There were surprisingly few unveils at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and even fewer thrills. The AWD turbocharged Buick GS concept and electric Fiat 500 not withstanding though, perhaps the best looking car to come out of Detroit is the 2012 Ford Focus.
Based on the Blue Oval’s “One Ford” global platform sharing idea, the 2012 Focus will share over 80% of its components with European models. Even better, an electric model of the Focus should hit showrooms sometime in 2011.
What separates the new Focus from previous iterations is just how bold and muscular the car looks. For a small car, it looks big in either sedan or hatchback versions. It has an aggressive stance and flared wheel wells too, further enhancing its already strong looks. It really helps the Focus stand out from the increasingly-crowded small car segment.
The interior has become even more refined though, and looks quite snazzy when compared to the old Focus interior. Plus Ford is pushing its Sync connectivity system pretty hard, working to integrate it further into cars while also eventually offering iPhone-like applications. Ford is bringing the premium “Titanium” level package to America, which many European customers choose. This puts the price of the Focus into the $20,000 range and offers things like upgraded seats and sound system.
For engines, the 2012 Focus will debut with a 2.0 liter, 155 horsepower direct-injection engine. No word on exact fuel efficiency expectations, but it should be awfully close to 40 mpg on the highway. Ford is looking to go backwards. There is also hope that Ford will bring its 300 horsepower RS edition to the states, adding a level of performance to the Focus not seen since the short-lived SVT version hit the streets. No word on when the Focus will get an EcoBoost engine… but it damn sure better.
As for the Electric Focus, which got some public exposure on Jay Leno’s short-lived primetime show, that too is on the way. It should hit showrooms sometime next year, with an expected range of 80-100 miles. But that is all we know for now. Suffice it to say, I am very excited about the Focus and the possibilities that lay ahead.
Source: Ford
PDF 
About Christopher DeMorro
“There is also hope that Ford will bring its 300 horsepower RS edition to the states,”
That is awesome, the rs is amazing. we need more fast, small cars. Ford is really stepping up and im quite impressed.
“There is also hope that Ford will bring its 300 horsepower RS edition to the states,”
That is awesome, the rs is amazing. we need more fast, small cars. Ford is really stepping up and im quite impressed.
I lived in Germany during the nineties and I often rented the Ford Sierra when I drove from my home town of Munich to Salzbach and the car was the best car made by an American maker I had ever driven. I never understood why American car makers built better cars for the Europeans than they did for Americans. I’m glad to see that they have found us worthy of these Autos. Now if GM would bring their European versions to us without tampering with the finish product, American car makers will once again rule the Automaking Industry.
I lived in Germany during the nineties and I often rented the Ford Sierra when I drove from my home town of Munich to Salzbach and the car was the best car made by an American maker I had ever driven. I never understood why American car makers built better cars for the Europeans than they did for Americans. I’m glad to see that they have found us worthy of these Autos. Now if GM would bring their European versions to us without tampering with the finish product, American car makers will once again rule the Automaking Industry.