mmarshall

Ford has released pricing and specs for the upcoming new Focus, which promises to be quite an improvement over the old American-market model. But the official release date (annoyingly) still has not been officially announced.....just "Spring of 2011".

I looked at several new Focus models at the D.C. Auto Show a few weeks ago, and was generally impresed at the exterior fit-and-finish. But I didn't think that the (IMO) weirdly-styled dash and interior-trim quality was up to the level of its rival Chevy Cruze (I did a brief test-drive of the Cruze at the show itself, around the D.C. city streets, but Ford didn't have that test-drive program set up there).

I have several CL member-requests for a full-length 2012 Focus review, and I plan to do one as soon as the car is releasd in the D.C. area.

(BTW, there are some nice cheerful paint-colors on the new Focus, just like there are on the new Fiesta)

And no, the 305 HP Turbo-RS model (still) will not coming to America. Neither will the Focus 5-door wagon.....we get only the 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback.

http://www.ford.com/cars/focus/2012/pricing/

spwolf

i wonder if it will suffer fate of Fiesta in NA... people might not be prepared to pay premium for Focus.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Lots of options and upgrades can make it pricey, but the base price is very competitive.

Sure looks a lot better than a lot of other econoboxes on the road...

IS-SV

Thanks for posting this.

I'm looking forward to driving this car (for a somewhat unique reason).

This car will be the basis for the new Ford Escape (which I have some interest in) and they will share many drivetrain components.

lamar411

i dont like the rear end on the hatchback or sedan but everything else looks good

jwong77

Designwise, this thing rocks the new Civic. Too bad the Civic will probably outsell it.

Fizzboy7

The sedan needs to look like a sedan. Instead, it suffers from a hatchback look which has doomed so many U.S. sedans over the years. Why don't manufacturers look at past history and see the pattern? This is where using a global car can be so risky. The tastes of Europeans is different from Americans. Americans like the XL look and equate a long trunk with prestige, mass, and money. This is even true with compact cars. The droopy-butt Focus sedan spells out "economy" and cheapness.

SLegacy99

I like the direct injected 2.0L with a 160. However, I think a super efficient direct injected 1.6L would attract many and offer enough thrust for someone looking for an entry level car.

mmarshall

Agreed.

You can also thank the VW CC and Mercedes CLS for this trend....stylists seem to be copying their humpback-whale roof designs, which try and make sedans look like coupes or hatchbacks.

A long trunk lid, of course, on sedans, also makes loading large or bulky items easier. The sharply-swept, raked rooflines of many of today's sedans, though, make for small lids and trunk-openings, but, as you point out, that's what many of today's stylists seem to be addicted to.

RXSF

the rear is the sedan will plague this new model. but the hatch looks very good!

Blackraven

New Ford Focus

I can't believe I'm saying this but for the first time, it looks more exciting than the new Civic.

:P

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Really considering this as a daily driver, so I can put less miles on my baby heh!!

-J-P-L-

Just the opposite for me. I love the rear of the sedan, the hatch not so much.

I'd love to get this car but will probably stick to what I have now for a while.


It's not even close. This blows away the Civic without even trying. I can't believe the new Civic will continue to far outsell it. But it's all about the name.

mmarshall

I agree.....I'm waiting to see the new Escape, too. It would probably be on my Top-Ten list for my next car (about #7 or 8). I liked the 1Gen Escape/Mariner, but I thought they cheapened the interior on the 2Gen model....and the brakes were excessively spongy. Hopefully, the 3Gen will address those faults.

I know you and I will (probably) disagree on this, but I'm sad to see the slightly more plush (and nicer) Mercury Mariner version go. The sister Mazda Tribute version is also on the way out....I liked the Tribute way more than either the CX-7 or CX-9.

IS-SV

You are correct, I don't miss the Mercury Mariner and only a insignificant number of real buyers miss it too. It was just another failed badge-engineering effort.

Certainly the current Escape is very dated by now. It's reasonably capable, I drove a V6 one extensively and very hard for one week in Arizona. Safety ratings are not quite top tier, I expect the new one to be better in that area also.