BY TERRY MARTIN | 7th Jun 2019
Overview
FORD’S new-generation Focus launch range is now complete with the arrival of the Active hatchback, which takes the Blue Oval brand into a potentially lucrative new subsegment – the would-be, could-be crossover class.
Company executives are quick to admit that the Active is far from being a fair-dinkum four-wheel-drive wagon – hell, it’s not a wagon, and there’s no four-wheel drive – but by the same token they are touting the model as one that is “made for adventure”.
This is code for appealing to buyers who love the great outdoors and the idea of more adventurous motoring, and who are therefore looking for higher levels of capability from their vehicle than what is available in a standard passenger car.
For most people, this leads them straight towards the bewildering array of SUVs now available on the market.
But if your off-road requirements aren’t great, then perhaps a sort-of-SUV-type small car is the smarter option?