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anyone wondering what the new Focus looks like? here are some good pics www.focusmania.com/Persoonlijke.htm first press launch tommorow i think?
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Auto Express have a large article on it tomorrow apparently.
PP
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In a rapidly-changing world, which can get ever so confusing, it's good to see that Ford hasn't added to the confusion by eliminating all traces of plastic fake wood.
Close call, though: www.focusmania.com/FocusII-13.jpg suggests that the plastic tree forests may have gotten a bit thin
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After a close study of the design i think it's going to date rather rapidly.
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They will sell loads anyway, as long as its not dreadful (like the early 90's Escort).
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Oh dear.
Ah well, I'm sure Ford will continue to sell lots of Mondeos to keep the factories busy.
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Doesn't look like there's a lot of rear headroom.
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If it's as good as the current Focus, then there won't be much to complain about.
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L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Good, bad or indifferent, it will sell because it's a Ford (and it is British isn't it?). No matter how bad the Escort and Fiesta were at times, in their different incarnations, they always sold well in Britain.
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What do you mean will date, it already looks like mismatch of rover 200, late 90's honda and current mazda.
The "current" 3 door focus is one of the great car designs of modern times. It always reminds me of the Bertone slalom
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Photos at www.whatcar.com and no doubt HJ will be updating the CBC Breakdown.
I have a fair bit of info but here is some engine data you may find interesting...
Desc/Euro stage/CO2/Combined fuel cons/Max speed mph/0-100kmh or 62mph/50-100kmh or 31-62mph 4th gear
1.4L Duratec 80PS/3&4/159/42.7/101/14.1/16.3
1.6L Duratec 100PS/3&4/161/42.2/111/11.9/13.3
1.6L Duratec 100PS AUTO/4/180/36.9/106/13.6/na
1.6L Duratec Ti-VCT 115PS/4/155/43.8/117/10.8/12.9
2.0L Duratec 145PS/3&4/170/39.8/127/9.2/11.9
1.6L Duratorq TDCi 109PS/3&4/127/58.9/116/10.9/10.9
1.6L Duratorq TDCi 109PS CVTAuto/3/146/51.0/113/11.5/na
2.0L Duratorq TDCi 136PS/3&4/148/51.4/125/9.3/7.8
These are all Ford official figures. I believe where 3&4 is stated for Euro emission stage initial vehicles will be Stage 3 and later Stage 4 when this is required...
Cheers, Dan J
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3 door is much better looking than the 5 door IMO.
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From certain angles it looks like a cross between the Seat Leon and the Rover 25. Me no likey.
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Definitely agree about the Leon haunches - Looked at fron the front overhead view (mainly due to the wheelarches) it looks like it'd really like to be an RX-8 too.. ;)
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3 door is much better looking than the 5 door IMO.
Unlike the current version, I reckon that the new saloon is the best looking of the bunch: echoes of the pretty Mazda3 saloon.
The estate looks nice in profile, but the rear looks as much of a mess as the Mondeo estate. The hatchbacks just look like someone has taken a chainsaw to the rear, to create that angular notch, and they won't be much good for carrying big loads.
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Definate seat leon bits.
dissapointing, as more manufactures are keen to produce more space for their estate models ford have decreased it.
This news will lose them alot of fleet sales.
It doesnt appear as sold as the current focus, but the golf has the exact same problem.
I think ford may have tried to hard to bring the car up market when it really doesnt need to be.
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Shades of the Pinto (US) in profile...
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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estate looks good. The hatch rather tame in comparison.
Splodgeface
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With the 2.0 TDCi engine available in the Focus, there won't be much point in buying the C-MAX any more, unless you often carry tall people in the back.
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With the 2.0 TDCi engine available in the Focus, there won't be much point in buying the C-MAX any more, unless you often carry tall people in the back.
... or want to carry bigger loads than be accommodated in the squashed hatchback, or aesthetically dislike a car whose rear has been sliced off with a machete ...
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EEEEEEEEEwwwwwwww - Its a mongrel, lots of styling lines, ideas and shapes from all sorts of cars. Bit too much interbreeding if you ask me.
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EEEEEEEEEwwwwwwww - Its a mongrel,
Is that why all the Mercedes models look simular? Bmw's from the front have all looked alike for the last 30 years? Brand idenity i think it's called.
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No brand identity here. It borrows from all sorts of car manufacturers
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yes, what a boring design. The first Focus is an individual looking gem - it wasn't broke so why fix so dramatically?
