What is it?
2008 Ford Focus
What's special about it?
The rebodied and reconfigured 2008 Ford Focus looks as if it were caught in the middle of the design-studio equivalent of a food fight.
There will be fewer Focus variations for 2008, and going forward, than at anytime since the 1999 introduction of the model. While there will only be two versions of Ford's small car — a four-door sedan and a two-door coupe — there are enough splotches of unrelated design cues splattered over them to cover Ford's entire lineup of cars and trucks.
We imagine that the splattering happened this way. One designer pops up from behind his computer screen and screams, "First-generation Prius!" and lobs a handful of Prius, thwacking the Focus right on the rear. Another, more sensitive to his domestic brethren, whizzes a steaming heap of Saturn Ion which splatters the front of the Focus. A smaller splotch of Ford chrome-bar grille is deposited on the center of the nose by a visiting marketing guy who's been caught in the melee. Finally, the big man himself, head of Ford design here in these United States, Peter Horbury, cradles in his palm an ever-present wad of chromed fender vent. While diving — Die Hard-style — behind a sketch-covered wall, Horbury flings his vent, scoring a direct hit immediately behind the front wheels.
It is possible that some of what is described above did not actually happen. But there's a lot going on and most of it is not pretty on this 14.5-foot-long car. Perhaps Ford was just trying too hard to present as entirely new something that isn't.
Underneath this new body is a slightly retuned version of the existing Focus platform, the same basic goods as was introduced eight years ago. Don't get us wrong; when it was newly introduced, the Focus chassis set the standard for economy-car agility and all-around spunkiness. Certainly the chassis has not become worse over time, but the chassis of competitors have improved.
For the '08 model, Ford has retuned the suspension for a more "refined" ride. It will be at least a couple of model years before Ford will bring over the European-market Focus, which rides on a newer, more expensive platform. Saturn is currently doing that with its new Astra, which is virtually identical to the European-market Opel Astra.
In addition to dropping the two hatchback models and the station wagon, Ford has dropped from the Focus order sheet the 151-hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder. The two remaining body styles, which Ford says are by far the most popular configurations in the class, get the 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 136 horsepower in standard trim. Ford says that this so-called Duratec engine will run smoother than the outgoing version. There's also a cleaner 130-hp version of the 2.0-liter, with which the Focus qualifies as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV). A five-speed manual transmission will be standard. The four-speed automatic is going to cost you.
The company has crammed inside the '08 Focus a new interior of sensible, if somewhat conservative, style. Thicker glass and more sound-deadening material make for a quieter cabin compared to the old car, says Ford.
In one of the most awkward bits to appear hip since your local television news anchors started using the word "bling," Ford has put colored lights in the front and rear cupholders and in the footwells. There are seven different lighting hues from which to choose. This was a silly idea when it appeared a few years ago on some Scion models. And those cars were well-suited to silly ideas. The Focus? Not so much.
Judging by what takes up the most time in their pitches about the Focus, Ford is most excited about the new, and optional, Sync system. It's a "must-have" feature according to Ford President of the Americas Mark Fields.
Sync is a Bluetooth-based system that allows you to operate mobile phones and iPods (and other portable digital media players) with voice commands. Developed with Microsoft, Sync can read aloud your incoming text messages. Through the integrated USB 2.0 port in the center console, users can connect a flash memory stick loaded with music or plug in a digital media player, such as an iPod or Microsoft's Zune. Once plugged in, a user can operate his iPod using voice commands to choose the category of music, artist or song title. The USB port also charges the device's battery. Sync will eventually be offered on 10 different Ford models for the 2008 model year. But it will be available first in the Focus, which goes on sale this fall.
It sounds like a very cool and convenient system. Probably not worth buying a whole car to get, but it could provide the tipping point for some media-obsessed young buyers.
What's Edmunds' take?
The Sync system is cool. The vehicle into which it will be planted leaves us cold, at least on first look. — Daniel Pund
2008 Ford Focus
What's special about it?
