A Sharper Ford Focus In 2008

A Sharper Ford Focus In 2008

Following the reveal of the new Focus at the Frankfurt Motorshow, Ford today confirmed that the stylish new Focus will be available for New Zealand customers from the second quarter of 2008.

"While the exact line-up, specifications and pricing of this new Focus model will be released closer to the time of its launch in the second quarter of 2008, I can however confirm that the exciting Focus XR5, or ST in Europe, will form part of our model range," said Richard Matheson, Managing Director, Ford New Zealand.

Speaking at the Frankfurt Motorshow, John Fleming, President and CEO, Ford of Europe said: "The Ford Focus is very special to Ford. When it was revealed in 1998 it represented a huge step forward for us in terms of style and desirability over its predecessor. It truly changed the perception of Ford for many customers and journalists alike.

That's why we felt it was vital to apply our new Ford design language, 'kinetic design', to the Focus as soon as we could. At the same time, we have taken the opportunity to make Focus even more practical and contemporary and added further quality improvements. Our design and development teams have done a really great job and I'm proud to present the new Ford Focus."

The New Ford Focus - Introduction "It is not easy to improve something that is already good and well-proven. If you don't take great care you run the risk of unnecessarily changing something that was really good before - and not for the better. With the Ford Focus, acknowledged as a great car, we were determined not to implement change for change's sake.

We nevertheless managed to make the new Focus even better in specific areas. But it also made us proud that many of its attributes did not have to be touched at all. So you can still look forward to enjoying the driving dynamics of the Focus." Gunnar Herrmann, C-Car Vehicle Line Director, Ford of Europe

The Ford Focus, with around 5 million vehicles produced in Europe, is the first and - to date - the only car in the world to be acclaimed "Car of the Year" both in Europe and in North America. In total the Ford Focus has won over 80 awards in Europe alone. It has significantly influenced the automotive world and at the same time triggered a successful new direction of Ford in Europe.

With this newest version of the Ford Focus due to begin rolling off the production lines from the end of 2007 as a 3-door and 5-door hatchback and as a wagon, this success story is set to continue.

The New Ford Focus - Design "Energy in Motion - what Ford vehicle would better suit the Ford 'kinetic design' philosophy than the Focus? After all, the Focus was a major factor in establishing Ford's excellent reputation for driving dynamics. The balance we have created between dynamics and harmony makes the new Focus the best looking Focus ever." Martin Smith, Executive Director Design, Ford of Europe

Exterior Design Stefan Lamm, who led the exterior design team, was offered an open brief in the design of the new Ford Focus. "The hugely positive response to the re-design of the new Ford C-MAX gave us the confidence to push the design of the new Focus even further. The result is unmistakably kinetic, unmistakably Ford Focus and a recognisable member of the new Ford family." Stefan Lamm, Chief Designer Exteriors, Ford of Europe

The new Ford Focus presents a bold new face to the world: Trapezoidal grilles, swept back headlamps and athletic full surfaces are all signatures of the new Ford brand character. The inverted lower trapezoid grille, in the upmarket Ghia and Titanium variants is enhanced by the elegant chrome surround. This lower grille is balanced by a smaller upper grille capped with a chrome strip visually linking it to the latest Ford kinetic entries such as Mondeo and more recently C-MAX.

Great emphasis has been placed by the Design team on the headlamp appearance. The dramatic swept back housings are filled with the latest technology featuring HID Bi-Xenon or the Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS). These technologies are highlighted by different finishes for different series levels, for example black and chrome for Titanium vehicles and full chrome for other variants.

The Side View - Dynamic and Muscular The side profile of the new Focus features the new 'kinetic design' cues of bold wheel lips and the strong undercut running from front to rear of the car.

This dynamic link from front to rear gives the vehicle its new sleek appearance. The body side is clean and uncluttered. "Finishing trims such as bodyside mouldings would have negatively impacted on the neat design of the side view, something that we were keen to avoid," said Lamm. "The expressive modelling of the side view of the car clearly brings the new Focus into the kinetic family."

