2008 Ford Focus

[Flybrian]

2008 Ford Focus

Press Release

The 2008 Ford Focus brings a bold design, modern interior, improved driving dynamics and competitive fuel economy to the growing small car market.

• All-new exterior design strikes an exciting pose in two-door coupe and four-door sedan body styles.
• Redesigned cabin offers contemporary styling and features such as silver metallic finishing on the dashboard and center console, available ambient interior lighting and available leather seating with contrast stitching – all creating a modern atmosphere.
• New suspension tuning and chassis refinements improve an already rewarding and dynamic driving experience.
• Improvements to sealing and sound deadening materials reduce noise, vibration and harshness levels providing a quiet, comfortable ride.

DETROIT, Mich., Jan 7, 2007 – Redesigned from the inside out, the 2008 Ford Focus brings a bold new look, a modern interior and a high level of driving enjoyment to the small car segment. Joining the new Focus four-door sedan is, for the first time, ever a sporty two-door coupe, which is designed to attract new and younger buyers to a growing small car market.

Ford is renewing its commitment to the small car market as an influx of younger buyers and the instability of gas prices have led to growing sales in the segment. Small cars make up the largest vehicle segment in the U.S. today and growth is expected to continue. The 2008 Focus will be poised to capture some of this growth when it hits the streets in fall 2007.

"We know the formula for success in the small car segment: Affordability, quality and a fun to drive, sporty personality," says Cisco Codina, Ford group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales and Service. "These are the priorities that drove the redesign of the Focus for 2008."

Muscular stance, sharp character lines and a high beltline define Focus

The 2008 Focus strikes an impressive pose. Designers drew inspiration from the Ford Fusion's prominent chrome-bar grille design, flared wheel arches and sweeping, crisp lines to create a small car that's stylish and sporty.

"We raised the beltline to give Focus more modern proportions," says Lon Zaback, Focus chief designer. "By raising the beltline we created a sleeker profile. The overall look is solid and more substantial."

Flared wheel arches give Focus its firm, secure stance and work with the raised beltline to give Focus its muscular look.

The design is further refined by a taut character line that runs from the taillights, sweeping across the doors just below the door handles and snapping suddenly down at the front wheel well. Another crisp line runs from the A-pillar to the headlight and down to the bottom of the front bumper, defining the corners of the car.

"Having surface areas break sharply in places gives the car a sense of forward motion," says Zaback. "A lot of cars today use forms and lines that are parallel and predictable. If you look at Focus, you will see one sweep going through the hood and headlamps, and a different sweep going through the fascia. This creates movement, tension and drama."

Zaback says the goal was to use detail and forms to create unpredictable visual interest. For example, the hood uses four separate creases to break up a typically large flat area. "When you're working with a small car, you want to add surface detail that will create interest from any angle," says Zaback. "We definitely wanted to appeal to the more progressive customer."

The headlights are a design story by themselves. Horizontal bars with a matte surface run through the reflection area, visually connecting the headlights with a sweeping line running through the chrome-bar grille. It is such an innovative idea that Ford has a patent request for the design.

The tail lamps share cues with the 2008 Ford Escape, with a white arc cutting across the red lens. The leading edge of the deck lid features a new clear lens center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL) that illuminates with red LEDs for a progressive, modern appearance.

Focus SEL models feature a front fender appliqué integrated just behind the front wheel arch, adding a bright accent to the profile. And the "Focus" name is spelled out in bold italic letters on the deck lid, scuff plates and instrument panel.

The 2008 Focus is available in two body styles: a two-door coupe, a first-ever for Focus, and a four-door sedan. These are the two highest volume body styles in the segment. In fact, the sedan and coupe will allow Ford to cover a full 80 percent of the small car market.

Redesigned Focus cabin is quiet, inviting and modern

Progressive is the word that best describes the interior. The new interior design not only adds more flexible storage space, but new surfaces and materials create a modern, contemporary cabin with a sense of openness.

