2019 Honda Civic vs Ford Focus

What's the difference?

Honda's current Civic is a perplexing thing, and I'm not just talking about the profusion of styling features. The range spans from the entry-level VTi to the completely bonkers Type R and the two cars could not be more different.

One step up from the bottom of the line-up is the VTi-S, priced at $25,490. Honda and its competitors are selling boatloads of SUVs but the small hatch/sedan market (it seems to be merging) is still punching away.

The Civic has been with us in its current form for a couple of years now, but it was ahead of the pack in some areas when it first landed. With the arrival of the new Mazda3 and ongoing Korean onslaught, it's worth a quick re-visit to see what's happening with the Civic.

You've got to feel for the marketing peeps at Ford tasked with cooking up a catchy one-word description for the new Focus Active.

The others models in the range are easier, of course. The Focus ST-Line? "Sportiness", says Ford. The Titanium trim? "Elegance", they shout.

But the Active? "It's like a hatchback, but with more capability..." It isn't quite as catchy, is it?

That capability they speak of arrives in the form of more ride height (30mm at the front and 34mm at the rear), as well as standard roof rails and two new drive modes, Slippery and Trail, which are designed to help the front-wheel-drive Focus better handle light off-road conditions like sand or icy roads.

But the weird thing here is that, for a car so focused on light off-roading, the place the Active really shines is glued firmly to the tarmac.