2012 ford focus rs It's a well known fact that the U.S. misses out on most of Ford's hot products, but with a push for new global models taking shape in Blue Oval offices around the
Hot hatch fans have been waiting patiently for Ford to officially reveal its new Focus ST. Well, stop waiting and start securing your deposit, because the Blue Oval brand has finally pulled back the sheet and peeled off the camouflage. The 2012 Ford Focus ST will makes its global debut at this week's 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, and we've got all the details on the hi-po hatchback for you right here.
So does that mean the Focus ST will get the RevoKnuckle suspension? Capito is noncommittal, but hints at something related. “What is clear is that everything we’ve learned we will use. Not necessarily with the same parts but the same results.” Capito also explains that, for performance vehicles, a mechanical solution is the only way to solve powertrain or handling issues. Don’t expect a brake-based, electronic “limited-slip” system on the ST, like the one included on all other Focii. “A high-performance car shouldn’t use electronics to overcome mechanical inefficiencies.”
I then mention that GM already uses its articulated strut, known as HiPer Strut, in cars like the Buick LaCrosse. Could we see RevoKnuckle in a future Taurus? Capito gives a philosophical “Yes.” Performance cars, he explains, have different priorities than mainstream products. Cost and weight are less of an issue, although all SVT vehicles have to meet the same internal Ford requirements as any other vehicle. High-volume production presents a different set of challenges, although he adds that “The lessons will apply. Technology that improves performance or character can also improve mainstream vehicles, even if it’s not the exact same part.”
What, and how much, technology actually trickles down from SVT to the rest of the Ford lineup remains to be seen. But the performance division’s current mission to act as a test lab to improve the way all Ford products drive should ensure a steady stream of halo cars for us enthusiasts. And with Capito, SVT is in capable hands.
One common Focus ST model is being developed for all global markets, with the vehicle targeted for launch during 2012. This will be the first time that Ford has produced one of its highly regarded high-performance models for a global audience.
The Focus ST development programme is being undertaken by Ford’s global Performance Vehicles group, which comprises Team RS (Europe) and SVT (USA) engineers, who are dedicated to developing and tuning products like the formidable Focus RS, Shelby GT500 and F-150 SVT Raptor.
For new Focus ST the development is being led by Team RS performance specialists based in Europe, building on their extensive experience in engineering sought-after cars like the previous ST models and legendary RS series.
“The new Focus ST will be our first true global performance vehicle and we are excited about the chance to give many customers worldwide their first taste of Ford's acclaimed ST heritage,” said Jost Capito, Director of Global Performance Vehicles. “Like the ST and RS models before it, the Focus ST will be the result of painstaking tuning around the curves of the Nürburgring, along high-speed German autobahns, and down classic British B-roads.
“For European drivers, the Focus ST will bring the same distinctive qualities of pure dynamics and performance that have created the unique appeal of our ST heritage.
“For enthusiasts in North America and Asia who have asked why our compact performance models were not available to them – the wait is almost over! The new Focus ST will offer exactly the same exciting driving experience wherever it’s on sale,” added Capito.
More Performance – and More Economy – from Ford EcoBoost Power
At the heart of the appeal of the next-generation Focus ST is a high-output 250 PS derivative of the efficient and advanced new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost four-cylinder petrol engine.
Succeeding the turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit of the current European model, this unique 250 PS Ford EcoBoost engine is being specially developed for the new Focus ST to ensure that the car gets the muscular performance – and the inspirational sound – which it deserves. It also marks the first application of the four-cylinder Ford EcoBoost engine in a high performance model.
Compared to the 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine used in other Ford vehicles, the 250 PS unit features re-designed intake and exhaust systems and a unique engine calibration to deliver the desired level of power and responsiveness. The engine retains the strong torque delivery which is a feature of Ford EcoBoost designs, with a broad, flat torque curve offering a maximum output of 360 Nm.
One of a completely new generation of downsized, high-efficiency, low-CO2 petrol engines from Ford, the 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost is a lightweight, all-aluminium design which combines three technologies – high-pressure direct injection, low-inertia turbocharging and twin independent variable cam timing – to create an advanced combustion system which brings new levels of performance and fuel efficiency to petrol engines in this power range.
This ultra efficient 250 PS engine therefore not only delivers over 10 per cent more power and torque than the current 2.5-litre unit, it is also estimated to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by more than 20 per cent.
The standard transmission for the Focus ST is a 6-speed manual gearbox, optimised with more sporting ratios carefully matched to the performance characteristics of the engine.
The next Ford Focus is turning out to be on the most highly anticipated cars for the Dearborn make. We already know that Ford is making the new Focus a “worldwide” automobile, which meant that the basic architecture and engineering would be the same for all markets. But that still left us wondering as to how similar the American Ford Focus would be to the European Focus because for the last two generations, we could do nothing but drool over the superior engineering of Ford UK’s iteration.
