Hatchback Reviews

The Focus overhaul brought chiselled styling, slick infotainment and enhanced handling. All it needs now is buyer interest.In an industry where success is supposedly all about the product, Ford's Focus is the exception to the rule.Despite a comprehensive mid-2015 overhaul, which made an already good car even better, the Focus finished the year in deep trouble, recording a sales dive of 53 per cent. That was the worst performance of any model in the Melbourne Cup-sized small car field, where Toyota's Corolla finished with class honours and the title of Australia's top-selling car.Now powered by a hi-tech, fuel-efficient 1.5-litre turbo four, dubbed Ecoboost in Ford-speak, the Focus also has top-tier safety, multimedia and handling credentials. So where, and why, has it gone so wrong?If it looks European, we usually like it. Except when it's designed by Ford of Europe, apparently.So Ford has reached for the chisel to sharpen the Focus for 2016, especially the front end, which gets a much more aggressive profile. This is in line with the company's One Ford global look, already applied to the Fiesta and Mondeo.The dated, complicated button-fest of the previous cabin has been tidied up. The dash still lacks the elegant simplicity of VW's Golf.That said, there's also genius here, including MyKey, which allows you to program safety features such as a speed limiter and non-negotiable traction control into the key you give to teens when they drive the car.Add to that Sync2, Ford's superb multimedia setup with eight-inch screen, voice activation that actually understands what you're saying and automatic emergency assistance dialling, via your paired smartphone, in a crash.Fit, finish and materials quality on the Thai-built Focus also have been improved for 2016 but it's still not quite up to Golf or Mazda3 standards.The 1.5 is tuned to do its best work at low to mid-range revs, so in town it operates with the refinement and responsiveness of a bigger engine. Unusually for a European turbo, it's happy on regular unleaded.The six-speed auto (standard on Trend sedan, Titanium hatch and sedan; a $2000 option on Trend and Sport hatch) is a vast improvement over the erratic dual clutch Powershift box on the previous model. It goes early for the higher gears, which is fine because the engine can pull them without drama.Our Titanium test car wore low-profile tyres on 18-inch alloys, so the low-speed ride was firm. Trend spec, with 16-inch alloys and taller, more absorbent tyre sidewalls, would be more comfortable.Only the Titanium includes city-smart safety tech such as automatic braking, rear cross traffic and blind spot alerts, automatic reverse and parallel parking and 360-degree obstacle detection.The Titanium has a supportive GT-style seat with generous padding and bolstering that will keep you in excellent shape on a 1000km drive.The 1.5 cruises quietly and Ford has put extra noise insulation in the doors, floor and front wheel arches, so the 2016 Focus is as hushed as a big sedan at highway speeds.Ford of Europe always engineers engaging dynamics into its cars and the Focus, one of the better handlers in small car territory, now tussles with the Golf for best-in-class status. It's certainly the sportiest, most enjoyable small hatch to hustle through a set of corners.Electric power steering, though a touch synthetic, is precise and intuitive.The 1.5-litre works efficiently and strongly in everyday driving but a performance engine it ain't. Ford claims 132kW but our test car felt as if 32kW had gone missing.When the tacho swings past 5000rpm, the turbo can't shove any more air into the cylinders and all you get is an increasingly strained, boomy note, with precious little extra forward progress.Selecting Sport mode makes virtually no difference, which probably explains the absence of shift paddles on the wheel. There's a silly shift rocker switch on the gear lever; just for decoration, presumably.The official average is 6.5L/100km; expect fives on the highway and 8.0-10.0L in town.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Volkswagen Polo as a used buy.

A city-sized SUV takes on a staple hatch in the mid-$20 bracket. Joshua Dowling rates an updated pair with plenty in common.

John Carey road tests and reviews the Ford Focus RS with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its international launch in Spain.

From time to time you may have read my mutterings that fashion takes precedence over function in cars far too often. Which is why I admire the Mercedes-Benz B-Class so much, it's a major case of function pushing fashion aside. It is immensely practical, with a spacious interior (you need a large Mercedes S-Class to get more rear legroom), a tall seating position that provides good visibility, and variable luggage space that can be tailored in many ways.Mercedes-Benz B-Class is smaller on the outside than most compact SUVs so easier and safer to drive, as well as being lighter and therefore more economical and cleaner.Access to the rear seats through wide opening doors is excellent. As befits any mover, the Merc has numerous stowage areas including a handy centre console and sensible door pockets.The B-Class was launched in Australia in May 2005. Some are getting on in years, but with good maintenance and sensible driving should still have plenty of life left in them. As befits such a sensible vehicle it remained on sale for almost seven years, albeit with upgrades and a mild facelift until April 2012 when an all-new model was launched.Petrol, turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines are on offer, with the turbo-petrol units providing performance that can almost be called sporting in the latest, 2012, generation.There's a solid, quiet, refined feel in the Benz B-Class that belies it size. It's not quite as quiet and smooth to ride in as the larger Merc sedans, but it comes impressively close.Handling is pretty good for a mid-sized front-wheel-drive car, with decent balance, and minimal understeer at normal speeds. Exceed sensible cornering efforts and it remains controllable, with electronic aids moving in to help when required.These small Benzes aren't cheap in absolute terms, but you do get some excellent engineering and good build quality. Many owners are happy to pay thousands extra so they can be seen sitting behind that famed three-pointed star.Mercedes-Benz is well represented in almost all areas of areas of Australia, even in the far outback as diesel Mercedes cars have been a favourite with Aussie farmers for decades.Many owners get all their work done at Mercedes-Benz dealerships. These cars generally fetch higher prices than ones serviced elsewhere. You may pay more in the first place, but recoup your cash when it comes time to trade-in time.This isn't really the sort of car you should attempt to work on yourself, though a good home handyperson can do some of the routine service work.A correctly driven and maintained Mercedes B-Class should have plenty of life left in it, but it's still best to have one inspected by a Mercedes mechanic.If you find what appears to have been major repairs to the body either pass it up altogether or book it in for an after-crash inspection at a reputable panel repairer.Check the interior, particularly the rear seats and the luggage area for signs of rough and ready use.Before going for your test drive try and arrange for the engine to be completely cold, after an overnight stop is ideal. Make sure the engine starts easily and idles smoothly within a few seconds of kicking over.Check the engine never shows any signs of hesitation to your push on the throttle pedal. Also, that it pulls easily and strongly even on hills and with a load on board.

Ten years without any significant change to exterior design is almost unheard of in the car industry but that's the situation with the Suzuki Swift which continues to defy conventional wisdom by selling in consistently high numbers year-in and year-out. Indeed the popular little Suzuki finished the 2015 sales race in

Graham Smith reviews the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Suzuki SX4 as a used buy.

Richard Berry road tests and reviews the Peugeot 208 GT with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Craig Jamieson road tests and reviews the Mercedes-Benz A-Class with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the K12C and K13 Nissan Micra from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 as a used buy.