  

• The doors are big, heavy, and swing open easily. Potentially disastrous in car parks.

If you are considering this car, you might also like to test drive the Volkswagen EOS, Holden Astra twin Top and Renault Megane Coupe Cabriolet.

Features of Model Reviewed

Airbags:	Driver and front passenger front and side airbags
Seats:	4
ABS:	Yes, with Brake Assist
EBD:	Yes
ESP:	Yes
Driver visibility:
Storage compartments:
Drink holders:	2
CD player:	6 in dash CD, MP3 compatible, 8 speaker premium sound system
Air conditioning:	Yes, dual zone climate control
Power windows:	Yes
Power steering:	Yes
Power door mirrors:	Yes
Child restraint anchorage points:	2
Transmission:	5 speed manaul
Engine capacity:	2.0 litre
Fuel type:	Unleaded petrol
Fuel consumption:	7.5 litres/100kms
Greenhouse rating #:	7/10
Green Vehicle Guide rating:
Warranty:	3 year/100,000 kms
Price:	$45,490

* Excludes on road costs
# All new vehicles sold in Australia (up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) are tested to determine the level of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (Greenhouse rating), which are displayed on the fuel consumption label attached to the windscreen of the car. The Green Vehicle Guide rating combines the Greenhouse Rating and Air Pollution Rating and awards a star. 5 stars is the best rating.  For more information, click here.
Information is correct at the time of the review. Please check with your local Ford dealer for the most recent information.

Date Reviewed: August 2008

Reviewed By: Nadine Armstrong