The next-generation global Focus is due in 2010, and this latest announcement just ensures Americans will get the car too - and not several years after its European debut as has been the case in the past. The current European variant of the Focus (pictured) has been generally perceived as a better interpretation of the nameplate than its American counterpart, with superior handling and design. The Fiesta small hatch will add even more depth to the low end of Ford's North American-built lineup, and building the cars closer to home could mean more competitive pricing.
Int the meantime, Ford will also be boosting production of the current-generation Ford Focus sedan and the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner crossover SUVs to make the most of its current smaller offerings.
Cutting large SUV and truck production is the theme of the American car industry for 2008, and Ford's announcement that the F-150 redesign will be pushed back two months is equally unsurprising. Shift reductions and slower production line speeds will supplement the additional summer plant idling announced earlier this week in meeting reduced production targets.
Reader Comments
Fri Jun 20 2008 1:19 PM
Gus says
Excellent.
Fri Jun 20 2008 4:32 PM
brian says
they should have done that years ago. euro versions are always better. US cars are always watered down.
Fri Jun 20 2008 5:01 PM
Knight3058 says
Except for the Mustangs.
Fri Jun 20 2008 5:41 PM
NoNameDenton says
Good, I hate the present North American Focus, but also bring over the high powered versions.
Fri Jun 20 2008 6:21 PM
chris says
guys guys guys.. i love the focus.. ill probably buy the 3rd gen... but lets get something straight... the euro focus didn't blow out the competition when we had it... no one cares where a ford was designed... its still a POS... so don't start saying "oh yeah ill buy it"./.. you all know you'll just end up buying a base civic
Fri Jun 20 2008 9:17 PM
NoNameDenton says
chris, until that is proven, your post is just opinion, not fact. The current North American Focus is selling so well Ford has to boost production and that one is garbage.
Fri Jun 20 2008 9:48 PM
bambam says
Its good timing but overall I still agree with Chris here. There are some fans out there of the rally race car looks but the USA would prefer the current with Sync. The next generation would be even better. The more choices the better for us.
Sat Jun 21 2008 1:39 AM
chris says
noname.. i know.. i own it. its an improvement on the old one and everyone thinks the styling is rather mongoloid. fine. you're just proving my point further. the current focus is selling just as well if not better than the last one. they're increasing production at the focus plant.. i dont know if they're increasing it to an all time high.. but its the same plant that has always made them... and theyre "increasing production"... fact of the matter is... if it says ford on it.. people are buying a price tag.. not a test drive. how many people do you think are out there who actually take a car on a test drive and crank the wheel into a fast turn? NO ONE. just us... those auto enthousiasts who will bicker endlessly online.
bam... exactly.. i love watching rally because its equally impressive as much as it makes me feel damned good to see a ford out there walloping all those japanese and euro brands. I love the sync.. and honestly.. I won't buy a car that doesnt have it. sounds stupid.. but when you finally got a car with power windows.. you said the same thing "its stupid.. but i dont want to lose my power windows"... same thing with my moon roof... i had one... then i got another car and i didnt have one.. its no good.. so on my current car i have it...
I'd love like hell to have the newer platform.. cause the s40 and the mazda 3 are very nice handling cars... but i can tell you honestly.. the "new" focus is the old focus doing a dmaned good impersonation of the C1 platform.
but thats not why i came here... I just wanted to say that I just saw the Flex... in person.. and its actually really really cool. as far as a mid sized crossover is concerned... I like it. honestly. it's funky... and a little flashy.. and a little styling too. i feel so horrible for saying it looks like a honda element or a scion... thats selling it way short. and the thing looks huge in pictures but its really not that large at all.
i think they'll be selling 100,000 of them... easily.
Sat Jun 21 2008 3:00 AM
NoNameDenton says
People are not buying ot for the Ford name, they are buying it because it is fuel efficient, affordable and comes with some great options like Sync.
Sat Jun 21 2008 4:01 PM
chris says
exactly.. and if ford asked another $2k for an entry level small car... they wouldnt sell as many of them,... it wouldn't matter if it handled better, because anyone who cares about handling would jus asume the civic or corolla or 3 would be the best handling small car.. and buy that. and then the rest of the people out there who would normally consider ford would be like "well i can get the cobalt for less"....
more people buy the focus now that it's "ugly", isn't available in hatch back, and has 10 year old mechanicals, as opposed to 10 years ago when it was the most brilliant small car on the market.
Sat Jun 21 2008 9:13 PM
NoNameDenton says
But gas was a lot cheaper when the Focus came out, so it is not suprising that the Focus is doing beter now that gas prices are higher.
Mon Jun 23 2008 7:07 AM
chris says
oh, noname, I realize that, but has it gained market share. that's the question. more people are buying small cars, thats great, but are a higher percentage of people buying the focus over other cars? I think so. big car toys in a small car? perfect package in a time when people are losing the big cars.
Point is, most people will complain today that ford doesn't have euro models over here... but these are the same people who wouldn't have bought the focus when it was a euro model... same people who never bought the contour (mondeo), probably haven't seen a fiesta since the 80's... well... you get the idea. lot's of people will complain that ford doesnt sell their euro models in the USA, and use that as the excuse that they won't buy ford, and then when it happens again, they still wont buy it.. cause it's made in the USA, or (gasp) mexico.
don't see too many people buying the saturn astra do you? It's going to be the same thing all over again. doesn't matter where the cars come from. It's welcomed by me, thats for sure, better cars for me and my loyal blood.. but the criticism will never stop.
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