DRIVEN + VIDEO: Just When Ford Seems To Be Getting The Focus RIGHT, It Decides To AXE It For The US Market

This past spring, Ford made major international headlines when it decided to announce that its product portfolio was going to have a significant strategic change for 2020. The Blue Oval made it known that it would be shifting its product mix from cars/sedans to trucks/sport-utility vehicles.

This is a BIG move for a company of Ford's scale.

To us it wasn't a complete surprise but we still do believe it's a bold move and statement about evolving consumer tastes. While we never were really fans of cars like the Focus and Fiesta — I love the Fiesta ST, however — we're a bit surprised to see the Fusion go the way of the dodo bird. That's because it's such a damn good vehicle. Perhaps it just needed some TLC like Honda provided the Accord for it to reinvigorate sales?

Anyhow, the Focus has been long in the tooth for quite some time. Mostly because it wasn't very good when the latest generation debuted. But in this review via Carbuyer, I have to say that the all-new Ford Focus is quite compelling.

In fact, I am starting to think it's a shame we will likely never have it arrive here given that 2020 is right around the corner.

What say you, Spies? Are we missing out on a product that could give class leaders like the Honda Civic and Mazda 3 a run for their money?


This is the all-new Mk4 Ford Focus – the latest challenger to the VW Golf, Vauxhall Astra, SEAT Leon and Honda Civic. But can it make as big a splash in the family hatchback market as the original did 20 years ago? James Batchelor finds out...

MDarringer - 9/2/2018 1:48:54 PM

+1 Boost

The real question is what product does Ford plan to put in the place of the Focus to capture the 200K+ sales volume that it once commanded.

I'm not sure than the all-new old Focus would have stemmed the slide.

TomM - 9/2/2018 3:00:45 PM

+1 Boost

The "all new" Ford Focus is still a product of European design - and size - and configuration. They really have a hard time competing with cars designed for the US market - larger - especially inside - and can handle our roads better too. And at least to me - I would rather have a Honda or Mazda - than that dorky looking thing above.

MDarringer - 9/2/2018 3:16:57 PM

+1 Boost

The Honda Civic is the benchmark of what works and the all-new-old Focus simply looks a dozen years old. In many ways its the wrong car for the market. They should have killed the Focus and kept the Fusion.

CarCrazedinCali - 9/2/2018 5:10:43 PM

+2 Boost

thanks to tariffs

mini22 - 9/3/2018 11:36:44 AM

+3 Boost

Here is one problem that both FCA and Ford are guilty of. Making certain products too small. Example FCA. The Chrysler 200. The mid size sedan market in the USA has been popular because price, FWD, rear seat room and rear trunk space. Honda, Toyota and Nissan got it right with their 3 products. Even the VW Passat has the right formula if they can ever get their reliability quotient up. It is got the most roomy rear seat in the segment. Why FCA did not register this when producing the 200 escapes me. Putting aside quality issues the tight rear quarters killed and chance of success that it might have had. Ford Focus. The formula is basically right but again rear seat room was way too small and the rudimentary push button transmission was a poor choice compared to Honda, Toyota, Hyundai etc. However I do think the Fusion worked because it was the right size and it drives nicely.

MDarringer - 9/3/2018 2:28:05 PM

0 Boost

Because the 200 was forced to be a Super Dart, it was expanded as much as it could be expanded. Instead of designing a better platform, or borrowing one from Hyundai, FCA monkeyed around, cut corners and poured money into the Giulia fiasco. Cadillac has a massive disconnect with size. Their sedans need a good 3-4 inches more rear seat room. Moreover, I find too many sedans and crossovers to also not have enough rear overhang. Products like the Encore, Trax, Ecosport, Renegade, Compass, Kona, Niro, and Kicks would all be much better with a 1 foot extension of the cargo space. But the same too-small cargo space is the sin of most crossovers. The Cadillac XT4/5 are bad offenders for wheelbase and cargo space.