New Ford Focus Estate ST-Line X 2019 Review

One thing you’re not short of with the new Ford Focus is variety. In total there are 88 different models available when it comes to matching bodystyle with your desired trim, gearbox and engine. The model we have here, however, could well be the pick of that line-up. The variant in question is the more practical Estate in well-equipped ST-Line X trim. We’ve already driven the 1.5-litre diesel model, but under the bonnet of this car sits Ford’s new 180bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol. To drive out of the dealership it’ll cost you £26,750 or around £370 per month on a standard PCP deal. One reason why it hits the spot, even before you get behind the wheel, is the way it looks. The Focus is a rather spec-sensitive car; it can look a bit dowdy and dull in some of the lower trims - especially in one of the less inspiring colours.

However, the more assertive styling on this ST-Line X model means it looks the part. The driving experience, aided no end by the punchy 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, matches the Ford’s good looks. From low revs the engine pulls strongly and smoothly, without the spiky power delivery you’d usually associate with low capacity, turbocharged engines. The snappy six-speed manual gearbox and steering are both perfectly weighted, while the seating position is spot on. It allows you to really make the most of the Focus’s sweet chassis and brilliant handling balance. That’s perhaps not the main priority from someone looking to buy a sensible and spacious family car, but it clearly demonstrates Ford has cut no corners when to comes to designing such a capable all-rounder. Fuel economy is also pretty reasonable. On a long motorway run you can match Ford’s claim of 42mpg. But around town, and day-to-day, we averaged 36mpg over 700 miles of mixed driving. Admittedly, the Focus doesn’t have the largest boot in its class. You’ll get 575 litres with the rear bench in place and 1,653 litres with everything folded flat. However, there are only a few litres difference between the Ford and the Volkswagen Golf Estate, so in reality you won’t notice it.

Such is progress: Today's subcompact is yesterday's compact. But whereas that VR6 was a 2.8-liter, the Polo GTI has just half those cubes, deriving its poke from VW's unique twincharger concept. This means a supercharger provides the urgency at low revs, and is declutched at higher rpms once the turbocharger has spooled up. Yes, two types of forced induction in one engine. There's never a hole in the power delivery, or anything that would feel strange to a driver who hadn't been told such a relay-race of technologies was going on. Sadly, though, the engine note is a bit of a dull rasp. Strangely, given this engine has such generous torque, the Polo GTI comes standard with a close-ratio seven-speed DSG transmission. This seven-speeder is used on many small-displacement VW Group cars in Europe, and to save weight and complexity the clutches are dry-plate rather than the oil-bath type used in bigger DSGs. This means the car doesn't creep as well as it should, and in start-stop urban traffic it's harder to be as smooth through the gears. So the Polo GTI's engine and transmission are efficient but uninspiring, but what about the handling? It points well and grips decently, but there's not enough feedback when you press hard. Small cars should have a sharp edge and a sense of fun to them, but this one doesn't. It's not as much fun as the real GTI, the Golf. The base Polo is one of the most beautifully made, delightfully appointed, and refined small cars anywhere. The GTI version takes none of that away. But it doesn't really add much either. Yes, it's quick, but it's a bit joyless. Which, strangely, was just how this writer remembers the Golf VR6 being back in the mid-1990s. So among all Volkswagen's hot hatches sold anywhere in the world, the best of the bunch is the Golf R. But running very close, and certainly eclipsing it for overall value and economy, is the Golf GTI. Which, considering its long and storied lineage, is only fitting.

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