"We've taken cues from fashion and home design and translated them into a more upscale Focus interior," says Zaback. "We've given it some sophistication and flair by adding touches of silver metallic finishing like you see in today's home appliances, and used materials that provide a higher-quality feel to surfaces and touch points throughout the car. The overall package is simply more inviting."

On SEL models, the dashboard and center console sport brilliant matte silver-metallic finishing. On SE models, the dashboard center finish panels are a contrasting dark stone non-metallic color.

A "top-of-dash" display, positioned at eye-level at the top of the center stack, features a message center that shows radio function readouts. This simple, efficient design makes it easier and quicker to read when driving.

A new "poke-through" center console design replaces the traditional "brick" design for the radio and climate control. The center panel houses the controls for the audio and climate control as well as a standard auxiliary audio input jack and two power points.

Eliminating the traditional brick design gave designers freedom to draw a sharp accent line across the top of the dashboard, a design element that would not have been possible with the previous model's square radio and climate modules. A new seamless passenger front airbag door further cleans up the interior.

The 2008 Focus offers a larger center console as well as added space in front of the console shifter for extra storage. Newly designed door trim features larger bins and cup holders in the doors plus three more in the console. New seats have improved contours and offer more lateral and lumbar support. A new cloth pattern is available for 2008 while the leather trimmed seats feature contrast stitching for an added touch of craftsmanship.

SE models come with a Stone interior; SEL models come in Stone or Charcoal Black. The coordinating interior instrument panel colors are Satin Pewter Metallic for the Charcoal Black interior and Dusk Metallic for the Stone interior. Focus models equipped with Sport and Deluxe packages feature a white face instrument cluster and chrome accents on the door handles, climate control vents and shifter.

Focus lets you set the mood

The Focus interior is even more distinctive at night thanks to a new approach to lighting that builds on recent Ford advances like the white LED instruments on the 2003 Lincoln Navigator and the configurable "My Color" instrument display on the Mustang.

In the Focus, the instruments and switches are lit in a new color called "Ice Blue." Customers can also order an ambient lighting package that places tiny LEDs inside the front and rear cupholders and footwells. The LEDs can highlight the cabin in any of seven different colors (red, orange, blue, indigo, violet, green and yellow) and are controlled by a simple dash-mounted switch.

Both of these features will eventually make their way into other Ford and Mercury products.

"The idea was to let owners give the car its own mood," says Philip Smoker, 2008 Focus product marketing manager. "Customizable ambient light gives the interior a whole different look and keeps it fresh. Focus is the first in this segment to offer ambient lighting as a factory installed option."

Smoker says customizable and unique interior lighting inside cars and trucks is an emerging trend. According to a recent survey, over 90 percent of vehicle consumers said they would be interested in unique lighting to enhance the appearance of their vehicle's interior.

"With manufacturers often producing upwards of 150,000 copies of any particular model, vehicle differentiation is still the key," says Smoker. "The interior ambient light inside the 2008 Focus gives owners the chance to make the car their own."

Revised suspension settings further refine the Focus driving experience

Since its North American introduction in 1999, Focus has been hailed for being an affordable car that handles and drives like a car more than twice its price. For 2008, the Focus's curb weight is down by 60 pounds, even though the body structure is stiffer. This allowed the suspension engineers to sharpen the car's steering and handling while improving ride quality at the same time.

Engineers reworked and improved the strength of the roof structure, the package tray, the connections between the rear floor and the underbody and the door systems. A stiffened cross-car beam under the instrument panel connects the car side-to-side and provides better lateral stiffness.

The basic suspension features an independent front suspension with MacPherson struts and an independent multilink design in back. The spring rates, shock absorbers, stabilizer bars, and jounce bumpers have all been re-tuned for 2008. Engineers derived unique tuning packages for vehicles equipped with 15- or 16-inch wheels and tires. Models with 15-inch wheels and tires are equipped with low-rolling resistance Hankook tires. Those with 16-inch wheels and tires are paired with sporty, responsive Pirelli tires.