Due to America’s different safety and emission regulations, many of the foreign cars imported into this country have to be “Americanized,” which results in duller and less exciting automobiles. But Ford recently announced that the new Focus ST “will offer exactly the same exciting driving experience wherever it’s on sale,” which means Asia, Europe and North America.
Ford of New Europe introduced the Focus in 1998 to the European market as a replacement for the Ford Escort. The decision to name the new car the "Ford Focus" was made in early 1998, as Ford's overheads had been planning to keep the "Escort" nameplate for its new generation of small family cars. A last minute problem arose in July 1998 when a Cologne court, responding to a case brought by the publishers Burda, ordered Ford to avoid the name "Focus" for the German market cars since the name was already taken by the publisher's Focus magazine.[1] This eleventh hour dispute was overcome, however, and the car was launched without a different German market name.
Ford of North America began marketing the Focus in October 1999 for model year 2000 with some changes from the European version. The car launched as a 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon; a 5-door hatchback debuted in 2001. Some 2000 Focus' came with a G-Shock watch.[
The second generation Focus was launched at the Paris Motor Show on September 23, 2004 as a three and five-door hatchback and an estate, although the new car was previewed, in 4-door sedan form, as the 'Focus Concept' developed by Ford Europe at the Beijing Motor Show in mid-2004.
The basic suspension design, which contributed much to the Mk 1's success, has been carried over largely unchanged from its predecessor which, along with a 10% stiffer bodyshell, offers a better ride according to Ford but lacked on the precise and poised handling of the Mk1. The same body styles as the Mk 1 Focus were offered, though the saloon did not appear until mid-2005.
The Focus Mk 2 is much larger and considerably heavier than its predecessor with a 25 mm (1 in) increase in wheelbase, 168 mm (6.6 in) longer, 8 mm (0.3 in) taller and 22 mm (0.8 in) wider. As a result the interior and boot space have increased. New technologies include a KeyFree system, a solar-reflect windshield, adaptive front lighting, Bluetooth hands-free phones and voice control for audio, telephone and climate control systems.
Stylistically, the Mk 2's styling features the same design language found in the Mondeo and Fiesta. Although still recognisable as a Focus the new car uses styling features from the abandoned B-Proposal for the original Focus which never reached production.
In 2005 came the Ford Focus ST with a top speed of 152mph and 225bhp it was the fastest hot hatch of the time until 2009 with the release of the second RS model with 162mph and 300bhp it was one never to beat, until the launch of the Ford Focus RS500 in 2011, which had a top speed of 163mph and 350bhp.
The second generation Focus for the North American market followed a separate development. Since debuting at the 2007 North American International Auto Show, the restyled second generation was available as either a two-door coupe and 4-door sedan — the hatchbacks and wagon were discontinued. The interior was redesigned, including new seats, a new dashboard design with message center atop of the dashboard, ambient lighting, dashboard panels that simulate brushed aluminum, and Ford's voice-controlled Sync audio/Bluetooth system. Also included in the redesign was a support beam behind the dashboard for extra structural rigidity.
In 2010 Ford decided to reunite both international and North American models by releasing the international Mk3 worldwide. The current North American version was thus discontinued, and the new model was launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in early 2011, both having started production late in 2010.[3][4]
Ford unveiled the 2011 global Ford Focus at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. The car shown was a 5-door hatchback model, also debuting a new 2.0L direct injection I4 engine. A 5-door estate will also be available at launch.[5] The new generation launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in early 2011, with production having started in late 2010.[6] Production in Asia, Africa, and South America will follow later. Ford debuted the all-electric Ford Focus EV at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 to compete with the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt. This new generation of Focus incorporates a redesigned cabin with improved materials, and new infotainment technologies that help to differentiate it from recently decontented competitors such as the Mk VI Volkswagen Jetta.
The first Focus World Rally Car made its debut in rallying and the World Rally Championship on the 1999 Monte Carlo Rally with Colin McRae and Simon Jean-Joseph at the wheels of the two cars, replacing, for the first time in a generation, the venerable Escort. It was immediately on the pace, setting many fastest stage times, but a vehicle weight issue meant that the two cars were excluded from that event. McRae went on to give the Focus WRC its maiden victory on the Safari Rally in February of the same year and took victory again in the following rally, the Rally Portugal.
The MkI Focus WRC went on to scoop further victories over the years for McRae, Carlos Sainz and Markko Märtin from then until it was phased out in favour of the MkII offering in late 2005.[7] This car, a winner in both Marcus Grönholm's and Mikko Hirvonen's hands in the two-car factory BP-Ford World Rally Team that contested the 2006 World Rally Championship season, duly racked up the manufacturers' title,[8] spelling the end of a formidable twenty-seven year wait for such an honour in this series for the Blue Oval. The team successfully defended the manufacturers' title in the 2007 season.[9]
All the rally cars are built, prepared and run for Ford by M-Sport, the motorsport team based in Cockermouth, Cumbria in Northern England. The team is managed by Malcolm Wilson, a well known former British rally driver.[10]
Besides rallies, the Focus has also been used in the SCCA Speed World Challenge Touring Car Series, the TC 2000, resulting champion in 2003 and 2005.
