Ford Focus Active Wagon 2019 revealed

Ford's just-unveiled Focus Active is getting a more practical sibling, with the Active Wagon today unveiled in Europe.

The wagon's reveal follows news that the first ever Ford Focus Active hatch will arrive in Australian showrooms in a single trim level in 2019, priced at $29,990, plus on-road costs.

But for those hunting for a little more space, Ford's Focus Active Wagon will serve up a maximum 1653 litres of luggage space. It's enough, Ford says, to store a large dog crate, so furry friends can come along for the ride.

Another clever touch is the wagon's luggage cover, or tonneau cover, which now stores in a dedicated space beneath the boot floor when removed, so when you're loading the boot to above the window line, the cover won't get in the way.

Like the Focus Active hatch, the Wagon's wheelbase has grown by 50mm, and Ford is promising more cabin space, helped along by a new and more narrow centre console that's home to an electric parking brake and circular (or rotary) gear shift, none of which take up much valuable room.

Backseat riders get what Ford is promising to be best-in-classs knee room (at 81mm), as well as more shoulder room than the outgoing Focus. An automated boot is available, too, meaning you can access the wagon area with your hands full by waving your foot below the car.

Despite what the dirt-road pictures above suggest, there isn't an all-wheel-drive function available. Instead, it gets raised suspension (an extra 30mm front and 34mm rear ground clearance) and what Ford is calling "rough-road capability". That includes bashplates front and rear, as well as new independent rear suspension tuned for the wagon's extra load. The Selectable Drive Mode function includes Slippery mode, for driving on mud, snow or ice, and Trail more, which is designed to allow more wheel spin on sand and mud, so you're less likely to get bogged.

Like the Focus Active hatch, expect the Wagon to be powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 134kW of power and 240Nm of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While the Focus Active hatch will launch in Australia in 2019, the wagon variant is yet to be assigned a launch date. So watch this space.

Focus Active hatch or wagon? Tell us in the comments below.