"Fuel economy was at the top of the improvement list for 2008, so we put the new Focus on a diet, dropping the curb weight of the vehicle by over 60 pounds," says vehicle dynamics manager Mark Rushbrook. "To maintain good ride character, we reduced the spring rates. Improvements to steering and handling were accomplished by increasing the size of the front stabilizer bar for both the 15- and 16-inch tire packages, as well as detailed tuning of the shock absorbers to optimize the ride and handling balance."

Rushbrook says the revised chassis settings help improve steering feel over the previous Focus without sacrificing ride quality. The front stabilizer bar diameters have been increased over 2007, from 18 millimeters to 20 millimeters on the 15-inch wheel tuning package, and from 21 millimeters to 22 millimeters on the 16-inch wheel tuning package.

"From a dynamics perspective, the new Focus feels much more solid and substantial," says Rushbrook. "The chassis has been tuned with the new body structure to continue that feeling of confidence. Whether you're driving down a twisty back road or an interstate highway, it always feels like you're in a very solid yet responsive and fun vehicle."

Focus gets an all-new brake system for 2008. New aluminum calipers save weight and improve brake pedal feel. The brakes are 10.9-inch vented discs in front and 11.0-inch drums in back with an available anti-lock braking system (ABS).

The 2008 Focus features a 2.0-liter, Duratec 20 dual-overhead-cam (DOHC), inline four-cylinder engine. An all-new air intake system, cooling and exhaust system are designed to improve the powertrain's smoothness, efficiency and response.

There's also a super-clean Duratec 20E engine offered in states adopting California emission standards that qualifies Focus as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV). PZEVs are as clean as some hybrid vehicles, according to the EPA.

The Duratec 20 and 20E are available with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. For 2008, the transmissions have revised final drive ratios, which let the engine turn at a lower rpm rate during highway driving and get better fuel economy. For instance, the automatic transmission final drive ratio decreased from 3.73 to 3.34, reducing engine speed at 65 mph from 2490 rpm to 2230 rpm.

NVH improvements provide a quiet ride

The new exterior design doesn't just look good, it provides improved functionality as well. Improved airflow over the vehicle reduces the coefficient of drag (CD) from 0.33 to 0.32.

"Getting just a tenth of a difference in CD is a lot," says Focus chief engineer Marcio Alfonso. "This is quite significant. We spent many hours in the wind tunnel developing the shapes of exterior parts like mirrors and front openings, spoilers, and the shape of the air deflectors under the car. There was a lot of work done to improve aerodynamics and reduce noise inside the car."

At a simulated 80 mph in the wind tunnel, the previous Focus had 28.8 sones of wind noise while the new model recorded 25.6, an eleven percent reduction in wind noise. In a test of road noise (boom, rumble, roar), decibel levels inside Focus dropped from 70 dBA to 67.3.

"We know that customers equate quiet with quality," says Alfonso. "The difference between the previous car and the 2008 model is far more dramatic than the numbers show. Sones reflect overall noise levels and not the directionality of the noise. A noise coming from a particular area can be perceived as being louder, even though the overall noise level is similar. With Focus, we addressed not only the overall noise level, but also where the noise is coming from."

Engineers reduced wind noise by installing a new acoustic windshield and thicker side glass in the front doors (increased in thickness from 3.2 to 3.8 millimeters). Closed-cell foam for the dash panel seal, as opposed to open-cell foam material, also helps reduce wind noise. Fluffy cotton-like sound-deadening material has been added to the door trim panels, C-pillars and the flat shelf behind the rear seats to reduce cabin noise, and the sealing around the side mirrors is redesigned to reduce noise entering the passenger cabin. The front air dam is stiffened and produces less noise.

New Climate Control System is lighter, quieter and more efficient

The 2008 Focus has an all-new climate control system that is more efficient with improved cooling and heating performance. Switching to electronic actuators for the floor, panel, defrost and temperature controls improve Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) performance. This completely redesigned HVAC system results in a climate control system that is quieter, lighter in weight and more effective in cooling and heating the cabin.

Standard safety features offer peace of mind

The 2008 Focus comes standard with Ford's Personal Safety System®, thorax side air bags and side air curtains for increased coverage in the event of a side impact crash.

