Ford Focus Hatchback (2011 - 2018) practicality

• Rated five stars by Euro NCAP
• Active City Stop reduces insurance costs
• Extra surety of all-wheel drive for RS

Ford Focus safety is a key concern for a lot of car buyers and the good news is that it has been given the full five stars for crash protection by the independent experts, Euro NCAP, which specialises in assessing cars’ crash protection.

The Focus is fitted with several crash-protection features as standard including driver’s, passenger and side airbags. The inclusion of stability control and Isofix child-seat fittings as standard is to be applauded, but if safety is your priority you can specify the Driver Assistance Pack that includes blindspot warning, lane-keeping assist that steers you between the white lines, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beam headlights.

It’s worth noting that Active City Stop can have a positive effect by reducing your insurance premiums, as it massively reduces the chances of running into something or someone at lower speeds.

Active Park Assist provides driver help when attempting parallel parking. It’s activated at the push of the button and measures any gaps to see if the Focus will fit in. Having found a parking space, the car will then provide instructions with audio prompts and on the heads-up display. The car does the steering leaving the driver to control the throttle and clutch. It’s not perfect but some Ford Focus owners find this very useful.

The high-speed Focus RS features a couple of additional safety elements: all-wheel drive enhances traction at low speeds, in spite of the handling histrionics introduced in some of its racier driving modes, and bi-xenon headlamps are included, too, for safer night-time driving.

• Boot space is reasonable, not class-leading
• Cabin isn’t the most spacious
• Door-edge protectors invaluable

This generation Ford Focus is longer than its predecessor, and while it’s a few millimetres narrower on the outside, extra width’s been liberated inside the cabin allowing for more shoulder room, boosting the car’s versatility and practicality.

Legroom front and rear is ample, although the lower roofline does hamper headroom for taller passengers on the back bench.

READ: Does a Ford Focus work as a family car? We investigate here

One really useful feature is disappointingly optional: door edge protectors pop out and wrap around the outer edge of the doors providing a rubbery shield to protect your paintwork – invaluable if you have kids and a narrow driveway.

The boot is reasonable at 316 litres, but with all the rear seats down you’ll get 1,215 litres at your disposal. It’s not as good as a VW Golf (380 litres with rear seats up and 1,270 with rear seats down) or a Vauxhall Astra (370 litres and 1,210 litres).

Be aware that if you choose a Focus RS, its all-wheel drive system impinges on boot space thanks to the mechanical gubbins under the floor, reducing capacity to 260 litres seats-up, 1,045 litres when folded.