First Test: 2008 Ford Focus

The enthusiast media has posed the question: "Why doesn't Ford give us the smash-hit, European-spec Focus?" That car is based on the company's C1 chassis architecture, which also underpins the excellent Mazda3. Ford asked itself the same thing about two years ago and made the business decision to go with a less-costly, potentially more profitable Focus for North America by giving the current car a substantial redo instead.

Just about everything you can see or touch is new. Ford has pared the lineup to two body styles: a four-door and a two-door with a trunk, the latter replacing the previous three-door hatchback. The wagon and five-door hatch are gone. All sheetmetal is new, save for the four-door's roof panel. The new styling is different from the old: clean in profile, if a bit gimmicky in a few places. Powertrains carry over in the form of the 2.0-liter, 140-horsepower four and a P-ZEV version that cranks out 132. The safety quotient is up-with no price increase-including standard front, side, and side-curtain airbags plus a tire-pressure-monitoring system.

Ford put a lot of effort into reducing NVH, and this shows. Road rumble is down considerably, and the car rides with suppleness it lacked before. Steering feel and response have improved too. A new acoustic glass windshield reduces engine and wind noise. The trunk is larger than a Civic's or Corolla's. The Focus has given up its enthusiast notions, but is fun to drive for a price-point machine.
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r_driver04 - 9/25/2007 5:41:36 PM

+2 Boost

Bring the SVT back.

Need4Speed - 9/25/2007 7:35:25 PM

+1 Boost

I agree...Ford needs to hand this baby over to the SVT guys and quick!

85bmw745i - 9/25/2007 7:34:14 PM

+3 Boost

Man that car is Fugly! Give us the real focus you cheap bastards. lol Anyway, if they could offer the cars they offer in Europe and Australia we would sell a whole lot more domestic cars than we do now. Stop cutting us short. The domestic auto makers always give us the short end of the stick and wonder why we resort to imports. I wish I could say I would buy AMerican, but with the crap they have now I will continue with my imports. A Japanese car to get around in and a BMW for my toy.

EnnNorak - 9/26/2007 8:31:09 AM

+1 Boost

Yes, Ford should know better than to insult its domestic customers that way.

rok_altima - 9/25/2007 8:19:01 PM

+2 Boost

So basically this "new" focus is just a visual redesign of the current one which has been out for about 8 years now? If the roof panel is the same then the cabin and all the class on the doors, etc are the same as well. Part of me wants this car to fail just so Ford can learn their lesson...again. The interior on the European Fiesta is a lot better than this car, and the fender vents are just tacky on this car.

S4cabriofoxone - 9/25/2007 10:40:30 PM

+1 Boost

Yes, I completely agree.

FerrarisR4me - 9/25/2007 8:21:26 PM

+2 Boost

Way to go Ford. This really makes me want to buy Ford. Haven't they figured out that maybe spending a little more money now and taking a little less profit in the short term might pay dividends in the long term? The way backward plan continues.

Porschinator - 9/25/2007 9:27:34 PM

+1 Boost

US version of Focus is fugly. Of course Euro gets way better version:
http://www.ford.co.uk/ie/coming_soon/ms_f07_focmca/ms_f07_focmca_intro/-/-/-/-

WTF?

zairnaim - 9/25/2007 10:00:48 PM

+2 Boost

"The reconstituted Focus forges no new ground and isn't the match of the class-leading Civic in any way."

In short Ford is doomed!!!

S4cabriofoxone - 9/25/2007 10:42:05 PM

+1 Boost

Ford has shot itself in the foot... again.

Why do they do this to themselves? It's like the kid who waits until the last minute to rush through his projects, then fails all of his classes and can't make it to college. He ends up working as a frier at McDonald's. This is what will happen to Ford- right now, they're at Wendy's.

S4cabriofoxone - 9/26/2007 12:40:36 AM

+1 Boost

To add- I feel that this car is a rolling reminder of how hard Ford has to work to come back, and how little of an effort they're putting in right now. It's so vague. They say they have a plan, but what are their goals? Are they just going to sell off every brand they can until they're left with Ford and Lincoln, and make good cars, but then buy up a bunch of other companies and lose money? It's a vicious cycle.

I'm glad GM knows where it's headed. Chrysler? Hmm.

rok_altima - 9/26/2007 5:53:04 AM

+1 Boost

The interior of this focus just screams cheap..its a shame that 3/4 of the dashboard is covered in cheap shiney, silver painted plastic.

Ford will probably be killing off their Mercury brand in a few years (They're all blatantly rebadged Fords anyway and the sales numbers are dismal.) Ford is still big in the U.S....but I am really betting on Chrysler being the one to close up shop..Their line up is old and outdated, Mercedes isn't around anymore, and their new car (Sebring) is a dissappointment. Whats left? The 10 year old PT? A rebadged Dodge Durango? the 300C which hasn't recieved any updates? The 8 year old Pacifica which just recently got new headlights. and I doubt this minivan is enough to save them.

Airliner - 9/26/2007 3:30:40 PM

+1 Boost

I agree with everybody here... Ford needs to start bringing their European products here... GM is doing it with Saturn and I think people are going to be more motivated to buy an Astra than any ION.

DieselVermont - 10/2/2007 8:59:39 PM

+1 Boost

The "New Focus" is a ruse. And the American public will think its a great "new" car from Ford. Sad.