Ford's Personal Safety System is a comprehensive collection of passive safety features for the front passengers. The system includes dual-deployment front air bags, energy absorbing safety belts, load limiting retractors and pretensioners, all which will help to create one of the safest cabins in its segment.

Focus uses Ford's Safety Canopy™ side air curtain system that deploys in certain side-impact collisions to help protect front- and second-row outboard occupants using "roll-fold" technology. If occupants are resting their heads against a window, the Safety Canopy™ is designed to slide between the glass and occupants as it inflates. The curtains remain inflated for several seconds after deployment to enhance protection during an extended crash event.

Available anti-lock brakes are designed to help drivers maintain great steering command during hard stops.

Image Gallery

[Variance]

Damn Ford cheaping out again. That's not nearly enough silver plastic on the dash and console. C'mon Ford, quit holding out on us!

[Croc]

Eh, I think it looks kinda cool. Gotta see this in person...

[pow]

I'm getting a nice Alfa Romeo vibe from the side.

[K.C.]

The front end of that thing looks cool. Not a big fan of the rear or the interior. Despite the cool front end, I can't warm up to this car because Europe gets the good one. Ford screws us in North America by denying us the good one.

[regfootball]

i ripped this pretty hard in the other 08 focus thread, but these pics are better. the night interior shot looks much better here. Maybe Ford will get buyers for this.

edit: ok, now after seeing both threads I'm willing to cut this car slack. They did ok with limited resources here.

I actually like the center stack controls and stuff better than my 500's. ain't sayin much, it just looks like it is.

can they at least offer an SVT version for those who want some speed?

Edited January 7, 2007 by regfootball

[Intrepidation]

I gotta say, I'm really liking this car, especially the coupe. The interior doesn't have the best lighting (typical crappy press work), but I really like the design, this is probably the best the Big 3 Have come up with.,,,and usable cupholders in a Focus!

The exterior looks pretty aggressive too, and dare I say, bold?! I'm very pleased with the look of this car, and even if the chassis isn't all new, it's enough that it could pass as a brand new car..plus there was never really anything wrong with the chassis to begin with. The only thing i don't care for is the blocky air damn and fog lights, which are out of place with the rest of the swoopy/edgy exterior. Still, I like it, it's very nice.

And hey, they didn't make all models drums in back like teh Escape, what a bold move!

Good Job Ford, finally.

Edited January 7, 2007 by Dodgefan

[bowtie_dude]

I'm actually really impressed with it. That interior is really nice, design-wise, and shows up the Cobalt interior.

[CARBIZ]

It's good to see Ford getting back into the car game again. This definitely ups the stakes for the Cobalt, which I hope is due for a refresh (at least) in '08. It would be nice to see the old Chevrolet-Ford rivalry resurrected and let them both forget the Japanese invaders for a while. I know Ford is capable of building decent small cars - they build them elsewhere now.

This Focus looks very good and is a HUGE improvement over the current one. Quirky looks are gone.

[Cory Wolfe]

I've been looking this over for a good half hour now (while all the pics load, that is)... and I must say, It's better than I expected, especially since it's a Ford. Inside, while the expanse of silver trim is overwhelming and the overall design reeking of typical Ford plainness, the details are nice. The interior lighting is certainly appealing and much better than that ugly green Ford usually uses. The ambient lighting is as well. I'm not sure how I like the raised the radio display. Might be an intuitive idea, but having the controls next to the display seems like it would be more logical. Overall, the interior is refreshing in some ways, but a turn off in others. Outside, it's a mixed bag, too. I like the taillights; they're simple, classy, and modern. The same can't be said about the headlights. The detailing, like the interior, is nice but the overall appearance is lacking. I can't stand the shape of them, nor how they're integrated into the front end. It's as if they took a Contour's front fascia and made it blocky. The lower fascia is just blocky and bland. Those foglights look horrible next to the headlights. The side is where you can see the old Focus showing through. It looks dumpy from this perspective. Those wheels looks especially tiny. It also looks tall. It's like a bigger Aveo, in essence. To conclude, I'm just going to have to see it in person. Too many oddities to form a real opinion.