The Ford Focus ST made its debut in the 2009 British Touring Car Championship, with Arena Motorsport. During its second season, the car ran on Liquefied Petroleum Gas, taking the first BTCC win for a car powered by this fuel at Brands Hatch.
The current U.S. Ford Focus is a disappointment to those who know how good the car was when it went on sale in 1999, as well as anyone who has driven the second-generation European-market Focus. While the rest of the world got a sharper, better handling, and more luxurious Focus for 2005, we merely got a heavy refresh of a car that was, in effect, already six years old. (It originally went on sale in Europe in 1998.) We then got an ugly refresh of that refresh for 2008
Ford has now got its product development crews on the same page, so the next-generation Focus debuting at the Detroit auto show will be the same the world over. In the U.S., the car will be offered in early 2011 as a 2012 model in two variations: a sharp five-door hatchback and a good looking, if more conventional, four-door sedan. Compared with the current U.S. Focus, at 58.1 inches high, the new one is 0.5 inch lower. The overall length has gone up from 175.0 inches to 178.0, and the wheelbase grows from 102.9 inches to 104.2.
Both body styles initially will be powered here by a new, 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder that makes 155 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque, up from the current car’s 143 hp and 136 lb-ft. The engine will feature variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams and will be mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox that was co-developed with Getrag. Around the rest of the world, there will be a broader range of gas and diesel engines, including turbocharged and direct-injected EcoBoost four-bangers. Expect EcoBoost engines to make it into U.S. cars, too, including one with over 225 horsepower in a sporty version, perhaps wearing an ST or SVT badge. A 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four likely will be included as a more mass-market choice, as well, offering a more efficient and more powerful alternative to the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter.
Codenamed C346N, the new Focus was developed in Köln, Germany, by a multinational team. From the outset, it was designed to go on sale in all of Ford’s major markets and to be built in Spain, France, Russia, and China, as well as at Ford’s Wayne, Michigan, plant. Although dimensionally similar to the current European Focus—the track is slightly wider and the car is lower—the body in white is all-new, with 55 percent of it being made from high-strength steel, the highest proportion of any car in the American Ford lineup. As a result, the torsional stiffness is 25 percent higher than that of the current U.S-market car.
According to Jim Hughes, chief nameplate engineer for Focus in North America, “the platform architecture is similar to the current European Focus.” That means the new car has a multilink rear suspension and struts up front. However, the suspension attachment points have been altered, the front knuckle design has been changed, and the spring and shock tuning has been modified. Gunnar Herrmann, the vehicle line director for global C-segment vehicles at Ford, says that “the carryover on the platforms is effectively only seven percent.”
One aspect of the chassis architecture that is completely new is the steering. The car now has electric power steering in place of a hydraulic system, part of the company’s pursuit of better gas mileage. “Torque vectoring” has been added to the stability-control system, using the ABS to redistribute engine torque between the front wheels.
Herrmann says that Ford also placed a lot of emphasis on improving comfort levels. “Quietness gives a premium feel,” he says. To that end, the Focus team concentrated on reducing road, tire, and engine noise, vibration, and harshness. Wind noise at 80 mph is said to be lower than in a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry.
transmission and enough personality and quality inside and out the cars sold by the boatload. Then things started to go downhill. Materials quality was reduced, cost cutting removed sound deadening and the car began to feel chintzy. The 2005 refresh turned an interesting car into an ugly one and then in 2008 Ford really stabbed enthusiasts in the heart. While the European Focus was winning nearly every award on the continent, they shoveled a hideous, cheap feeling, coarse, terrible driving vehicle wearing the Focus name. The car boasted fantastic new technology unprecedented in the segment, but it was a disappointment to say the least.
This 2012 Focus is not a disappointment. It's absolutely everything enthusiasts have been asking for. It's a global car with at least 80% content shared across the globe. It's once again daring in its styling, sleek and rather sexy, polarizing and above all interesting. They've managed to create a sedan as attractive if not more so than the hatchback, oh, and they're bringing back the proper hatchback. There are clever details throughout; The hatchback's fuel door is camouflaged behind a diamond-shaped panel under the passenger tail light. The Z-shaped "Zorro Clip" as the designers call it, is a not-so-subtle character line on the front door. It also points to how confident Ford is about their tolerances and hinges, if any part doesn't measure up, it'll show.
Inside it's much the same story. The new Focus has a packed with high technology and handsome shapes, grippy seats, excellent door coverings and with plenty of room all around. It's got the Sync system of course but also the new MyFord system and Sony audio, passive keyless entry, rain sensing wipers, a park assist system, and rear camera. The car rides on an all-new chassis made of high-strength steel and designed with Ford's Trinity crash structure. They're targeting award-winning ride and handling and doing it with electric power steering, dynamic cornering control and a torque vectoring differential. You'll be able to get a huge set of 235/40R19 tires, that's plenty of grip.
