Detroit 2010: Finally, Ford Debuts New Focus

It seems like we've been waiting longer than I can remember for the new Focus. The first-generation model was something of a minor revolution when it hit the US market in 1999...  and then it proceeded to get worse with each successive facelift for the next ten years. While the competition marched on (there've been two brand-new Civics, one Corolla, and two Sentras in the OG Focus' lifespan!), the Focus, uhh... focus'd on things like squishy seats, SYNC, and killing off the hatchbacks to replace them with "who cares?" 2 door coupes.

Meanwhile, Ford of Europe has been enjoying a brand-new, cutting edge Focus MkII since 2004, while we trudge along with the same old crap we've had since Clinton was president.  Well, no more!

Ford chose the 2010 NAIAS as the place to debut the brand-spanking new 2011 Focus, because even though it's atrophying, the Detroit show is still the biggest in the world.  And frankly, the new Focus is a big deal.  Ford needs this car to be a grand-slam home run.  The Focus competes in the tightly-wound C-segment, with the Jetta, Corolla, Sentra, Civic, Lancer, and about a million other products that are so similar these days you might as well throw a dart at a board to pick one.

So how is Ford going to differentiate the new Focus from the rest of the pack?  Well, there were three goals for the design of the new Focus: Good Looking, Good Driving, and Pleasant.  Ok, that's simplifying things, but this isn't a complex car.

One thing's for sure - they've got the "looking good" part down pat at this point.  This is, if you will, version two of Ford's Kinetic Design language, which is made to make a static object look like one in motion.  While that sounds about as goofy as Infiniti's "Bionic Cheetah" design philosophy with the old FX, in the flesh it's... gorgeous.  Which, you have to say, isn't something you can attribute to anything else in the C-segment.  Sure, it's not crazy looking - there are no fangs, scoops, spoilers, or two-tone spinners to be found here.

There are still some key elements of Kinetic Design to be seen: trapezoid lower intake, strong body character lines, organically-shaped headlights, and strong wheelarches.  It's all a bit smoother and less dramatic than the old MkII Focus, and it's got an air of classiness about it that the Focus has never really had before.  The new Focus will be coming to America in both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback form, and surprisingly, they're both equally good looking.  Usually, sedans this size look a bit retarded with the general proportions forced upon them.  But the new Focus sedan has a sort of junior-Mondeo feel to it, like it's something Bond would drive (oh, wait!).  The hatch is great looking from some angles, and a little questionable from others - it looks like a mix of Mondeo and Mazda3 up to about the C-pillar, and a bit like a Volvo C30 around the rear.  Of course, realizing how related those cars are allows this to make a little more sense.

So, it's great to look at.  How about the second point in the list?  Really, how fun is a Focus gonna be to drive?  Well, if you remember all the way back then, when the first Focii hit our shores in the late nineties, they were praised primarily for their driving dynamics and fun-to-thrash nature.  This was thanks to a sophisticated independent rear suspension setup (remember, this was back when the Jetta had an ox-cart torsion beam!) and well-judged power steering, as well as low weight.  Of course, with each facelift the US Focus got worse and worse, as Ford made the suspension squishier and added more sound deadening.

Well, one of the focuses of the new Focus (haha) is that it actually be a fun car to drive again.  The only way we'll know is when the Focus hits our shores (and you know i'll be jumping at the chance for seat time as soon as I can!), but on paper it sounds pretty promising.  Chassis-wise, there's EPAS (Electronic Power Assisted Steering) which uses an electric motor to drive the hydraulic pump.  These systems can be a bit numb, but Ford does know how to tune a chassis, so let's not lose hope yet.

What's far more interesting is what Ford calls Dynamic Cornering Control.  It's what you and I call a torque-vectoring axle, just like BMW/Audi/Saab have been using, only it's on the front wheels.  The skimpy press release didn't say if it was a mechanical device (like the Haldex eLSD) or a cheap, fake imitation (like VW's XDS which applies the brake on the wheel with less grip to shift power through the diff to the other one) but either way, it should make for a remarkably neutral-handling FWD hatchback.

The Focus will of course be available with a selection of gas and diesel engines ranging from mild to wild, but as for the US market, we've got a choice of one engine and two transmissions.  Then engine is brand-new, a 2.0L all-aluminum I4 with dual overhead camshafts and direct fuel injection.  It's also E85-capable, making it the first GDI motor that can handle the high-octane ethanol juice.  There's also an automatic stop-start system to save fuel, making it the first non-hybrid with such a system in the US.  Power numbers aren't amazing: 155bhp and 145lb-ft of torque are about adequate for this market.  With an unusually high 12.0:1 compression ratio, there should at least be decent low-end torque.

The new Focus will be available with any number of gears you want, as long as it's six.  You've got a choice of a row-your-own box, or Ford's fancy PowerShift dual-clutch 6 speed automated manual trans - no squishy torque converters here!  There are still no flappy paddles to be found with this DSG-wanna-be, but it's still a HUGE step up from the old 4-speed slushbox.  Ford's aiming to hit the magic 40mpg Highway number with the 2.0L/PowerShift combination, considering that's the preliminary number for Chevy's Cruze, which will be hitting the market about the same time.

Obviously, this isn't all Ford's got up it's sleeve with the new Focus.  There is expected to be a full-electric short-commute version (yawn) as well as some nifty turbodiesels.  There are also more body styles on the way, including (of course) a 3-door hatchback, 2-door retracting hardtop, an estate, and probably some sort of ridiculous soft-roader "CUV" thing.  What's really interesting is what's going to be under the hood of future fast Focii.  The 3.5L isn't the only EcoBoost motor Ford is doing, and they've got a 2.0L EcoBoost I4 under development that could potentially find it's way under the hood of the Focus in the future, with probably 250+bhp on tap.  And with a 6-speed twin-clutch, and the torque-vectoring front end, and launch control?  Oh boy!

The interior's quite nice, too.  Ford's definitely been on the upswing with the interiors lately, and this is a step beyond even the new Taurus, which is quite nice.  It looks a bit like an Audi inside, which I suppose isn't a bad thing.  Still, most new-car interiors are all starting to look a bit alike, and how different does this really look from the Cruze, Astra, or any other number of small cars out there?  Still, again:  a huge step forward for the Focus.

Still, in the here and now, this looks like a huge step forward for Ford.  This is another sign they're willing to do what it takes to build up consumer confidence and sell products people actually want to buy, which is a good thing.  It'll face stiff competition when it comes to market (brand-new Astra, refreshed Golf for example) but the new Focus looks like it'll be a tough game to beat.