[Intrepidation]

Yeah the wheel sizes are 15's and 16's? The freakin' Caliber can be had with 18's! They should reall up th wheel sizes by at least an inch across the board..and what's with the deletion of the 2.3?

[C.H.U.D.]

Another year, another compact that has ION styling in some way. This one has similarities to the pre-'05 front end design.

It's alright though. The interior looks much nicer than the Cobalt. I see no purpose for the two-door, as it looks no sportier than the sedan, at least to me.

[PurdueGuy]

Yeah the wheel sizes are 15's and 16's? The freakin' Caliber can be had with 18's!

Maybe you need to get past a "bigger has to be better" attitude? a 15 or 16 could easily be more optimal for performance on a car this size, so unless it's all about bling...

[Satty]

I lie it quite a bit, in picture form at least. I would have considered a Focus instead of the Fusion when I bought because I could have had more equipment for the same price, but one of the things that killed the Focus was the cupholder placement in all honesty. No word on hp, if they offered it with the same 2.3 as the Fusion it would go pretty well.

[Cory Wolfe]

Maybe you need to get past a "bigger has to be better" attitude? a 15 or 16 could easily be more optimal for performance on a car this size, so unless it's all about bling...

*cough* Excuse *cough*

[K.C.]

This car gives me a creepy Escort oompa loompa vibe. Does it do that to anyone else? Especially in the coupe pictures? ZX2 anyone?

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

The two door coupe likes like a 80's Ford Tempo.

[bobo]

Tempo:

Old Mitsubishi Lancer:

[Intrepidation]

Maybe you need to get past a "bigger has to be better" attitude? a 15 or 16 could easily be more optimal for performance on a car this size, so unless it's all about bling...

You insult me with that stupid "bling" term. However 17's, at least as an option, would better fill out the wheel wells of the car. Or do you prefer the undersized look like the Aveo or the Sentra have?

[Intrepidation]

I lie it quite a bit, in picture form at least. I would have considered a Focus instead of the Fusion when I bought because I could have had more equipment for the same price, but one of the things that killed the Focus was the cupholder placement in all honesty. No word on hp, if they offered it with the same 2.3 as the Fusion it would go pretty well.

Yeah, the previous Focus' cupholders sucked horribly.

[PurdueGuy]

You insult me with that stupid "bling" term. However 17's, at least as an option, would better fill out the wheel wells of the car. Or do you prefer the undersized look like the Aveo or the Sentra have?

I don't prefer the look, but if it performs (handles) better, than I prefer that to cramming the largest wheel possible in there. The "bling" term was meant to be stupid - a parallel of the thought of ignoring performance purely for looks. Guess there are plenty of customers that will ignore performance and prefer looks, so maybe you're right about 17's needed as an option...

[sciguy_0504]

A pleasant surprise. I am not a huge fan of the front end or the sides, which look like the first-gen Prius, but the rear end is nice. The interior is plastic-y but it is an economy car and looks good in the photos, moden and stylish. Even the base version looks pretty good. I think the coupe could attract customers who are drawn to Japanese economy cars but I like the Cobalt coupe more, which looks more substantial.

Ford did well with limited resources. I just hope the chassis and suspension are more Euro Focus-like.

[Petra]

I actually like it. Ford did a pretty commendable job of sprucing up this aging model, though the loss of the 2.3L. engine is lamentable. I'm betting it is one of those cars that looks better in person than in pictures.

[CSpec]

The exterior is mildly interesting, but the interior looks awful and there is no way this will stay competitive for very long, if it is even competitive when it launches.

[aaaantoine]

It's... Not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

[ImpalaPete]

Very nice. Big kudos to Ford.

[Chicagoland]

People are crying that it should be the Euro one, but they knew all aling taht wasnt going to happen. This looks fine, and it has re-engineered parts, nit just old underneath. Someone said it looks like an Ion, huh? Seems like that has become cliche'

They dumped the ZX# scheme which was dated and confusing finally!

