Ford unveils new Focus concept aimed at Chinese, Asia Pacific markets

Ford used this week’s Auto China 2004 auto show in Beijing as a stage to reveal an all-new Focus four-door concept aimed specifically at the Chinese and Asia Pacific markets.

Calling it "a teaser version of what will become the most sophisticated Focus to date," Mark Schulz, executive vice president for Ford’s Asia Pacific and Africa operations, said the car has been designed to meet the needs of the emerging Chinese market. Ford says the concept will move to production sometime later this year.

"Our customers in all parts of China drive a challenging road," Schulz said. "They deserve products precisely tuned to their environment. It takes the latest technology to compete in China, and that's what we aim to deliver."

The Focus concept, reportedly based on the same small-car platform that underpins the Mazda3, Volvo S40 and Ford’s European Focus C-Max, features a more athletic stance than the present Focus as well as greater interior and trunk space, according to Ford.

It is still unclear whether the Focus concept’s design unveiled in Beijing will be employed worldwide in the future. The U.S. market Focus is not scheduled to undergo a redesign until the 2007 model year.

 

I think Ford's plan for the focus is immensely stupid. Rather than bring out a slightly freshened version of the current car for "2005" in spring of '04, they should have developed a new vehicle based on the global C-1 platform. It makes no sense to sell a Mazda and a Volvo on the new platform but not develop a vehicle for the parent company to sell also. The current Focus is pretty good for an American small car (it's better than the Neon or Cavalier/Cobalt) but it's way outclassed by the likes of the Civic and Corolla, and of course the Mazda3. The C-1 platform has clearly proven itself good enough for people to love the Mazda3, and yet Ford isn't using it to make a Focus with the same kind of appeal. It just doesn't make sense to me. The current Focus has been out since the '00 model year, bringing out a new vehicle on the C-1 platform for the normal '05 model year would have been timed just about perfectly. Oh well...

 

New Focus is going to be a good car/safe/all round great vehicle. It's kind of a slap in the face that Ford thinks we deserve less then their best.

 

Ford loves to use existing platforms for all their worth. No sense in using the new more costly platform when you still need to pay off the research and developement for the existing platform.

 

I disagree, thats part of the business environment and operations. And what? You think Ford took out a loan for the R&D for the focus brought @ '00? ha

But I'm sure that concept will be no where near the actual design produced. And I absolutely agree with Fatbooty, but on the other hand I'm glad Mazda is picking up those sales. Even though its the same company basically, I'm more partial to Mazda than Ford obviously.

 

Look guys!! It's the new Volvo S40!!!

 

No, Ford didn't take a loan out for the platform, but they did invest millions of dollars in assets to produce it. I don't see Ford discarding one of it's newer platforms. Look how long Ford used the Fox platform....DECADES. The Focus platform hasn't been used nearly that long.

 

your comments on price dont make sense. It would be cheaper for ford to use one platform on 3 different cars then it would be to use 2 platforms on 3 cars. If ford allready has a newer better platform...they would be better off using it than keeping around a slightly older one.

 

Considering how long it's been since any domestic automaker has had a hit car (and for all it's faults, the Focus is pretty awesome. I'd choose one over a Civic or a Corolla), one would think Ford would have learned the lesson from the Taurus about not letting a hit car go stale and die.

It's just got to add insult to the fact that the rest of the world except Ford's domestic market gets the new Focus. That whole thing Bill Ford's been spewing about Toyota not being invincible is true. But at least they're not dumbasses. :slap: