[GapBoyPCS]

darkpuppet,Jan 21 2004, 10:25 AM Wrote:I was over at [fj] and found this pic of what I believe would be the new ass for the 2005 hatchbacks..

&lt;a href='http://www.forddesktops.com/images/ae_cos_2.jpg'&gt;<a href='http://www.forddesktops.com/images/ae_cos_2.jpg'></a>&lt;/a&gt;

if this is the case, the new ass looks like ass....

My sources tell me the hatch and wagon will remain relatively the same as the current generation. Seeing how Ford didn't spend that much changing the side body panels and glass, it will probably be a Taurus-esque mating i.e. new front end with the previous generation's rear ends. &lt;_&lt;

[Drivesthebeast]

I've been thinking...perhaps ford hasn't invested much time, money, or effort on their latest offering of the Focus, because they've been busy doing those things with the 2004/5 Trucks, and the 2005 Mustang, which to me looks like it's gonna make a killing on the market from day 1. Maybe after Ford gets some revenue built up from the new trucks and the Stang, they'll redirect their attention to their other cars. Though the Focus looks kinda plain now in the interior, and a little more &quot;cookie-cutter&quot; on the outside compared to the 1st gen Foci's, maybe that's a good thing for enthusisats and tuners...start with a car that's plain like a Civic, and then do the car up large. You know, let people see what can be done with them like a lot of us 1st gen owners have done with our own cars.

What do the rest of you think? Am I maybe onto a good set of ideas?

[Alain31]

The hatchback versions are not ready yet because Ford's working to tranfer production from Mexico to Wayne. All 2005 versions will be built there. The rear end of HB and wagon will be lightly modified, not very much, less than sedan.

[Frost__2001]

[COLOR=blue] I have to admit I really don't care much for the &quot; New Look &quot; of the 2005 Focus. To me it really looks like an american car trying to pass off as a japanese car from the late 1990's. I have to admit after seeing the new Focus &amp; reading up on it, I really can say for sure I will not buy one in the coming 2005 - 2006 years new or used. On that note if you really have been looking on the market that the current Focus is in, you'll notice that more &amp; more japanese car companys are taking things from the &quot; European look &quot; &amp; selling them to the public in droves ( ie. the Toyota Ecco hatchback, &amp; re-intorduction of the Suzuki Swift to name a few )

I really think it's a shame that Ford is now ignoring the European car hungry public of the canadian people. I have to agree with some people I've talked too, &amp; that more then likely this &quot; New Look &quot; ( either you love it or hate it ) for the focus will mainly fall on deaf ears, untill the american public reacts to it when it comes into showrooms in the fall of 2004. Hopefully Ford of north america will finally listen to what the rest of the world already knows, that European cars do sell, &amp; if you left it alone to the european branch of the company for this model ( the Focus ) it would maintain a very high standard as it currently has nearly 6 years running.


I've leased &amp; now currently own a 2001 ford focus. both virtually the same but different drivetrains ( one auto / one standard ) &amp; I have to agree with alot of people when they complain about the constant problems that make you have to take the car to the dealership over &amp; over again. I can say I have not had a bad exp. with any dealership in my area ( peel region / halton region ) for getting the repairs done, it's more so the time &amp; effort spent in waiting &amp; having to take the time out of my shedule to take the car in to be repaired. :(

[K_OS]

Quote:On that note if you really have been looking on the market that the current Focus is in, you'll notice that more &amp; more japanese car companys are taking things from the &quot; European look &quot; &amp; selling them to the public in droves ( ie. the Toyota Ecco hatchback, &amp; re-intorduction of the Suzuki Swift to name a few )

Not to mention the new Nissan X-Trail wich is a European SUV brought over just for us Canadians.

Quote: Hopefully Ford of north america will finally listen to what the rest of the world already knows, that European cars do sell, &amp; if you left it alone to the european branch of the company for this model ( the Focus ) it would maintain a very high standard as it currently has nearly 6 years running.

Unfortunately our Focus here in NA is built here in NA if it were European built it would be better built and rarely have to go in for something as stupid as the entire front suspension having to be replaced after 15,000k's because they didn't put it together at the factory properly :angry: , My cousin has a 1999 diesel ZX5 in Portugal and he still hasn't had as many problems has I had with my 2000 ZX3.

