Ford Drops Top on European Focus C-C
Rub your eyes, pinch your arms, but most importantly, believe what you’re seeing: there is indeed a blue oval on the grille of this rather attractive convertible. While Ford of North America is busy launching the new Edge crossover and the latest generation of Tyrannosaurus Rex-sized SUVs (Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator), Europe is getting something smaller, cooler, and better at maximizing your exposure to the summer sky. This is the latest version of the European-model Focus, called the Coupe-Cabriolet, and it is the world’s first Focus Coupe and the world’s first Focus Convertible, all at the same time.
The Focus Coupe-Convertible is just one of the many new folding hardtop cars that have entered the market in recent times. In Europe, it’ll go toe-to-toe with Volkswagen’s new EOS, and two of France’s finest, the Peugeot 307 and the Renault Mégane C+C. For a North American comparison, it’s slightly smaller than the new Pontiac G6 Convertible, which also features a folding hardtop roof. Ford may be a bit late to the hardtop convertible game, but that’s a mere speck in the eye, compared to our North American Focus, which is a mildly warmed over version of the first generation car that dates back to 1998.
Technically speaking, the European Focus convertible is related to the Volvo C70 in many ways. The two cars ride on the same platform, the C1 architecture, which also underpins the Mazda3 and 5, not to mention a variety of other Volvo and European-market Ford products. Both cars have electro-mechanical power steering, extra-sturdy underpinnings, although the Focus is unique in that it has the trademarked control-blade rear suspension for extra nimble handling. But really, that’s where the similarities stop, and the differences start.