Ford Focus hatchback - Practicality & boot space
The latest Ford Focus has plenty of interior space and its boot is competitive with rivals'
One area in which the third-generation Focus came up a little short was rear-seat space – it was adequate, but rivals were more accomodating. Fortunately, Ford has rethought the Focus' layout, pushing the windscreen forward to allow a longer interior. The extra space liberated is mostly devoted to passenger accommodation, so some rivals are still more capable in the boot space department.
Those in the front enjoy plenty of space, with multi-adjustable seats and a steering wheel that adjusts for height and reach. There's less clutter between the driver and passenger than in previous Focus models, particularly those with an automatic gearbox, which now has a rotary selector that takes up less space than the previous gearlever. The centre console has soft areas where knees are likely to make contact, too.
The biggest difference compared to the outgoing model is in the back, however. There's far more room for knees and shoulders and the floor is flat with space under the front seats, too – this means that centre rear-seat occupants no longer have to splay their legs uncomfortably to find somewhere for their feet. In one fell swoop, Ford has taken the Focus from trailing the pack to near the head of the class when it comes to interior space and design.
Boot space
Ford Focus boot space is competitive with family hatchback rivals. With the rear seats in use, it offers 375 litres of luggage room – only five litres behind the Volkswagen Golf and almost 60 more than the previous Focus. If maximum carrying capacity is a must, though, the 590-litre Skoda Octavia still has a considerable advantage. Folding the rear seats down frees up a total of 1,354 litres – a little more than the Golf can offer.
