• Plastic wheelarches and extra ground clearance over standard Focus
• Which means it’s better suited to narrow lanes and car parks
• Slightly less need to bend down into the boot, too

It doesn’t look as boxy as previous generations, but the Focus Active Estate is remarkably spacious – stretched by 190mm to offer a generous 575-litre bootspace, expandable to 1,650 litres with the seats folded. It’s designed to accommodate a dog crate, but if you’re without a canine companion, don’t worry – it’ll also hold a lot of shopping and flat-pack furniture.

There’s an optional gesture-controlled powered tailgate, for the moments when you’re holding too much shopping to open the back, but it costs almost as much as the most desirable option packs; if you’re going to negotiate on price, this would be a good place to start.

Sensible design features throughout the Focus, from illuminated cupholders (though the Active lacks the mood lighting offered by Titanium and Vignale models) to the pushbutton seat back releases. One of the star features is the way the retractable load cover has been thought about; anyone used to wrangling the squeeze-click brackets or tilt-to-lock mechanisms of rivals, only to find there’s nowhere to stow the cover will wonder why it’s taken this long to find Ford’s solution – a curved track that the cover slides into at the same angle needed to get it in the car, and a canvas pull-cord to remove it without climbing into the boot, plus a space below the boot floor for it to slot into. Car boot sales will never mean leaving bits of the car at home again.

There are remote seatback releases and a 12V socket in the boot too. Not unique, but a degree of completeness that means the Focus Active Estate rarely leaves you feeling frustrated when using the load capacity to the max.

Subtle integrated roof rails provide easy attachment points for bike carriers, roof boxes and the like, and Ford’s extensive range of accessories is reasonably priced, allowing a reliable, easy-to-use and consistent package straight from the dealer. It can tow up to 1,600kg (braked) depending on powertrain, too.

How safe is the Focus Active Estate?

• Shares the same Euro NCAP score as other Focus models
• Five-star rating, with improved occupant protection
• More safety kit available at extra cost

As standard, the Focus Active Estate comes with a pre-collision warning system and autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection) that helps contribute to its five-star crash safety rating from Euro NCAP – and occupant protection is improved from when this Focus launched in 2018 as a result. All models also come with lane-keeping aid with lane-keeping alert and a post-collision braking system that stops you being shunted into cars in front if you get rear-ended.

Auto lights are standard, but for automatic wipers, you need the Active X, and on either model the standard halogen headlights are disappointing compared to the optional LED headlamps offered on the Active X. If you’re choosing those, you may as well pay a little more and take the impressive adaptive LED units with auto-dipping feature. Many rivals feature LED lights as standard at this price, so it’s surprising to see Ford clinging to 20 th century tech here.

A blindspot monitoring system comes at extra cost on all Active models, and also includes cross-traffic alert with active braking. Finally, a Driver Assistance Pack throws in traffic sign recognition, automatic high-beam and adaptive cruise control. The latter feature includes lane-centring assist and automatic stop and go on cars with automatic transmissions.