[WASP]

For those that are interested I just took a drive in a Focus Coupe Cabriolet after trying a Mondeo TDCi a few days prior. To be honest I was very skeptical about the coupe in terms of value, but after seeing it in the flesh I am pleased to report it presented as a quality item that one could possibly justify the money for if having a small convertible coupe was your thing (it’s not mine personally).

The leather interior and finishes are excellent from what I could see in the fading light of the evening. The metal roof is extremely trick and takes approx 20 seconds to fold way/come out. At night the red back lit dash lighting looks great and much nicer then our Zetec’s green one. The 17”wheels look more like 18” due to their flat spoke design and has machined polished highlights which look fantastic.

The car really draws attention out on the road and has much more road appeal than I anticipated. On the road when the roof is down, due to the low slant of the roofline the windscreen really shields most of the wind if you are in the front seats. If you have the windows up there’s almost no wind at all in the cabin. In the back however it’s a different story and you get quite blown away.

Personally I like the styling of the rear especially when the roof was down although my wife was not totally convinced. The shape of the car really has a natural coupe shape to it rather than a converted 4 door look if that makes sense.

Things I didn’t like so much was the 5 speed manual box which we have our LS Zetec. I think for the money the XR5 6 speed box or 6 speed auto like that used in the diesel Mondeo would be much more appropriate. Power and engine refinement again was adequate but nothing special. I personally would have preferred a lighter coloured interior for hot days as the black leather when exposed in the sun with the roof down apparently becomes quite uncomfortable.

Apart from that criticism it is a very nice piece of kit and a worthy option for those that love this type of car.

Colville