Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2007 Review

Remove the roof, feel the breeze in your hair and gear up for some open-road cruising, sunscreen and hat close by.

And while other manufacturers have had their versions of the under-$50k convertibles for some time, it's now Ford's turn to come to the coupe-cabriolet party and it's better late than never.

Ford's offering in this segment is in the form of a Focus Coupe-Cabriolet with an Italian twist.

The stylish new addition to the Focus range is based on the Vignale concept car first shown at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. The production version was built in partnership with Pininfarina, the name that has been associated with many marques over the years, including Ferrari.

And the car's origins are cemented even further in Italy, having been built in Turin.

The new Focus wears its heritage with pride, with a Pininfarina badge adorning its side.

At $45,490, the hard-top convertible comes with a competitive price tag, up against the Holden Astra and Volkswagen Eos. It's fitted with a 2.0-litre Duratec four-cylinder engine, which is quiet inside the cabin in both modes.

A total of 107kW is delivered at 6000rpm, with 185Nm at 5400rpm, but 90per cent of peak torque is available from just over 2000rpm.

Ford believes it will sell around 100 models a month, with 75per cent of sales being automatics, adding $2000 to the price.

But out on the winding roads, the four-speed automatic gearbox felt sluggish. Apply some hard acceleration and you're left watching and waiting for the tacho needle to rise as it does so very slowly, anticipating the final delivery of power.

While slipping into the sport sequential shift mode helped and allows the driver to control the gears, it still felt too slow.

The five-speed manual that comes standard is the better way to go. When driving uphill and working your way up to speed, it still felt a little restrained, but once hitting faster cruising speeds, the Coupe-Cabriolet was fun to drive.

It's not a sporty drive in terms of travelling fast and the way the performance is delivered, but that's not really the nature of this convertible.

Rather, it's pleasant cruising and a classy car, one you can enjoy around town or on open roads. Throw it around corners and bends and you'll soon see its fun nature. It handled well as it stuck to the corners — with the roof up or down.

By gaining the ability to drop its top, the Coupe-Cabriolet also packs on the kilos, weighing 140kg to 150kg more than the rest of the Focus range.

Removing the roof requires the car to be stationary, and it's a simple press of the button on the centre console before the two-piece roof retracts in 29 seconds. Boot space is best in the class: 534 litres with the roof up, 248-litres when the roof is stored away.

Once you remove the roof, the Focus still feels strong and steady on the road, the wind being

no hindrance at all. The dual-zone airconditioning also adapts with the roof off, and still manages to cool you down despite the outside heat.

The Coupe-Cabriolet also comes with a good equipment list, including heated seats, six-disc CD system, rain-sensing wipers, leather interior and a glovebox cooling feature all standard. Metallic paint is no extra charge. Safety features are also impressive, with ABS and Dynamic Stability Control standard, as well as front and side airbags and a Roll-over Protection Device.

Inside, it feels comfortable and even the back two seats offer adequate space. Nevertheless, it would still get a bit cramped for back passengers on long trips. The Focus drop-top is a stylish design and stands out from the rest of the Focus range, although it still does maintain its DNA.

The flowing lines and unique rear tail lights particularly make it a more unique design.

In terms of economy, the Focus' claimed consumption of 7.5litres per 100km for the manual and 8.3litres per 100km for the auto beats others in the segment.

In real-world driving, we averaged around

8.4 litres in the automatic version.

The convertible rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, with 18-inch wheels an optional extra.

A diesel model is available in Europe but Ford Australia has no plans to bring it here. Mainly the result of the different demand in transmissions, the diesel only comes with a manual.

And while a petrol-powered turbo model, like that in the Eos, would give it that extra edge to push it into a more exciting and engaging drive, Ford says there are no plans to expand the range anytime in the near future.

Ford believe its new convertible will be taken up by both males and females, the young and stylish and older empty-nesters looking for a treat after their children have left home.

SNAPSHOT

FORD FOCUS COUPE-CABRIOLET

PRICE: $45,490 (manual) $47,490 (auto)

ENGINE: 2.0L/4-cyl, 107kW/185Nm

TRANSMISSION: 5-speed manual, 4-speed auto

ECONOMY: 7.5L/100km (man), 8.3L/100km (auto)

ALTERNATIVES

Holden Astra Convertible $45,490

Volkswagen Eos from $47,990

Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet $44,490