[Intrepidation]

I don't prefer the look, but if it performs (handles) better, than I prefer that to cramming the largest wheel possible in there. The "bling" term was meant to be stupid - a parallel of the thought of ignoring performance purely for looks. Guess there are plenty of customers that will ignore performance and prefer looks, so maybe you're right about 17's needed as an option...

Sometimes larger wheel size can help performance as well as looks. It should just be an option.

Anyway, even though we are (not surprisingly) still not getting the Euro Focus, I think this is a nice change, and if the chassis refinements are good enough than it should be a fine car. I just wish they didn't drop the 2.3L. Honestly? Where's the logic in that? Would it really cost Ford more tyo leave the engine as an option in what's pretty much the same car? COnsidering there are cars on teh market putting close to 300 hp...this 2.0L really isn't enough.

[Jazzhead]

I assume they dropped the 2.3 because no one ever bought the thing. I live within 10 miles of three large Ford dealers, and I don't recall ever seeing more than one or two STs (with the 2.3 mill) on their lots at any time in the last three years. Of course, the ST was never available with an automatic, nor was it ever an available with either of the hatch models. I recall a conversation I had with one dealer when I had my 2001 ZX3 in for service - I love and still love the two-door hatch, and could easily have been persuaded to trade it in for an '06 if I could have gotten a new interior and a more powerful engine in the process. But Ford never saw fit to give me that choice, so I'm still happy driving my old one.

[Robert Hall]

It sounds like they have made a lot of mechanical improvements and changed the styling. Too bad they dropped the hatchback styles.

[Intrepidation]

I assume they dropped the 2.3 because no one ever bought the thing. I live within 10 miles of three large Ford dealers, and I don't recall ever seeing more than one or two STs (with the 2.3 mill) on their lots at any time in the last three years. Of course, the ST was never available with an automatic, nor was it ever an available with either of the hatch models. I recall a conversation I had with one dealer when I had my 2001 ZX3 in for service - I love and still love the two-door hatch, and could easily have been persuaded to trade it in for an '06 if I could have gotten a new interior and a more powerful engine in the process. But Ford never saw fit to give me that choice, so I'm still happy driving my old one.

I see your point. Plus, I know someone who had a Focus 5-door wagon. Even with teh extra mass of teh wagon body style the 2.0 was still quite peppy and it was a fun car to drive...too bad he totaled it (supposedly, though I never saw)

It sounds like they have made a lot of mechanical improvements and changed the styling. Too bad they dropped the hatchback styles.

Yeah, but it's nice to see a coupe return to the small car lineup.

[Cory Wolfe]

I don't prefer the look, but if it performs (handles) better, than I prefer that to cramming the largest wheel possible in there. The "bling" term was meant to be stupid - a parallel of the thought of ignoring performance purely for looks. Guess there are plenty of customers that will ignore performance and prefer looks, so maybe you're right about 17's needed as an option...

Please. Wheels that are atleast 17" in size might slightly detract from the ride comfort and may take 1/100 off the 0-60 time... For handling, the air pressure and widths would have more of an effect than increasing the wheel size an inch or two.

Too bad they dropped the hatchback styles.

I agree. Those were the only one's I actually liked.

[aaaantoine]

Now that I think about it, this is kinda like Ford's answer to the Civic, in terms of styling.

[ToniCipriani]

Front grille shape looks like the Suzuki XL-7, shape of the coupe looks like a Nissan Sentra 200SX.

[Delta Force79]

Introducing the 1992 Ford Escort

oops I mean 2008 Ford Focus

[Intrepidation]

Introducing the 1992 Ford Escort

oops I mean 2008 Ford Focus

That's too blocky to have much of a resemblance.

I'm glad they brought some of the edginess back to the Focus.

