The next-generation Ford Focus made its worldwide debut at this year's North American International Auto Show, aimed at providing customers with more affordable technologies and features, as well as detailed craftsmanship, outstanding fuel economy and a new standard for driving quality in its segment.
Sleek, stylish and sporty, production of both saloon and five-door hatchback body styles of the next-generation Ford Focus will start for Europe and North America late in 2010, with market launch early in 2011. The new Focus will be nearly identical in all markets, with 80 percent parts commonality around the world.
"The new Ford Focus is a clear demonstration that our ONE Ford strategy is providing global consumers with great products that harness the best of Ford Motor Company," says Alan Mulally, Ford's president and CEO.
"The efficiencies generated by our new global C-car platform will enable us to provide Ford Focus customers with an affordable product offering quality, fuel efficiency, safety and technology beyond their expectations," he added.
Taking kinetic design to the next level
"The all-new Ford Focus is at the centre of convergence for automotive trends. We've designed it with an acute understanding of global customers, yet it's tailored for each individual region. Ford Focus combines the best from Europe, North America and Asia to deliver a level of emotional driving enjoyment never before experienced in a car this size," said J Mays, Ford group vice president of design and chief creative officer.
Efficient engines deliver performance with outstanding economy
The global engine line-up for the new Ford Focus will include a range of state-of-the-art Ford "EcoBoost" turbocharged four-cylinder direct injection engines - including the 1,6-liter unit in Europe and a choice of advanced and improved Duratorq TDCi common-rail diesel engines, all of which offer reductions in fuel consumption of between 10 and 20 per cent compared to the outgoing models.
For the NAIAS preview, Ford is showing a completely new 2,0-liter petrol engine for the North American market that features direct injection Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) for enhanced performance and fuel efficiency.
To maximise performance and economy, the 2,0-liter Ti-VCT engine is mated with the six-speed Ford PowerShift automatic transmission. This transmission uses an advanced dual-clutch design, which Ford claims can help to reduce fuel consumption by up to nine per cent.
Driving quality
The all-new Ford Focus plans to raise the benchmark once more, targeting class-leading driving quality that blends outstanding steering precision and road feedback with significantly improved refinement and ride control. Engineers have updated the innovative suspension concepts from previous generations, developing optimised new designs for the multilink rear suspension and the semi-isolated front and rear subframes.
The chassis design is complemented by a completely new Electric Power Assist Steering system, which has been carefully tuned to deliver pure and precise responses at high speed while remaining light and manoeuvrable for parking. Ford's European driving dynamics specialists have also enhanced cornering stability and agility with the introduction of an advanced Dynamic Cornering Control system, which uses "torque vectoring" techniques to transfer power between the drive wheels to deliver reduced understeer, improved traction and better turn-in.
Intuitive technology enhances convenience and safety
New features employed in the Focus have been designed to be simple and highly intuitive to use, while enhancing both convenience and safety for the vehicle occupants.
Within the cockpit, the most significant innovation is the company's MyFord next-generation "driver connect" system, which provides the driver with a state-of-the-art combination of controls and display screens to operate key vehicle features. On range-topping models, the MyFord system includes an 8-inch touch screen, allowing the driver to control a wide range of functions via a clear and intuitive color display.
MyFord is complemented by a new generation of Ford's powerful SYNC connectivity package, which includes sophisticated voice control system, Bluetooth and satellite navigation, along with connection points for a wide variety of external devices and media players.
Other available safety and convenience features include keyless entry, a rear-view camera and a semi-automatic parallel parking system that automatically steers the vehicle into a parking spot.
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