The Tail - a Neat Conclusion The 'kinetic design' elements visible on the rear of the vehicle include the newly shaped rear glass and contoured tailgate as well as new tail lamps and rear bumper. Together, these elements give new Focus a wider look and a more purposeful stance. A new body coloured upper rear spoiler (for Ghia and Titanium series) completes the look. The new design of tail lamps incorporates, as an option, the latest LED technology. "We have not made any compromises in the design of the new Focus and the Exteriors design team is very proud of the final outcome," Stefan Lamm summarised.

Interior Design Comprehensive interior improvements were made to create an even more pleasant and user friendly space for those who travel in a new Focus, and to reflect the new dynamic exterior design on the interior as well. For the driver in particular, this has resulted in newly designed instruments providing better legibility which, along with all other interior controls, are now illuminated in red. The controls of the new audio equipment and two-zone air conditioning system were also ergonomically improved.

Furthermore, the high series now includes a newly designed centre console, which takes on the flowing look of 'kinetic design'. In addition to a movable armrest and a four litre capacity storage compartment, the back of the console provides additional storage surfaces for back-seat passengers or optional items such as a 230 volt inverter or the USB audio connection box.

It is not just the functionality of the interior that has been improved - special attention was also devoted to its quality. Particular importance was attached to selecting and combining surface materials and colours. Now the entire instrument panel, as well as the upper trims of the front doors, is made of a new grained, soft-touch synthetic material. New colours were added to complement the look.

A variety of attractive foil finishes highlight the central functional areas of the centre console and the instrument panel.

The New Ford Focus ECOnetic "We are also launching an all new range of low CO2 vehicles we are calling Ford ECOnetic - the new Ford Focus ECOnetic will be first to launch as part of the new Focus range. Our engineers have worked hard to deliver a stylish Focus derivative that emits just 115g/km of CO2," said Mr Fleming.

The new Ford Focus ECOnetic demonstrates that very favourable fuel consumption levels and significantly reduced CO2 emissions can be achieved using conventional drive technology coupled with a clever combination of individual fuel-saving measures. Powered by a 109 PS (80 kW) 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi with standard Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), average consumption for this vehicle has been homologated at 4.3l/100 km. This corresponds to an average CO2 emission of only 115 g/km, which is a class leading result for a conventional vehicle in this segment. A second variant with an even lower CO2 performance is currently under development.

Using the already very economical regular 109 PS version with Diesel Particulate Filter as a base, the starting point in achieving such values was to reduce drive resistances. To improve aerodynamics, the vehicle was lowered by 10 millimetres at the front and 8 millimetres at the back. In addition, an aerodynamics kit is standard, consisting of a modified front bumper skirt and rocker claddings and a rear spoiler. To also improve the aerodynamics, the outer areas of the lower grille were given blanking plates on the inside. In combination with 195/65R15 tyres a very good cd of 0.31 is achieved.

A further measure to reduce driving resistance and which was tested for the first time in the development of the Focus ECOnetic was the introduction of a new low-viscosity transmission oil developed by Ford's partner BP. The benefits were so clear that it is being introduced across other Ford products in the C and CD segments.

Besides a re-calibration of the engine-module, the reduction in energy consumption in conjunction with the electro-hydraulic EHPAS steering underlines the fact that sometimes even minor causes also produce a major benefit. By re-calibrating the no-load performance of the electric servo pump, the respective current consumption was reduced sufficiently to result in a reduction in fuel consumption.

Easyfuel Capless Refuelling System Like the new Mondeo, the new Focus now also enjoys the benefit of the acclaimed Ford capless refuelling system. Apart from being simple and clean to use when re-fuelling, this system is designed to prevent mis-fuelling and the associated damage, inconvenience and expense.

ENDS

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