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Source: Leftlane news

Article #1

Global Ford Focus to help automaker’s bottom line

After years of public clamoring, Ford has finally decided to bring some its European models to the U.S. But by doing so, Ford will not only make U.S. buyers happy, but will also help boost its own profits.

As it stands now, the Euro-spec and U.S.-spec Focus have very little in common – sharing only 20 percent of their parts. However, when the new Focus launches in the U.S. in 2010, it will share 90 percent of its parts with its European counterpart, according to Automotive News. By making the Focus a truly global car, Ford expects to boost Focus profits by a double-digit percentage.

Also adding to Ford’s bottom line is the fact that the next Focus will only be available in 150 combinations –a 95 percent reduction from today’s car. Fewer combinations will result in lower production costs, which Ford desperately needs in this stage of its North American turnaround.


Article 2

Ford unveils fuel-saving plans

Last week, Ford invited Leftlane to preview a handful of new 2009 models at the automaker’s Dearborn Development Center in Dearborn, Mich. In addition to sampling a few of the automaker’s upcoming models on the varied courses used during the development process, Ford gave a few hints about how it plans to improve fuel economy in existing and future models.

Ford’s Dan Knapp, head of the automaker’s advanced powertrain development, said that much of the automaker’s future efficiency relies on the EcoBoost powertrain, which will be unveiled later this year for 2010 model-year vehicles. Ford expects 23 percent of its 2010 vehicles to feature a variant of the EcoBoost powertrain and 90 percent by 2013. EcoBoost relies on direct injection and Honeywell-sourced turbochargers to wring power out of a downsized motor. Current test engines have featured a flat torque curve from 1,500 RPM through to redline. Ford estimates that the upcoming 3.5 liter V6, which will show up in the MKS, Flex and F-150, will put out up to 350 horsepower and 340 lb-ft. of torque. The EcoBoosted MKS, likely the first vehicle to utilize the motor, is rumored to produce 300 horsepower. The motor is expected to provide more power and greater efficiency than a 4.6-liter V8.

In addition, Ford is putting heavy reliance on six-speed automatic transmissions rather than continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). Nearly 72 percent of Fords produced for 2008 featured six-speed automatics, a figure Ford wants to increase to 98 percent by 2013.


Article 3

Ford aims to trump Toyota in small car quality

When Ford starts bringing its much-delayed and highly-anticipated small car designs from Europe to the United States beginning with the 2010 model year, the Dearborn automaker claims that assembly quality will be a marked improvement over perceived benchmark Toyota.

Speaking to industry executives in Traverse City, Mich., Ford’s VP of Global Quality, Bennie Fowler, told The Detroit News that Ford’s goal for the new European-designed, U.S.-built small cars will be 800 problems per 1,000 vehicles. To accomplish that lofty goal (more than 500 problems below the industry average), Ford plans to send between five and 10 hourly United Auto Workers members to a Wayne State University program, where they’ll be trained and certified in Six Sigma black belts - industry-speak for quality experts.

Though recent Ford advertising has mentioned that quality is now on par with Toyota, the Blue Oval is apparently not satisfied with being Toyota’s mere equal in quality rankings like J.D. Power and Consumer Reports.

Wow it sounds like Ford is going to make a come back..Way to go.

Open a can of ECOBOAST wupass lol.

"it will share 90 percent of its parts"
looks like more euro bumper imports for me! :D

wow they are REALLY LATE on this. This is something they should have done in 2000-2004 when the Focus was one of the best selling cars in North America.

New focus sales and focus interest is on the decline and by 2010, it'll probably be insignificant. They're just gonna have to start with something new and fresh. Way too late on this. Bad visionaries at Ford.

cornflakes,Aug 14 2008, 03:18 PM Wrote:New focus sales and focus interest is on the decline and by 2010, it'll probably be insignificant.  They're just gonna have to start with something new and fresh.  Way too late on this.  Bad visionaries at Ford.
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Not sure what Ford or Focus you're talking about.

http://media.ford.com/article_display.cf...e_id=28700

Quote:While Ford and industry sales experienced a double-digit sales decline in July, Ford Focus sales climbed 16 percent versus a year ago.  Year-to-date, Focus sales were up 26 percent, compared with industry-wide small car growth of approximately 9 percent.

At the risk of offending happy 2008+ owners, I really don't understand why the f*** the Focus's sales are up after the elimination of the hatch (a very versatile and popular model) and the wagon (obviously even more useful than the hatch).

The introduction of a coupe without any real sporting pretenses or even performance improvements over the existing sedan (except for 3HP in 2009! Oooooh!) also doesn't justify the increase when the coupe is functionally less useful and no better on gas than the sedan.