Under the hood there's a direct injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder with twin independent variable cam timing producing "better than 150 HP." It's paired with a manual six speed or the Powershift dual clutch automatic. Of course we're frothing at the mouth fat the prospect of these cars getting an Ecoboost four cylinder making an easy Focus RS or SVT. Ford, thank for finally, finally reuniting the Euro Focus with the US model, and doing it with some swagger. We look forward to tossing it into a corner and hopefully coming out on the other side grinning ear to ear.
Ford today unveiled its next generation Ford Focus global platform. With the new Focus, Ford is hoping to seize more of compact car market (known as the "C segment" outside the U.S.) from competing models like the Honda Civic, Chevy Cobalt, and Toyota Corolla.
The foundation of the new platform is technological innovation. The new global platform Ford Focus will receive the company's EcoBoost four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection (DI) engines. European customers will have the option of getting either a 1.6-liter EcoBoost gas engine or an improved Duratorq TDCi common-rail diesel engine. U.S. customers won't get the diesel, but they will get a 2.0-liter EcoBoost gas engine that features DI and Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT). The new engines should provide a bit more horsepower (the 2.0-liter North American engine adds an extra 20 hp compared to its predecessor). They also should provide 10 to 20 percent gains in fuel economy (a bit over 10 percent, in the North American engine's case).
The North American Focus will also get Ford's new dual-clutch six-speed Ford PowerShift automatic transmission. The new transmission offers additional fuel economy savings of about 9 percent. It replaces the manual parts -- torque converters, planetary gears and oil pumps -- found in standard automatics, with a more efficient system that electrically controls the clutch.
The new Focus also may be the first non-hybrid auto to get stop-start technology in the U.S., according to AutoBlog. This technology allows the vehicle to shut off the engine when stopped, saving fuel, particularly in urban settings. Ford is targeting a 40+ mpg fuel economy with the stock variant, similar to GM's Chevy Cruze, a key competitor.
A new Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) system has also been added, which Ford says will offer "pure and precise responses at high speed." The new car also gets a new Dynamic Cornering Control system, which Ford says will yield reduced understeer, improved traction and better turn-in. Together, Ford says these technologies make a vehicle that is both more fun to drive and safer.
Better materials also make the new vehicle safer. The new vehicle uses steel for 55 percent of the body shell and ultra-high strength and Boron steels in 26 percent of the vehicle’s structure. Those improvements pay off in cold hard numbers; the new Focus sports a 25 percent greater rigidity than the current North American Focus.
The new Focus will also get Ford's new MyFord Touch infotainment system. The new system, which we extensively covered at CES 2010, includes a WebKit browser, canned text messaging, voice-commanded climate controls, improved voice commands, smart phone application APIs (including for voice commands), and more.
Ford feels that its new Focus design is also very stylish. It calls the vehicle's artistic direction "Kinetic Design". Ford's press release brags, "With its striking front end, sleek profile, dramatic rising beltline and athletic stance, the new Focus clearly telegraphs the rewarding driving experience that awaits customers when they take to the road."
The base variety of the new Focus will be offered in hatchback and sedan forms. It will be accompanied by the European C-Max and Grand C-Max which will be landing in the U.S. sometime in 2011 and fall under the Focus global design platform.
The next generation Ford Focus won't go on sale until the 2012 model year (2011). Hybrid and battery electric variants should be coming in the 2013 model year (2012) -- Ford has not committed to hard time frames for their launch. The electric variant is expected to get 80-100 miles on a charge. At a recent press event, DailyTech spoke with Ford executives, including CEO Alan Mullaly on their upcoming EV and the company's desire to avoid the temperature-related problems of competitor GM's 2011 Chevy Volt EV.
Destined to be sold in over 40 markets on six continents, we already knew that the five-door Focus ST would be powered by a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder with 247 horsepower, but now Ford has finally revealed the all-important torque number: 265 lb-ft of twist. That power will be transmitted to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
Contrary to previous suggestions, Ford’s RevoKnuckle front struts will not be present to help to limit torque steer, instead, Ford will use a Torque Vectoring Control system will act like a limited-slip rear differential to reduce understeer and provide increased levels of traction. Cornering Under Steer Control also helps scrub understeer by applying torque to create yaw torque in both power-on and power-off cornering situations.
The Focus ST will also receive an all-new anti-roll bar design, while upgraded shock absorbers and springs lower the ST chassis by 10mm for a more aggressive stance and a lower center of gravity.
The Euro-only wagon iteration will differ only slightly from the hatchback (besides being more capacious), with angled shock absorbers to get the most out of its cargo area.
Both cars will get unique interior details like ST-specific pedals, steering wheel and gearshift, while racy Recaro seats are also fitted. Even the rear bench has also been re-sculpted to provide more support during sporty driving.
“The new Focus ST is a really exciting car for Ford,” said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance Vehicles. “It’s the first performance model to build upon the design and technology strengths of one of our new global production vehicles. It’s a car built for driving enthusiasts all around the world and they will not be disappointed.”
