[Kool_ZX3]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../608020385/1148

WAYNE -- A few years ago, Ford Motor Co.'s Michigan Truck plant was churning out big SUVs and big profits while its car plant down the road in Wayne quietly cranked out small cars that fewer and fewer Americans wanted.

Now, the tables appear to be turning.

The same skyrocketing gasoline prices that have knocked the bottom out of the SUV market could help bolster the future of the fuel-efficient Focus and the Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant, which is making more vehicles than it has in years.

And instead of neglecting the Focus as it has in years past, Ford has big plans to improve the design, engineering and fuel efficiency of the little car. For example:


Ford boosted the fuel economy of the Focus currently on the road by about 3 miles per gallon through engineering tweaks.


In January, Ford will show off a refreshed version of the Focus at the Detroit auto show and begin selling it next summer, company sources told The Detroit News. The new design will feature a reworked front end and a bolder design patterned after the Ford Fusion sedan. The new car has room for only a two-bar chrome grille instead of the signature three-bar grille on the Fusion.


Ford will also debut a two-door Focus coupe to complement its stable of offerings, which includes three- and five-door hatchbacks, a four-door sedan and a four-door wagon.

The refreshed Focus is "a lot stronger than a lot of people expected," said Jim Hall, an analyst with AutoPacific Inc. in Southfield, who has seen the new vehicle.

[Flofocus]

Kool_ZX3,Aug 2 2006, 11:00 AM Wrote:Ford will also debut a two-door Focus coupe to complement its stable of offerings, which includes three- and five-door hatchbacks, a four-door sedan and a four-door wagon.

The refreshed Focus is "a lot stronger than a lot of people expected," said Jim Hall, an analyst with AutoPacific Inc. in Southfield, who has seen the new vehicle.
[right][snapback]200464[/snapback][/right]

A coupe? Thats pretty cool. B)

I'm scared of this 'refreshed' look though. :ph34r:

[darkpuppet]

refreshed look is tiring..

[gab-Dogg]

coupe with the fusion0styled grille? no thanks!

[NefCanuck]

and I thought they were dropping the Focus wagon as of Dec '06? Or did those plans change? :huh: I hope so. I like the Focus wagon, still trying to get my dad to grab one to replace the pig of a Dodge Caravan he has.

NefCanuck

[Frost__2001]

Quote:The new 2008 Focus will be an interim vehicle until Ford can turn out a more complete redesign of the car by 2010. That's when it plans to converge the U.S. Focus and the European Focus on the same platform, which will also underpin the future Mazda3 and Volvo C30, S40 and V70.

and they were saying a while ago we'd get an all new focus in 2008, now we have to wait till 2010 to see our american focus re-joining the European Focus in the MK3 models so we lose out on the MK2 Focus here...............

[NOS2Go4Me]

Well, a 2-door coupe can get a grille swap real quick, cause I'll pass on chrome.

I love the Fusion's look, cause it works for the Fusion. I can't stand chrome on any 00-06 Focus so far.

[bluetoy]

All ford's cars are going to have the trademark Fusion grille. All Ford trucks are going to have the trademark F350 grille as well. If you want to know what the new "insert car name here" will look like just take the existing model and attach the apropriate grille.

[NoiSeeVT]

In Motortrend this month they said that Ford was introducing the Euro Focus in NA for 2008. Just what I read, I hope the RS is coming :)

David

[SVT ZX3]

bluetoy,Aug 2 2006, 02:39 PM Wrote:All ford's cars are going to have the trademark Fusion grille. All Ford trucks are going to have the trademark F350 grille as well. If you want to know what the new "insert car name here" will look like just take the existing model and attach the apropriate grille.
[right][snapback]200578[/snapback][/right]

Isn't that what they said they were doing with the Fivehundred originally? It was going to be the "flagship" car and all Ford cars were going to have that grille, hence why the 05+ Focus grille bares a striking resembelance. But since the Fivehundred flopped and the Fusion is flying off the lots now, the Fusion is the "new face of Ford vehicles". Or am I wrong here?

NoiSeeVT,Aug 2 2006, 03:42 PM Wrote:......Just what I read, I hope the RS is coming :)

David
[right][snapback]200595[/snapback][/right]

I doubt we'll ever see the RS. The closest we will get is the Volvo C30 and to a slightly lesser extent the Mazdaspeed3

[guilty]

SVT ZX3,Aug 2 2006, 04:52 PM Wrote:Isn't that what they said they were doing with the Fivehundred originally? It was going to be the "flagship" car and all Ford cars were going to have that grille, hence why the 05+ Focus grille bares a striking resembelance. But since the Fivehundred flopped and the Fusion is flying off the lots now, the Fusion is the "new face of Ford vehicles". Or am I wrong here?
[right][snapback]200606[/snapback][/right]

I thought I read something about that.. how Ford was trying to mimick the "european styling" trends and make the Five Hundred look too much like a VW or Audi, and it flopped for them. So they decided to go after "american muscular styling" and made the Fusion, Edge, etc.. Personally I like the look of the Fusion a lot better than the Passat-wannabe Five Hundred.

[euro_zx5]

Change is good, and if the analysts see this as a bigger step up than before, it's good enough for me. As long as I know the euro focus is coming to NA, i'm happy. I can wait to upgrade.