Citing higher fuel prices and a shift in the "air of excess" in the U.S., the decision makers at Ford say there is a change in the wind, and their company needs to get in on the growing small-car segment of the market. In Canada, this represents almost 50 percent of the total market.
"Along with crossover vehicles, the small-car category is the only segment of the market undergoing growth right now," explains George Pipas, Ford's U.S. sales-analysis manager. "For many buyers, a small car is their first car, and is a critical entryway for Ford and other manufacturers. Many small-car owners are also keeping their cars longer than before."
Carrying the banner for Ford into this newly discovered market will be the restyled and redesigned 2008 Focus, which, according to Paul Mascarenas, Ford's vice-president of engineering for the Americas Product Development, has been hugely successful in Europe. "At Ford, small is now big," he adds.
Sporting a new exterior design, new interior layout, and a new relationship with Microsoft, the '08 Focus will be available as a four-door sedan or a two-door coupe, but the station wagon and hatchback versions are gone. It's interesting to note that North America continues to resist the hatchback configuration, while the European and Asian markets embrace it completely.
Power for the Focus is still supplied by a 2.0-litre Duratec four-cylinder, which comes in two levels of tune: the 140-horse garden-variety power plant and a cleaner-running, emission-correct PZEV (partial zero-emissions vehicle) version that develops about 10 less horsepower. There are two transmissions: five-speed manual and four-speed automatic. All things considered, the five-speed manual/140 horsepower engine is the best choice here: it has more get-up-and-go, a lower price tag, and, on the highway, superior fuel consumption, if not by much. The automatic transmission seems to rob this engine of much of its power, and if you want to get the true flavour of the new Focus, choose the manual.
This power train combination is actually fun to drive, and the suspension and chassis complement it. With MacPherson struts upfront, a rear multilink setup, and recalibrated spring rates and new suspension bushings, the Focus handles as well as any of its competitors, and perhaps even better than some. Brakes are front-disc/rear-drum and buyers can choose from 15- or 16-inch wheels and tires.
Interior changes include a new dashboard display located atop the centre stack, redesigned controls, a new metallic-finish surface, redesigned lighting, and my personal favourite: optional ambient lighting that allows you to change the colour of the courtesy lights and cupholder. This feature is optional on the top-of-the-range SES model.
But what stands out about the new Focus is the revamped body style. As well as tweaking the front end, Ford stylists have added a chrome side body "arrowhead" that immediately draws your eye to the side-seam styling cue. Slapping a chrome appliqué onto a car's flank seems to be the flavour of the month these days, with Jeep, BMW, and Land Rover, among others, getting in on things. Whether it looks good or not isn't for me to say, but it's definitely unusual in this market.
The new Focus will come in three trim levels: S, SE, and SES. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, 60/40 folding rear seat, front- and side-curtain airbags, manual door locks, manual window winders, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. On the coupe model, you also get a tire inflation kit, which includes a battery-powered air pump. This is instead of a space-saver spare tire and jack/tire iron, so if you get a flat, be prepared to haul out the air pump and reinflate the guilty tire yourself. The sedan stays with the traditional mini spare and jack/tire iron arrangement.
Options include leather interior ($1,000), engine-block heater ($75), the aforementioned ambient lighting ($295), and a perimeter alarm ($250). Many of the Focus's options come in packages and you can't get one without the other. For example, you can order heated front seats, but they only come with the leather interior package.
The 2008 Focus starts at $15,999 for the bare-bones S model, and the sedan and coupe are priced the same. Step up to a loaded SES, and you're one dollar shy of 20 large… Before taxes and extras, of course.
email
print