Pricing for the Focus ST has not been announced, but expect it to be in the neighborhood of $26,000 when it goes on sale next spring.
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Hot hatch fans have been waiting patiently for Ford to officially reveal its new Focus ST. Well, stop waiting and start securing your deposit, because the Blue Oval brand has finally pulled back the sheet and peeled off the camouflage. The 2012 Ford Focus ST will makes its global debut at this week's 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, and we've got all the details on the hi-po hatchback for you right here.
So does that mean the Focus ST will get the RevoKnuckle suspension? Capito is noncommittal, but hints at something related. “What is clear is that everything we’ve learned we will use. Not necessarily with the same parts but the same results.” Capito also explains that, for performance vehicles, a mechanical solution is the only way to solve powertrain or handling issues. Don’t expect a brake-based, electronic “limited-slip” system on the ST, like the one included on all other Focii. “A high-performance car shouldn’t use electronics to overcome mechanical inefficiencies.”
I then mention that GM already uses its articulated strut, known as HiPer Strut, in cars like the Buick LaCrosse. Could we see RevoKnuckle in a future Taurus? Capito gives a philosophical “Yes.” Performance cars, he explains, have different priorities than mainstream products. Cost and weight are less of an issue, although all SVT vehicles have to meet the same internal Ford requirements as any other vehicle. High-volume production presents a different set of challenges, although he adds that “The lessons will apply. Technology that improves performance or character can also improve mainstream vehicles, even if it’s not the exact same part.”
What, and how much, technology actually trickles down from SVT to the rest of the Ford lineup remains to be seen. But the performance division’s current mission to act as a test lab to improve the way all Ford products drive should ensure a steady stream of halo cars for us enthusiasts. And with Capito, SVT is in capable hands.
One common Focus ST model is being developed for all global markets, with the vehicle targeted for launch during 2012. This will be the first time that Ford has produced one of its highly regarded high-performance models for a global audience.
The Focus ST development programme is being undertaken by Ford’s global Performance Vehicles group, which comprises Team RS (Europe) and SVT (USA) engineers, who are dedicated to developing and tuning products like the formidable Focus RS, Shelby GT500 and F-150 SVT Raptor.
For new Focus ST the development is being led by Team RS performance specialists based in Europe, building on their extensive experience in engineering sought-after cars like the previous ST models and legendary RS series.
“The new Focus ST will be our first true global performance vehicle and we are excited about the chance to give many customers worldwide their first taste of Ford's acclaimed ST heritage,” said Jost Capito, Director of Global Performance Vehicles. “Like the ST and RS models before it, the Focus ST will be the result of painstaking tuning around the curves of the Nürburgring, along high-speed German autobahns, and down classic British B-roads.
“For European drivers, the Focus ST will bring the same distinctive qualities of pure dynamics and performance that have created the unique appeal of our ST heritage.
“For enthusiasts in North America and Asia who have asked why our compact performance models were not available to them – the wait is almost over! The new Focus ST will offer exactly the same exciting driving experience wherever it’s on sale,” added Capito.
More Performance – and More Economy – from Ford EcoBoost Power
At the heart of the appeal of the next-generation Focus ST is a high-output 250 PS derivative of the efficient and advanced new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost four-cylinder petrol engine.
Succeeding the turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit of the current European model, this unique 250 PS Ford EcoBoost engine is being specially developed for the new Focus ST to ensure that the car gets the muscular performance – and the inspirational sound – which it deserves. It also marks the first application of the four-cylinder Ford EcoBoost engine in a high performance model.
Compared to the 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine used in other Ford vehicles, the 250 PS unit features re-designed intake and exhaust systems and a unique engine calibration to deliver the desired level of power and responsiveness. The engine retains the strong torque delivery which is a feature of Ford EcoBoost designs, with a broad, flat torque curve offering a maximum output of 360 Nm.
One of a completely new generation of downsized, high-efficiency, low-CO2 petrol engines from Ford, the 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost is a lightweight, all-aluminium design which combines three technologies – high-pressure direct injection, low-inertia turbocharging and twin independent variable cam timing – to create an advanced combustion system which brings new levels of performance and fuel efficiency to petrol engines in this power range.
This ultra efficient 250 PS engine therefore not only delivers over 10 per cent more power and torque than the current 2.5-litre unit, it is also estimated to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by more than 20 per cent.
The standard transmission for the Focus ST is a 6-speed manual gearbox, optimised with more sporting ratios carefully matched to the performance characteristics of the engine.
The next Ford Focus is turning out to be on the most highly anticipated cars for the Dearborn make. We already know that Ford is making the new Focus a “worldwide” automobile, which meant that the basic architecture and engineering would be the same for all markets. But that still left us wondering as to how similar the American Ford Focus would be to the European Focus because for the last two generations, we could do nothing but drool over the superior engineering of Ford UK’s iteration.
Due to America’s different safety and emission regulations, many of the foreign cars imported into this country have to be “Americanized,” which results in duller and less exciting automobiles. But Ford recently announced that the new Focus ST “will offer exactly the same exciting driving experience wherever it’s on sale,” which means Asia, Europe and North America.
