Ford Focus Active X Vignale 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 2020 UK first drive

This, then, is the £30,000 Ford Focus. No, not the crackling, warm-blooded Focus ST, but the slightly higher-riding Active X car, adorned with ostensibly protective (but more realistically decorative) plastic body cladding, specified in plush Vignale range-topping trim and - in this case - equipped with a new mild-hybrid version of the entry-level 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine, the only petrol option now available. 

The 48V system is familiar from the Ford Puma crossover and has been introduced to the Focus - at the same time as the Fiesta - as a means of eking out a few more miles between fuel stops and cutting down on emissions. Ford claims an efficiency boost of up to 17% over the outgoing 1.5-litre engine, with MPG up from 48.7 to 51.4. It’s available in both 122bhp and 153bhp forms, the latter of which we’ve tested here.

The electrified option arrives as the Focus undergoes a subtle update with the aim of keeping it fresh until a more substantial facelift arrives, most likely towards the back end of next year. There’s a new entry-level Zetec option joining the range for the first time since the fourth-generation car was introduced in 2018, the stop/start function has been recalibrated to cut the engine while coasting in gear, and the analogue rev counter and speedometer have made way for a new 12.3in digital gauge cluster on certain trims (with hybrid-specific displays, in this case).

Refreshingly, though, the Focus’s cabin retains a decent balance between physical and touch-based controls, while its Volkswagen Golf and Mazda 3 rivals plump for the more minimalist approach. On lower trims - as is the case with the Puma - this can make for a faintly utilitarian and uninspiring environment, but here in this Vignale car - bedecked throughout with leather-style Sensico upholstery and high-gloss trim inserts - it’s a welcome reminder of the car’s accessible billing.

With minimal weight penalty through the adoption of that hybrid system, the Focus also maintains its dynamic edge over all comers in its segment, its steering rack quick to react and nicely weighted in the name of engagement. The suspension, too, even with the Active’s 30mm height advantage over the standard car, is agreeably pliant without giving way to excessive amounts of lean or bouncing slowly over ondulations. The broth is nearly spoiled by the Vignale’s 18in alloys, however - we won’t go so far as to call it "crashiness", but primary ride quality takes a knock courtesy of the slimmer rubber, and there’s a pervasive, though not overbearing, rumble at speed.