Published:
26 November 2021Ford’s C2 platform wasn’t only designed to enhance the Focus’s driving dynamics: it has improved practicality too. The wheelbase is now 52mm longer than before (at 2700mm), contributing to a typical rear leg room figure of 700mm. For perspective, its predecessor made do with 660mm, while the Skoda Karoq Scout crossover we road tested earlier this year had 680mm.
Boot space is competitive by the standards of the class, too, if not exactly class-leading. There are typically 375 litres of luggage capacity available in the car to the top of the load cover (341 litres in the case of our test car, because its optional adaptive dampers deny the possibility of a split-level boot floor), which is accessed via a usefully wide aperture that measures 950mm at its narrowest point. By way of comparison, the Volkswagen Golf and Seat Leon – arguably the Focus’s closest competitors in this segment – both have 380-litre boots, while the latest Mazda 3 only manages 295 litres.
The car’s driving position and ergonomics are beyond serious criticism. There’s more than enough adjustability in both the steering column and seat to ensure you don’t find yourself perched awkwardly over the pedals in order to be within reach of the wheel, while the gearlever, physical ventilation controls and central infotainment display are all within easy reach. That the seat base doesn’t allow you to sit quite as low down in the cabin as you might remains a minor bugbear.