Hopefully they get there s**t straightened out with the 2005 the only thing I have a concern with is there reluctance to actually do some R&amp;D and develop a better 2.0L engine, getting a bigger engine is not allways the answer, the 2.3L might produce more power and torque but with it comes a few trade offs I seriously doubt that a 2.3L from Ford can be more fuel economical than the old 2.0L and also the car will obviously be heavier from the engine and the bigger gas tank that will be needed to keep that big engine running. Just my 2 cents.

[quiksilverfocus]

2005: MISDIRECTED FOCUS

When the gen1 focus came out, ford brass positioned the ZX3 as the lifestyle niche car, while the sedan was to appeal to the masses.

Further proof of Ford's positioning of the ZX3 as the lifestyle vehicle is in the major standard equipment: alloy wheels and the 130hp engine, while the sedan is standard with steel wheels and 118hp. Ford knows which car appeals to which buyer.

Also worth mentioning is that sedan premiered in North America, while the hatch premiered in Europe. The sedan wasn't even available in Europe initially. I don't think the ZX3 would have had much success among a North American public that largely perceives sedans as premium products and hatches as econoboxes (firefly, fiesta, colt, etc?). The ZX3, along with some help from the Golf and the current generation Civic helped change that perception - somewhat.

But more geriatic money-wielding baby-boomers still have an affinity for the sedan bodytype. Ford must be aware of this.

Right around the time the focus came out, I had a sense Ford was taking the brand more to a more European direction (J Mays had just been hired as director of design). The Focus had an Audi-like aesthetic to it... clean, uncluttered design based on strong geometric lines.
________________

Flash forward to 2004. I suspect Ford has toned down the edginess to appeal to more quattrogenarians.

But after seeing the sedan, I am praying, for Ford's sake, that the hatch doesn't follow suit. New-edge has apparently lost its edge - where are the long headlamps?!?! The interior looks like pure sh**. The AC vents could have come out of anything from the 1980s. Gross. The overall body shape though is decidedly less geometric.
________________

In conclusion: it doesn't look like a Focus. I won't be buying the next generation.

There is however a silver lining for us. Our current Foci will look 10x hotter (especially once I get mine tricked out!) than the 2nd generations will.

[Raine]

I find the disppointment with the Focus comes mainly from those concerned with the performance perspective, as many people, although they don't like it, would probably adapt to the new design. I don't like it, but my g/f thinks it's nice. It's going to be a split down the middle, and that's fine. The problem is with the platform and drive train. Why is the 2005 Ford Focus on the same platform it's been on since 1999 while the 2004 Mazda 3 (ProtegÃ's successor) and the Volvo S40 have &quot;grown up&quot; onto something new?? The fabled P-Zev is also a thing of question. At 2.3L of displacement, it's a familiar size for Ford, having thrown it in every car since the Topaz. Refined and cleaner than it's predecessors, it's output peaks at 144 HP at the crank. It's fuel economy is reduced compared to the Zetec, and with rising gas prices, this is not appealing to many buyers. In contrast with it's Mazda and Volvo cousins, 2.3L seems odd. Mazda's new engine produces 148 HP out of 2.0L, and Volvo's S40 is powered by a 1.9L 170 HP beast. As 4 cylinders go, Ford should have been looking up to companies they already own to power the car that bears the franchise name (or to Subaru who can crank 300 HP out of a 2.5l 4-banger :D) Claiming to have taken European suspension technology and incorporating it into their new car as standard equipment is a great marketing ploy by Ford. No car in the same price range handles like the Focus with N. American spec suspension, and the S2 could run circles around a stock ZX3. Nothing impressive there. What else has changed? The 150 HP ZX4 is barely faster than the Mazda, and costs more. As the Focus's top line now with the death of the SVT, Ford is obviously trying to convince drivers to slow down. Someone posted earlier that the new Focus will be like a clean slate, similar to civics, for people to start their mods from. The conservative little Focus of 2005, I think, will not be a car to mod. There will of course be a few people who want to rice it up, but compared to the tricked out wonders that came out of 99-04, I think we'll see a decline in the allure of the Focus as a custom ride.