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Most people seem mainly concerned with what it looks like. My main interest is in the driving experience. For me, looks are virtually of no consequence. I buy a car to drive, not to impress onlookers.
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L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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great that we are all different - I need to enjoy both the exterior look and cabin design of any car I own, and (for me) Ford should have Focused on not going for a "bits of everything" design but a revamped version of a car that looked (and still looks) splendidly different.
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Yes, I agree, but I also think that a car has got to have that "I want one" factor which is to a great extent determined by its looks and styling. My concern is that this focus's looks (certainly in hatchback form) don't make me want to go and find out more.
Splodgeface
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Is it me or are Ford taking a retrograde step in going or belts? It was my prior impression that they were beginning to favour chains.
Splodgeface
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It's better looking than the current Focus, but little lumpy around the front corners and the wheelarches are too bulbous. I expect we'll all get used to it though. The saloon version no longer looks like it's been rear-end shunted at 10 mph by an Iveco Daily van!
There's been a bit of criticism of the Mark 5 VW Golf's appearance, but up against the new Focus and new Astra it looks just fine, in my opinion.
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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It's perhaps ironic that this thread is called 'The new Ford Focus' as back in '98 the first choice for the car was to be 'Ford Ikon'. Unfortunaly the name was leaked to the press by a Ford employee as the eleventh hour and the second choice 'Focus' was then used. Incidently the Ikon name eventually found a home in India on an unusual and not sold here Fiesta based saloon. see here www.ford.co.za/showroom/ikon/
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The new TDCi's in the Focus etc are cambelt, a colaberation with Peugeot however the Mondeo engines are all chain cam, be they 1.8, 2.0, 2.5 or 3.0 petrol or 2.0 TDDi, TDCi and 2.2 TDCI diesels.
Regards.
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How many of you have actually sat in this car, seen one in the metal or driven it? There seem to be an awful lot of comments about the car not appearing as solid or being without headroom etcetera. All speculation really - I think I'd reserve judgement after having actually seen the vehicle. Which incidentally I have.
At our press conference the senior management were extremely keen to point out that although the current Focus is a brilliantly competent vehicle which even the Germans have come to love, there were several main comments or complaints about the car. Namely that there was too little rear legroom and no boot space. Taking this into account the new Focus is 37cm longer than the original one and has significantly more space in the boot, between the front and back seats and as regards back headroom etc. The new estate is a reasonably smart looking vehicle though in my opinion is not wildly different from the current car. The current market trend is for compact estates and the car looks quite similar to the new Volvo V50 on which it shares a platform. I believe that making the new Focus estate larger would put too many vehicles on a similar market sector. Ford don't want to take sales away from the C-MAX. Interestingly on our own internal forums the Leon comment has appeared several times and people have even commented that the car, lookswise, is not a step forward.
Current market trends are that people want quality and comfort. The new car feels extremely solid inside and very well built. I was never a fan of the old Focus dashboard but this one is significantly better. Very reminiscent of the C-MAX and everything feels very solid without the "cheap plastic" syndrome that seems to affect so many cars.
Ford are also very proud of the fact that the media claim, as far as road handling is concerned, all the other manufacturers have only just caught up to where the original Focus was. The new C1 platform is much improved and Ford believe they have moved the goalposts once again. That will remain to be seen once the media start to review the car properly.
I work for Ford so feel free to think any of the above is biased. We often seem to have trouble getting everything right. The Fusion is a joke, certainly in the UK, and we build fantastic vehicles like the Mondeo then let ourselves down by one or several unreliable or poor variants (2.0 petrol automatic anyone?). Ford are extremely keen moving forward to be regarded for quality and have put significant investment into the new Focus to ensure that it is. I leave you all to make your own mind up - but try waiting until you've seen the car first...
Dan J
P.s. Pleasure to be back HJ!
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Small post,
I'm bound to be biased owning a saloon myself but does anyone else thing that the saloon concept 2 thirds down the page looks 10 times nicer than the hatch. I would buy one of them in a shot. Thhe squashed C-Ma....sorry - Focus I wouldn't.
Adam
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I notice Autoexpress are welcoming of the new improved interior and dash/radio/heating layout. Not difficult really, just employ a former VAG employee to design your cars and he can simply fit an Audi interior in to a Ford! The dash is exactly the same as my Audi, even down to the typeface used for the speedo numbers - did the designer pinch a few spare parts when he moved jobs? I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
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The dash is exactly the same as my Audi, even down to the typeface used for the speedo numbers
I thought it looked a little dull......
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How many of you >>>>>>> etc
good read danJ thanks.
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