Sorry fellas, but I see zero to rave about with the new car in the context of the factors driving people to more versatile, more fuel efficient cars.

In fact, as you're probably aware, a Focus finished dead last either last year or earlier this year when a 2008 SE sedan was in a 8-car comparo at Car and Driver.

C&D May 2008 Comparo.

Now, C&D used to LOVE the Focus. Once the seats were fixed near the end of the 1st gen Focus, they had nothing bad to say about it except a slight lack of power in the SVT hatch.

Presently? Aside from people living under a rock for the last 8 years, you'd be hard-pressed to get someone from Hogback Road to write a glowing review about the present-day Focus.

NOS2Go4Me,Aug 15 2008, 06:54 AM Wrote:At the risk of offending happy 2008+ owners, I really don't understand why the f*** the Focus's sales are up after the elimination of the hatch (a very versatile and popular model) and the wagon (obviously even more useful than the hatch).

The introduction of a coupe without any real sporting pretenses or even performance improvements over the existing sedan (except for 3HP in 2009! Oooooh!) also doesn't justify the increase when the coupe is functionally less useful and no better on gas than the sedan.

Sorry fellas, but I see zero to rave about with the new car in the context of the factors driving people to more versatile, more fuel efficient cars.

In fact, as you're probably aware, a Focus finished dead last either last year or earlier this year when a 2008 SE sedan was in a 8-car comparo at Car and Driver.

C&D May 2008 Comparo.

Now, C&D used to LOVE the Focus. Once the seats were fixed near the end of the 1st gen Focus, they had nothing bad to say about it except a slight lack of power in the SVT hatch.

Presently? Aside from people living under a rock for the last 8 years, you'd be hard-pressed to get someone from Hogback Road to write a glowing review about the present-day Focus.
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Well the Sedan is the main volume seller then any other focus model. The Copue was more or less the Ford of America to saying to Ford of Europe, you can shove your designs up your ass. Not to mention Ford USA thinks everyone loves the Corolla, thus we have the 2008 Focus looking as it dose. The Coupe was more or less to compete with Chevy's Cobalt Coupe, and Honda's Civic base Coupe.

The Wagon was killed off because it was less then 16% of all focus sales, and the hatch was only brought here because of Ford of Canada. Hatches & wagon have always sold well in Canada, but not so much as in the US, which is what Ford mainly gears its cars sales to, Canada is the after thought.

there has been many compairment tests from all over, Driving Television rated the 2008 focus as #3 in it's test for value / safety / economy, for cars under $20,000.

the main Rave in the 2008 Focus is the avalibility of SYNC, as it's a first of it's kind in a small car, with everything you'd want in a bluetooth capable system / MP3 & stereo. it's won all sorts of awards and again it was first available in the Focus before any other Ford Model.

Er, I'd have to check my Fusion's build date Frost but it's a MY '08 and has SYNC in it too, so I'm not sure about the Focus being "first" unless you count the fact that the '08 Focus was intro'ed slightly early IIRC

NOS

C&D would hate the new Focus if for no other reason than all the sportiness has been either beaten out of it or muzzled to teh point where it is invisable. You forget, they worship the ground that BMW's walk on, no matter how poor their repair records are.

NefCanuck

^^ Oh I know the repair records on a BMW are enough to keep me out of one almost indefinitely. But their engines... oh, their engines.... :o

I'll just wait for something else new to come out with a usable form factor (i.e. compact SUV with a turbo-diesel motor and a multi-speed gearbox) or perhaps a true plug-in hybrid that only uses gas as a backup method of motivation.

In the meantime, I had a nice conversation with my upcoming tuner via email. It seems I'll get all of the tweaks to the engine and transmission that I want. That makes me VERY happy :)

NefCanuck,Aug 15 2008, 04:37 PM Wrote:Er, I'd have to check my Fusion's build date Frost but it's a MY '08 and has SYNC in it too, so I'm not sure about the Focus being "first" unless you count the fact that the '08 Focus was intro'ed slightly early IIRC

NefCanuck
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you could get a 2008 Focus with SYNC in 2007, the rest of the Ford Range never got it till after the arrival of the 2008 focus became available, which was about a month or so it went into production on the rest of the 2008 Ford range.

Frost__2001,Aug 13 2008, 06:54 PM Wrote:
As it stands now, the Euro-spec and U.S.-spec Focus have very little in common – sharing only 20 percent of their parts.

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What parts are shared currently? Lug nuts and fasteners? :rolleyes:

Ryan