The all-new Focus represents the first fruits of the automaker's "One Ford" strategy of building vehicles that can be shared around the world. That's not how things worked previously at Ford, as evidenced by the three unique versions of the Focus before this model sold in different parts of the world. The strategy seems to be paying off, as the new Focus sedan and hatchback offer a level of style and substance that should appeal to small-car buyers the world over.Nice...but is Ford planning...or has already decided to...move the Focus upscale (like how Nissan moved the Sentra, Honda moved the Civic and Toyota moved the Corolla, with Versa, Fit and Yaris, respectively)?
This CAN'T be a sub $18K vehicle with what's in there. I think that it's even be more costly then the Civic/Corolla ones on what's being given in the Focus (Civic and Corolla don't have those technologies/features. If Ford's selling it at, say, $22K or so, then I would predict a sales failure because it's going to go into the Camry/Accord/Altima territories (which starts around $20K, so the mentality is that, if I pay $2000 - that's before any "rebate," I'll move "up" again). If it's going to sell at the current Focus price, then it WILL sell, but Ford's going to lose a lot of money on this (with its Union contracts).
For those of u who think that this will be a good Mazda3 competitor...then this vehicle will surely be doomed :( How many Mazda3 has Mazda sold per year?
After seeing the new Focus at an event before the Detroit auto show, I would say it has a much more premium appearance than its predecessor, and it's one that should resonate with small-car shoppers. Both the sedan and hatchback have a nice stance, and the car has lots of interesting body-panel creases. A trio of large front vents and a raked windshield give the Focus a sporty look.
The Focus is powered by a new 155-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that features variable valve timing and direct injection. The engine teams with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Although gas mileage figures haven't been released, Ford says the Focus will offer unsurpassed fuel economy in its class. Whether it's this engine or another one — a turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine will be offered later in the Focus — the car will need to get around 40 mpg on the highway to live up to that claim.