The rebodied and reconfigured 2008 Ford Focus looks as if it were caught in the middle of the design-studio equivalent of a food fight.
There will be fewer Focus variations for 2008, and going forward, than at anytime since the 1999 introduction of the model. While there will only be two versions of Ford's small car — a four-door sedan and a two-door coupe — there are enough splotches of unrelated design cues splattered over them to cover Ford's entire lineup of cars and trucks.
We imagine that the splattering happened this way. One designer pops up from behind his computer screen and screams, "First-generation Prius!" and lobs a handful of Prius, thwacking the Focus right on the rear. Another, more sensitive to his domestic brethren, whizzes a steaming heap of Saturn Ion which splatters the front of the Focus. A smaller splotch of Ford chrome-bar grille is deposited on the center of the nose by a visiting marketing guy who's been caught in the melee. Finally, the big man himself, head of Ford design here in these United States, Peter Horbury, cradles in his palm an ever-present wad of chromed fender vent. While diving — Die Hard-style — behind a sketch-covered wall, Horbury flings his vent, scoring a direct hit immediately behind the front wheels.
It is possible that some of what is described above did not actually happen. But there's a lot going on and most of it is not pretty on this 14.5-foot-long car. Perhaps Ford was just trying too hard to present as entirely new something that isn't.
Underneath this new body is a slightly retuned version of the existing Focus platform, the same basic goods as was introduced eight years ago. Don't get us wrong; when it was newly introduced, the Focus chassis set the standard for economy-car agility and all-around spunkiness. Certainly the chassis has not become worse over time, but the chassis of competitors have improved.
For the '08 model, Ford has retuned the suspension for a more "refined" ride. It will be at least a couple of model years before Ford will bring over the European-market Focus, which rides on a newer, more expensive platform. Saturn is currently doing that with its new Astra, which is virtually identical to the European-market Opel Astra.
In addition to dropping the two hatchback models and the station wagon, Ford has dropped from the Focus order sheet the 151-hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder. The two remaining body styles, which Ford says are by far the most popular configurations in the class, get the 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 136 horsepower in standard trim. Ford says that this so-called Duratec engine will run smoother than the outgoing version. There's also a cleaner 130-hp version of the 2.0-liter, with which the Focus qualifies as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV). A five-speed manual transmission will be standard. The four-speed automatic is going to cost you.
The company has crammed inside the '08 Focus a new interior of sensible, if somewhat conservative, style. Thicker glass and more sound-deadening material make for a quieter cabin compared to the old car, says Ford.
In one of the most awkward bits to appear hip since your local television news anchors started using the word "bling," Ford has put colored lights in the front and rear cupholders and in the footwells. There are seven different lighting hues from which to choose. This was a silly idea when it appeared a few years ago on some Scion models. And those cars were well-suited to silly ideas. The Focus? Not so much.
Judging by what takes up the most time in their pitches about the Focus, Ford is most excited about the new, and optional, Sync system. It's a "must-have" feature according to Ford President of the Americas Mark Fields.
Sync is a Bluetooth-based system that allows you to operate mobile phones and iPods (and other portable digital media players) with voice commands. Developed with Microsoft, Sync can read aloud your incoming text messages. Through the integrated USB 2.0 port in the center console, users can connect a flash memory stick loaded with music or plug in a digital media player, such as an iPod or Microsoft's Zune. Once plugged in, a user can operate his iPod using voice commands to choose the category of music, artist or song title. The USB port also charges the device's battery. Sync will eventually be offered on 10 different Ford models for the 2008 model year. But it will be available first in the Focus, which goes on sale this fall.
It sounds like a very cool and convenient system. Probably not worth buying a whole car to get, but it could provide the tipping point for some media-obsessed young buyers.
What's Edmunds' take?
The Sync system is cool. The vehicle into which it will be planted leaves us cold, at least on first look. — Daniel Pund
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