Ford of New Europe introduced the Focus in 1998 to the European market as a replacement for the Ford Escort. The decision to name the new car the "Ford Focus" was made in early 1998, as Ford's overheads had been planning to keep the "Escort" nameplate for its new generation of small family cars. A last minute problem arose in July 1998 when a Cologne court, responding to a case brought by the publishers Burda, ordered Ford to avoid the name "Focus" for the German market cars since the name was already taken by the publisher's Focus magazine.[1] This eleventh hour dispute was overcome, however, and the car was launched without a different German market name.
Ford of North America began marketing the Focus in October 1999 for model year 2000 with some changes from the European version. The car launched as a 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon; a 5-door hatchback debuted in 2001. Some 2000 Focus' came with a G-Shock watch.[
The second generation Focus was launched at the Paris Motor Show on September 23, 2004 as a three and five-door hatchback and an estate, although the new car was previewed, in 4-door sedan form, as the 'Focus Concept' developed by Ford Europe at the Beijing Motor Show in mid-2004.
The basic suspension design, which contributed much to the Mk 1's success, has been carried over largely unchanged from its predecessor which, along with a 10% stiffer bodyshell, offers a better ride according to Ford but lacked on the precise and poised handling of the Mk1. The same body styles as the Mk 1 Focus were offered, though the saloon did not appear until mid-2005.
The Focus Mk 2 is much larger and considerably heavier than its predecessor with a 25 mm (1 in) increase in wheelbase, 168 mm (6.6 in) longer, 8 mm (0.3 in) taller and 22 mm (0.8 in) wider. As a result the interior and boot space have increased. New technologies include a KeyFree system, a solar-reflect windshield, adaptive front lighting, Bluetooth hands-free phones and voice control for audio, telephone and climate control systems.
Stylistically, the Mk 2's styling features the same design language found in the Mondeo and Fiesta. Although still recognisable as a Focus the new car uses styling features from the abandoned B-Proposal for the original Focus which never reached production.
In 2005 came the Ford Focus ST with a top speed of 152mph and 225bhp it was the fastest hot hatch of the time until 2009 with the release of the second RS model with 162mph and 300bhp it was one never to beat, until the launch of the Ford Focus RS500 in 2011, which had a top speed of 163mph and 350bhp.
The second generation Focus for the North American market followed a separate development. Since debuting at the 2007 North American International Auto Show, the restyled second generation was available as either a two-door coupe and 4-door sedan — the hatchbacks and wagon were discontinued. The interior was redesigned, including new seats, a new dashboard design with message center atop of the dashboard, ambient lighting, dashboard panels that simulate brushed aluminum, and Ford's voice-controlled Sync audio/Bluetooth system. Also included in the redesign was a support beam behind the dashboard for extra structural rigidity.
In 2010 Ford decided to reunite both international and North American models by releasing the international Mk3 worldwide. The current North American version was thus discontinued, and the new model was launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in early 2011, both having started production late in 2010.[3][4]
Ford unveiled the 2011 global Ford Focus at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. The car shown was a 5-door hatchback model, also debuting a new 2.0L direct injection I4 engine. A 5-door estate will also be available at launch.[5] The new generation launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in early 2011, with production having started in late 2010.[6] Production in Asia, Africa, and South America will follow later. Ford debuted the all-electric Ford Focus EV at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 to compete with the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt. This new generation of Focus incorporates a redesigned cabin with improved materials, and new infotainment technologies that help to differentiate it from recently decontented competitors such as the Mk VI Volkswagen Jetta.
The first Focus World Rally Car made its debut in rallying and the World Rally Championship on the 1999 Monte Carlo Rally with Colin McRae and Simon Jean-Joseph at the wheels of the two cars, replacing, for the first time in a generation, the venerable Escort. It was immediately on the pace, setting many fastest stage times, but a vehicle weight issue meant that the two cars were excluded from that event. McRae went on to give the Focus WRC its maiden victory on the Safari Rally in February of the same year and took victory again in the following rally, the Rally Portugal.
The MkI Focus WRC went on to scoop further victories over the years for McRae, Carlos Sainz and Markko Märtin from then until it was phased out in favour of the MkII offering in late 2005.[7] This car, a winner in both Marcus Grönholm's and Mikko Hirvonen's hands in the two-car factory BP-Ford World Rally Team that contested the 2006 World Rally Championship season, duly racked up the manufacturers' title,[8] spelling the end of a formidable twenty-seven year wait for such an honour in this series for the Blue Oval. The team successfully defended the manufacturers' title in the 2007 season.[9]
All the rally cars are built, prepared and run for Ford by M-Sport, the motorsport team based in Cockermouth, Cumbria in Northern England. The team is managed by Malcolm Wilson, a well known former British rally driver.[10]
Besides rallies, the Focus has also been used in the SCCA Speed World Challenge Touring Car Series, the TC 2000, resulting champion in 2003 and 2005.