[Delta Force79]

the tailights have a similar shape IMO along with the short deck and c-pillar into the deck shape....IMO

[turbo200]

I've seen a few STs on the road, they should have just upgraded the entire line to look like that, rather than this abomination. At least that would have looked classy, and somewhat masculine. This car is all fem, and yeah I am totally getting that old Escort vibe too. At least the interior is nice, but the exterior is shockingly different just for shock value. It can't even begin to claim its in the same design class as the Civic and Mazda3, and the Cobalt is much nicer looking too. All the Cobalt needs is an attractive modern exterior like the Volt and an attractive modern interior; but the Focus just took five steps in the wrong direction. And who approved the coupe? A coupe is supposed to be sporty, but the small wheelwells and giant space below the C-pillar kill the sportyness of it [kind of like my 97 200 I used to own, but even that was much better than this]. It looks like a KIT installation on an old Focus, made for young girls. Where is the appeal?

[turbo200]

the greenhouse is not tall enough [thanks to a low roofline] in relation to high beltline; all other small cars have generally rectified this by making the dimmensions bigger in every direction, except the Civic which emphasized the wheels pushed out to corners look. However, the shape of the greenhouse clearly tells the Focus genealogy, and what's up with that mishap of a rear window/C-pillar thing? The doors are also clearly ripped from the Focus. To me, they just should have stuck with the original look. The basic car has outdated proportions, so it will continue to look like a relic from the past, dress it in ugly jeans or not.

[The O.C.]

I like this car alot....!

At first I was kinda like "what the f*ck?" But then I came back and looked at it again today and I'm becoming quite the fan. Ford didn't "pussy" out and instead gave us a Focus rehash that has some interesting design elements.....inside AND outside.

The new interior even looks pretty smart....even if I'm not a big fan of all that silver trim......

Much more distinctive, aggressive, and smartly styled than Cobalt......hmmmm.....interior looks 10-times better also.......

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

This car gives me a creepy Escort oompa loompa vibe. Does it do that to anyone else? Especially in the coupe pictures? ZX2 anyone?

I get that too... And not just Escort, but all of the 90's Ford "round" cars. And that's not really a good thing in my mind.

I'm really torn on this thing... Being the PROUD owner of a Focus and knowing how easy it is to own and how much fun it can be (Considering it's a budget/entry-level car) I can't help but be partial to it. The front is really growing on me because it is aggressive and unconventional. But at the same time I can really pick it apart, specifically the foglights which seem like a HUGE (literally) afterthought. I'm still not too hip on the rear of the car but the side which threatened to be bland at first seems to do well with the added flair. I LOVE the interior! It's a huge upgrade from my car and from a lot of the cars in this class currently.

Overall, I can't help but hate Ford for not bringing over the awesome European Focus, but at the same time I think this refresh will prove interesting. Either the car can tank because it's too weird or it'll take off because it's just weird enough to be "refreshing" (Kind of like the new Civic was) It's hard to tell with these buyers and I think they expect more traditional things from the Detroit companies as opposed to the Japanese offerings. So, hopefully it won't send everyone into shock and hopefully it'll do well for Ford.

I'd LOVE to see a SUPER AGGRESSIVE, pumped up SVT version!!!! I think it would do extremely well! (Ford, are you listening???)

[LosAngeles]

OK, linescore:

-three years to give us the four door (and overall design scheme) Europe already had, coming likely at the end of Europe's cycle.

-eight (!) years to make a Focus coupe, and on the second generation, where the idea doesn't look as good.

-coupe looks like a 70s European Escort.

-where are the hatch versions?

Stinkin' Ford, people....

[avro206]

Although I am glad Ford finally updated the Focus---looks are not as good, interior sucks.

Same, lame engine? With a reduced axle ratio? 3.73 to 3.34--yeah this is be easy picking for my NA Cobalt SS LOL

[Drew Dowdell]

It'll come out just in time for the Saturn Astra and MCEed Cobalt to pwn it.

[Cadillacfan]

Took you a little long to respond huh Oldsmoboi?

I agree though. It will definetely be "pwn"ed by the MCE of the Cobalt and the new Astra and every other new vehicle in the compact segment. Ford of North America deserves for it to do poorly when they could've kept the Focus as the global car it once was and introduced the next-gen focus world-wide. Sure, I'm beating a dead horse when I say this, but they could've stripped it down for North American consumers and to keep it competitively priced they wouldn't be in so much trouble today.