FirstDrive: Ford Focus Coupé Cabriolet
Being the first to do something has its benefits, but also its drawbacks.
The Peugeot 307CC and Renault Mégane Coupé Cabriolet were the first of the family car segment to adopt the idea of turning an average four-seater family car into a convertible at the touch of a button and giving the security of a folding metal hardtop.
But since then we have seen the Opel Astra Twin Top and Volkswagen Eos arrive to Ireland and these brands have had the advantage of improving on the competition.
All of these cars are a little flawed in their own way. The benefits of a folding metal roof, as opposed to a traditional cloth top are pretty obvious. They are safer in the event of a collision, they offer more security against vandalism and they offer better weather insulation. But the drawbacks are that they add weight, complexity and turn pretty cars into big-bottomed eyesores.
So with Ford trailing a long way behind in releasing the convertible version of their Focus you would hope that they have made use of their lazier deadline. Following a drive in the car in Siena, Italy this week it would appear that they have. We first saw the Focus Coupé Cabriolet as the Vignale concept car at the Paris Motor Show this time two years ago and little has changed about the styling since then.
The roof is a two-piece retractable metal hardtop that uses five hydraulic cylinders, three electric motors and eleven sensors to whirl away the lid in 29 seconds. This requires the car to be stopped and the driver to hold a button down for the entire display, but no more effort than that.
From some angles, especially the front three-quarters, the car is very much a standard-looking Ford Focus, but it is towards the rear that things change quite dramatically.
There is just a little bit too much metal there. The benefit is an enormous 534-litres of boot space with the roof up and a respectable 248-litres with the roof down - more than enough. So while your luggage will be happy, your rear passengers will be less thrilled.
Like so many of these cars, the rear seats are actual rear seats but the legroom on offer is so hopeless that they will best suit children. When the car goes on sale in Ireland at the very end of this year there will be three engines offered. The biggest seller will be the 100bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine. This was not made available to us but with the Coupé-Cabriolet adding 170kg to the standard Focus, the results should be less than sparkling.
The performance figures seem to back up this theory. 0-100km/h takes 13.6 seconds and the top speed is 182km/h. Better is the 2.0-litre petrol engine with 145bhp, which will do 208km/h and get to 100km/h in 10.3 seconds. But best of all is the 2.0-litre TDCi engine, with 136bhp that will match the 2.0-litre petrol to 100km/h and manage 205km/h while returning 5.9 l/100km.
We tried the diesel on a variety of both brilliant and challenging roads in Tuscany and it was superb. And it was here that the Focus displayed the qualities which should also make it the one to buy if you are considering a coupé-cabriolet of this kind in 2007. Like the standard Ford Focus, which is the best handling and most rewarding to drive car in its class, the Focus Coupé Cabriolet is quite easily the best of its genre to drive.
The car has gained extra stiffness - necessary for safety and this also has the effect of making this a great car to drive. The rear suspension has been adapted from the performance Focus ST and there is an almost perfect weight distribution.
There is none of the sogginess that you get in other cars in the segment, in fact it is actually very entertaining and the brilliant PSA diesel suits the car perfectly. This is a very price competitive segment and Ford has been aggressive with their sticker price. €32,440 will get you a 1.6-litre petrol Focus Coupé Cabriolet in January. The 2.0-litre petrol will cost you from €36,140 and the diesel will start from €39,840. Opel's Astra is the cheapest at entry-level at €30,495 and VW's Eos the most expensive at €36,880.
Without driving the 1.6-litre it is difficult to draw a proper conclusion but the Focus is without a doubt the best to drive and this would sway us towards it as our top choice.
If you really need a four-seater convertible (and we use this term lightly) then get the Focus, but if you don't need the four seats then your money would be better spent on the infinitely better Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupé.
FACTFILE
Ford Focus Coupé Cabriolet 2.0 TDCi Zetec
ENGINE: 1997cc 4-cyl, 136bhp, 320Nm torque
MAX SPEED: 205 km/h
0-100km/h: 10.3 seconds
TRANSMISSION: Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
PRICE: €39,840
ECONOMY 5.9 l/100km
AVAILABLE: Late 2006