As far as owning another Ford again? Maybe when I'm older I'll get a mustang so when I'm retired I can drive around with the top down. If I had need for a truck, I might consider an F150. As cars go, however, I would never touch another domestic. What does the future hold for N. American compacts? The 2005 Focus box, the Chevy Cobalt which is just a redesigned cavalier... the line of cars originally produced by Daewoo now being made by GM? I dunno.. just my 2 cents...

[Flofocus]

Raine,Mar 1 2004, 11:35 AM Wrote:...but compared to the tricked out wonders that came out of 99-04, I think we'll see a decline in the allure of the Focus as a custom ride.

:( I agree so much with that statement. It's to bad to....if Ford did things right when they launched the Focus here, they could have had a HUGE aftermarket with this car.

It's so cheap used to....perfect for the young/beginner tuners/ricers :P

[CanadaSVT]

Why would anyone purchase the 2005. Isn't it just around for a year, maybe a year and half, until the 2006 Focus/Volvo come out.

If Ford did bother to read this: Give us a product in Oakville that people will want to buy, even if they can't afford it.

[D-Dub]

nope we aint getting a new focus till the year 2010

Mazdas got what the focus got in Europe so the new mazda is pretty much the new focus and the new focus is a POS that will ranked as good as the new Chevys(cobalt aeveo) or maybe even worse.

[wrcfocus]

I received a 2005 Focus Promo in the mail a few days ago from Ford of Canada. I got it scanned today, and here it is. It's basically a big 'post card' with some info on the new focus.
Here's the link. Note, the pics are quite large, 56K beware.
2005 Ford Focus

[quiksilverfocus]

WRC, were there any pictures of the hatch? If so could you upload them too?

I've searched the web, but I have seen nothing. I'm getting antsy.

[quiksilverfocus]

I also suspect they were trying to take a page from the VWs design book by adopting an interior that is, in design-speak &quot;typified&quot;. Why couldn't they have carried the design in a direction like this:

<a href='http://www.fordeurope.net/vehicles/scoops/2004fiestast/images/2004fiestast-07.jpg'></a>

The Fiesta's design is clean, clean, clean.

[quiksilverfocus]

Found IT!

The mk2 focus hatch.


<a href='http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37503.jpg'></a>

[microbunny]

Thats a Fiesta...

[quiksilverfocus]

Sorry duder, 'tis not.

Here's another:



aye mate, THIS, this here's a Fiesta:

<a href='http://www.forddesktops.com/desktops/fiesta/ford_fiesta_2001_01_b.jpg'>

[wrcfocus]

quiksilver &gt; nope, i didn't get anything about the hatch yet. As soon as i get it, i'll have it scanned tho. I think the picture of the focus hatch you posted above is the euro-edition, that is the one north america won't get until 2007 at the earliest.

[NOS2Go4Me]

I guess I'm blinded by &quot;new car lover&quot; eyes, but I really don't have that much to complain about with the current styling. I don't mind the black mirrors or door handles. Personally, I think the black door handles add some robustness to the car. It could be worse, folks... we could have gotten the ugly 1st gen. Saturn black bumpers.

I rather like the styling, but wanted the security of a trunk vs a hatch, which is about all (and about $2,000 actually) that swayed me from a ZX5.

[darkpuppet]

NOS2Go4Me,Mar 5 2004, 06:38 PM Wrote:I guess I'm blinded by &quot;new car lover&quot; eyes, but I really don't have that much to complain about with the current styling. I don't mind the black mirrors or door handles. Personally, I think the black door handles add some robustness to the car. It could be worse, folks... we could have gotten the ugly 1st gen. Saturn black bumpers.

I rather like the styling, but wanted the security of a trunk vs a hatch, which is about all (and about $2,000 actually) that swayed me from a ZX5.

the 1st time you have a 36&quot; TV to move, and 2 buddies coming along for the ride, you're going to miss the zx5...

[NOS2Go4Me]

^^ Yeah, but I have a secret weapon: 87 Ford Ranger pickup with a 302 and shift-kitted A4OD tranny :D :ph34r:

Gotta relocate it to one of my work's shop compounds so I can work on the engine some, but she goes like a bat out of hell :o