The Ford Focus ST made its debut in the 2009 British Touring Car Championship, with Arena Motorsport. During its second season, the car ran on Liquefied Petroleum Gas, taking the first BTCC win for a car powered by this fuel at Brands Hatch.
The current U.S. Ford Focus is a disappointment to those who know how good the car was when it went on sale in 1999, as well as anyone who has driven the second-generation European-market Focus. While the rest of the world got a sharper, better handling, and more luxurious Focus for 2005, we merely got a heavy refresh of a car that was, in effect, already six years old. (It originally went on sale in Europe in 1998.) We then got an ugly refresh of that refresh for 2008
Ford has now got its product development crews on the same page, so the next-generation Focus debuting at the Detroit auto show will be the same the world over. In the U.S., the car will be offered in early 2011 as a 2012 model in two variations: a sharp five-door hatchback and a good looking, if more conventional, four-door sedan. Compared with the current U.S. Focus, at 58.1 inches high, the new one is 0.5 inch lower. The overall length has gone up from 175.0 inches to 178.0, and the wheelbase grows from 102.9 inches to 104.2.
Both body styles initially will be powered here by a new, 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder that makes 155 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque, up from the current car’s 143 hp and 136 lb-ft. The engine will feature variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams and will be mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox that was co-developed with Getrag. Around the rest of the world, there will be a broader range of gas and diesel engines, including turbocharged and direct-injected EcoBoost four-bangers. Expect EcoBoost engines to make it into U.S. cars, too, including one with over 225 horsepower in a sporty version, perhaps wearing an ST or SVT badge. A 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four likely will be included as a more mass-market choice, as well, offering a more efficient and more powerful alternative to the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter.
Codenamed C346N, the new Focus was developed in Köln, Germany, by a multinational team. From the outset, it was designed to go on sale in all of Ford’s major markets and to be built in Spain, France, Russia, and China, as well as at Ford’s Wayne, Michigan, plant. Although dimensionally similar to the current European Focus—the track is slightly wider and the car is lower—the body in white is all-new, with 55 percent of it being made from high-strength steel, the highest proportion of any car in the American Ford lineup. As a result, the torsional stiffness is 25 percent higher than that of the current U.S-market car.
According to Jim Hughes, chief nameplate engineer for Focus in North America, “the platform architecture is similar to the current European Focus.” That means the new car has a multilink rear suspension and struts up front. However, the suspension attachment points have been altered, the front knuckle design has been changed, and the spring and shock tuning has been modified. Gunnar Herrmann, the vehicle line director for global C-segment vehicles at Ford, says that “the carryover on the platforms is effectively only seven percent.”
One aspect of the chassis architecture that is completely new is the steering. The car now has electric power steering in place of a hydraulic system, part of the company’s pursuit of better gas mileage. “Torque vectoring” has been added to the stability-control system, using the ABS to redistribute engine torque between the front wheels.
Herrmann says that Ford also placed a lot of emphasis on improving comfort levels. “Quietness gives a premium feel,” he says. To that end, the Focus team concentrated on reducing road, tire, and engine noise, vibration, and harshness. Wind noise at 80 mph is said to be lower than in a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry.
transmission and enough personality and quality inside and out the cars sold by the boatload. Then things started to go downhill. Materials quality was reduced, cost cutting removed sound deadening and the car began to feel chintzy. The 2005 refresh turned an interesting car into an ugly one and then in 2008 Ford really stabbed enthusiasts in the heart. While the European Focus was winning nearly every award on the continent, they shoveled a hideous, cheap feeling, coarse, terrible driving vehicle wearing the Focus name. The car boasted fantastic new technology unprecedented in the segment, but it was a disappointment to say the least.
This 2012 Focus is not a disappointment. It's absolutely everything enthusiasts have been asking for. It's a global car with at least 80% content shared across the globe. It's once again daring in its styling, sleek and rather sexy, polarizing and above all interesting. They've managed to create a sedan as attractive if not more so than the hatchback, oh, and they're bringing back the proper hatchback. There are clever details throughout; The hatchback's fuel door is camouflaged behind a diamond-shaped panel under the passenger tail light. The Z-shaped "Zorro Clip" as the designers call it, is a not-so-subtle character line on the front door. It also points to how confident Ford is about their tolerances and hinges, if any part doesn't measure up, it'll show.
Inside it's much the same story. The new Focus has a packed with high technology and handsome shapes, grippy seats, excellent door coverings and with plenty of room all around. It's got the Sync system of course but also the new MyFord system and Sony audio, passive keyless entry, rain sensing wipers, a park assist system, and rear camera. The car rides on an all-new chassis made of high-strength steel and designed with Ford's Trinity crash structure. They're targeting award-winning ride and handling and doing it with electric power steering, dynamic cornering control and a torque vectoring differential. You'll be able to get a huge set of 235/40R19 tires, that's plenty of grip.
