Although Ford aren't going to score any points for leading the way with the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, they might well win some plaudits for doing a very thorough job in developing their take on the folding tin top theme. After all, we can't accuse them of rushing into this market sector feet first. It's been more than six years since Peugeot launched the 206CC and in that time customers have come to expect quite a bit from a car that claims to offer both the sleekness of a coupe and the open air pizzazz of a drop top.

Cohesive styling is a must. In the early days, most coupe cabriolet models looked rather ungainly, with huge distended rears that would open up like something from a Bond movie and then swallow the hood mechanism whole. While they undoubtedly provided good pavement theatre, they weren't what you'd call conventionally good looking.

Still, the benefits of added safety and security married to the fun of a convertible overcame their aesthetic shortcomings and the market for this sort of car has exploded. Whereas rivals such as Peugeot and Renault made hay, it took other manufacturers such as Vauxhall and Nissan a little longer to join the fray. Ford have played a particularly patient waiting game and the Focus has, as a result, to adhere to a tougher set of customer demands.

For instance, it's now no longer acceptable to have a car that features next to no luggage space. That sort of thing is all rather 2001 and the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet counters with 500-litres of room when the hood is up, although this does drop when the folding roof cartridge is in place. A full four-seater, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet may not be the answer to the family motorist's prayers but it's a lot more practical than its fun-loving agenda may suggest.

"Expect this Focus to become the biggest selling convertible car in Britain"

The two-piece electrically-operated hard top roof operates at the touch of a button and takes just 29 seconds, with no catches, latches or levers needing to be manhandled. Once stowed in the boot, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet's lines are a good deal more elegant, with a classic rising waistline and clean rear deck.

Ford turned to Italian styling house Pininfarina to create this model and you can't really argue with the finished result, even if it is severely toned down from the striking Vignale concept car paraded at the Paris Motorshow in 2004. The specially styled rear end is characterised by unique tail lights linked by a chrome strip bearing an embossed Focus logo to give the new model what Ford hopes is 'a premium feel'. This is further enhanced by a redesigned front bumper shape and 'distinctive' wheel arches.

Inside, the car's dashboard layout follows the style of other Focus models, but with a different colour scheme developed to distinguish it as a flagship. Two different colour schemes are offered: dark, sporty Ebony/Flint, and the warm, elegant Iris/Camel.

There are three trim levels on offer - CC-1, CC-2 and CC-3 - but all come with alloy wheels, electronically operated and heated door mirrors, a Thatcham 1 Cat alarm, a CD player and air conditioning. Three engines are offered from launch and prices start from £16,822. The entry-level unit is the 100bhp 1.6-litre Duratec, while those looking for a punchier petrol engine will tick the box for the 144bhp 2.0-litre Duratec unit. The 1.6-litre petrol unit provides 0-62mph acceleration in 13.6sec, a top speed of 114mph and a combined fuel consumption figure of 39.8mpg. Go for the 2.0-litre and you can expect a 0-62mph time of 10.3sec, a top speed of 130mph and combined fuel consumption of 37.6mpg.

Probably the most impressive powerplant in the line up however, is the 135bhp 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel which makes sixty from rest in 10.3s on the way to 128mph and a combined fuel figure of nearly 50mpg. The main thing however, is that this unit is quiet. Indeed, it's a measure of Ford's confidence in the refinement of this engine that they can put it into an open car.

The Focus has established a reputation as one of - if not the - the best handling cars in its class and although the Coupe-Cabriolet is being touted as a Grand Tourer rather than a pure sports roadster, it shares the same brilliant and infinitely tuneable suspension. It also features the electrically-assisted steering that's one of the best systems of its type and the expertise of thousands of hours of Focus research and development.

Safety of course is paramount in a car like this and Ford's new Rollover Protection Device (RPD) plays a vital role in increasing the Coupé-Cabriolet's passive safety performance. In addition to standard front and side airbags, the RPD is designed to help protect passengers in the event of a vehicle rollover. If the system detects an imminent roll, two safety roll-bars "fire" and extend out by up by 20cm to provide a supportive safety strut along with the ultra-strong windscreen pillars to protect the car's occupants.

There are advantages to turning up late for any party and in this case, Ford has learned from the mistakes committed by others in this sector and not repeated them. As a result, despite tough competition from cars like Vauxhall's Astra TwinTop, Volkswaqen's Eos, Peugeot's 307CC and Renault's Megane CC, only a fool would bet against this Focus becoming the biggest selling vehicle of its type across Europe. In fact, one suspects it'll break quite a few records in its lifetime.

TOP 5 FOCUS DEALS

The results below show the top FOCUS deals on buyacar

	Ford Focus 1.6 CC-1 2dr Cabriolet (Pre-model) Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,672	Price £15,128
	Ford Focus 2.0 CC-2 2dr Cabriolet (Pre-model) Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,788	Price £16,012
	Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi CC-2 2dr Cabriolet (Pre-model) Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,962	Price £17,313
	Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi CC-3 2dr Cabriolet (Pre-model) Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £2,079	Price £18,196
	Ford Focus 2.0 CC-2 2dr Auto Cabriolet (Pre-model) Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,899	Price £16,901