Under the hood there's a direct injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder with twin independent variable cam timing producing "better than 150 HP." It's paired with a manual six speed or the Powershift dual clutch automatic. Of course we're frothing at the mouth fat the prospect of these cars getting an Ecoboost four cylinder making an easy Focus RS or SVT. Ford, thank for finally, finally reuniting the Euro Focus with the US model, and doing it with some swagger. We look forward to tossing it into a corner and hopefully coming out on the other side grinning ear to ear.
Ford today unveiled its next generation Ford Focus global platform. With the new Focus, Ford is hoping to seize more of compact car market (known as the "C segment" outside the U.S.) from competing models like the Honda Civic, Chevy Cobalt, and Toyota Corolla.
The foundation of the new platform is technological innovation. The new global platform Ford Focus will receive the company's EcoBoost four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection (DI) engines. European customers will have the option of getting either a 1.6-liter EcoBoost gas engine or an improved Duratorq TDCi common-rail diesel engine. U.S. customers won't get the diesel, but they will get a 2.0-liter EcoBoost gas engine that features DI and Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT). The new engines should provide a bit more horsepower (the 2.0-liter North American engine adds an extra 20 hp compared to its predecessor). They also should provide 10 to 20 percent gains in fuel economy (a bit over 10 percent, in the North American engine's case).
The North American Focus will also get Ford's new dual-clutch six-speed Ford PowerShift automatic transmission. The new transmission offers additional fuel economy savings of about 9 percent. It replaces the manual parts -- torque converters, planetary gears and oil pumps -- found in standard automatics, with a more efficient system that electrically controls the clutch.
The new Focus also may be the first non-hybrid auto to get stop-start technology in the U.S., according to AutoBlog. This technology allows the vehicle to shut off the engine when stopped, saving fuel, particularly in urban settings. Ford is targeting a 40+ mpg fuel economy with the stock variant, similar to GM's Chevy Cruze, a key competitor.
A new Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) system has also been added, which Ford says will offer "pure and precise responses at high speed." The new car also gets a new Dynamic Cornering Control system, which Ford says will yield reduced understeer, improved traction and better turn-in. Together, Ford says these technologies make a vehicle that is both more fun to drive and safer.
Better materials also make the new vehicle safer. The new vehicle uses steel for 55 percent of the body shell and ultra-high strength and Boron steels in 26 percent of the vehicle’s structure. Those improvements pay off in cold hard numbers; the new Focus sports a 25 percent greater rigidity than the current North American Focus.
The new Focus will also get Ford's new MyFord Touch infotainment system. The new system, which we extensively covered at CES 2010, includes a WebKit browser, canned text messaging, voice-commanded climate controls, improved voice commands, smart phone application APIs (including for voice commands), and more.
Ford feels that its new Focus design is also very stylish. It calls the vehicle's artistic direction "Kinetic Design". Ford's press release brags, "With its striking front end, sleek profile, dramatic rising beltline and athletic stance, the new Focus clearly telegraphs the rewarding driving experience that awaits customers when they take to the road."
The base variety of the new Focus will be offered in hatchback and sedan forms. It will be accompanied by the European C-Max and Grand C-Max which will be landing in the U.S. sometime in 2011 and fall under the Focus global design platform.
The next generation Ford Focus won't go on sale until the 2012 model year (2011). Hybrid and battery electric variants should be coming in the 2013 model year (2012) -- Ford has not committed to hard time frames for their launch. The electric variant is expected to get 80-100 miles on a charge. At a recent press event, DailyTech spoke with Ford executives, including CEO Alan Mullaly on their upcoming EV and the company's desire to avoid the temperature-related problems of competitor GM's 2011 Chevy Volt EV.
Destined to be sold in over 40 markets on six continents, we already knew that the five-door Focus ST would be powered by a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder with 247 horsepower, but now Ford has finally revealed the all-important torque number: 265 lb-ft of twist. That power will be transmitted to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
Contrary to previous suggestions, Ford’s RevoKnuckle front struts will not be present to help to limit torque steer, instead, Ford will use a Torque Vectoring Control system will act like a limited-slip rear differential to reduce understeer and provide increased levels of traction. Cornering Under Steer Control also helps scrub understeer by applying torque to create yaw torque in both power-on and power-off cornering situations.
The Focus ST will also receive an all-new anti-roll bar design, while upgraded shock absorbers and springs lower the ST chassis by 10mm for a more aggressive stance and a lower center of gravity.
The Euro-only wagon iteration will differ only slightly from the hatchback (besides being more capacious), with angled shock absorbers to get the most out of its cargo area.
Both cars will get unique interior details like ST-specific pedals, steering wheel and gearshift, while racy Recaro seats are also fitted. Even the rear bench has also been re-sculpted to provide more support during sporty driving.
“The new Focus ST is a really exciting car for Ford,” said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance Vehicles. “It’s the first performance model to build upon the design and technology strengths of one of our new global production vehicles. It’s a car built for driving enthusiasts all around the world and they will not be disappointed.”
Pricing for the Focus ST has not been announced, but expect it to be in the neighborhood of $26,000 when it goes on sale next spring.
2012 ford focus rs
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