We’ll  spare you the drama, the new Ford Focus sedan is very good indeed, but  you’ve probably clued in to that already. The main question – and one  that’s asks of many Ford products – is whether the Focus can replicate  its success in Europe and take on the might of Toyota and Honda in Asia.  Overcoming its modest brand image in the passenger car segment will be  key. Remember the Laser/ Lynx? That was a good steer too, yet for all  its generous cabin space, class-leading driving dynamics and decent  quality, there were few takers. So this time round, Ford isn’t mucking  about with rebadged Mazdas, only the most successful passenger car in  Blue Oval’s recent history would suffice, a true global Ford car that  has sold over five million units around the world. 
In return, we won’t muck around with what we think on the looks  either. When the new five-door hatchback Focus was unveiled in Europe  late last year, we were lukewarm about its appearance. Ford took the  safe route, eschewing the previous generation’s cutting-edge design. So  indistinct are the aesthetics (of the European model) that this writer  strolled past the saloon’s debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show  without realizing that it would be the car tasked with reviving Ford’s  fortunes in passenger saloons. We were worried.
 
Fast forward to last month’s media preview in Thailand and let’s just say the 
sigh  of relief was all too palpable when the curtains were drawn. It’s  telling how minor aesthetic tweaks can significantly alter the appeal of  a car. No, the Focus still isn’t gorgeous, but with the Asia-specific  clear lens tail-lamps and chromed grille, it is much more palatable,  attractive almost. If you have already gotten the cheque book out, then  the optional body-kit (as seen on our test car) is a must have, it  adorns the Focus with much-needed presence. Ford officials did point out  that while the previous generation focus captured the imagination of  many, its controversial styling divided opinions, it would seem the risk  of alienating the masses was just too big a gamble.
 
The mission to capture a wider audience (read the Corolla and Civic  crowd) also warranted a more ‘mature’ interior design. The judicious  application of ‘wood’ of a subtle shade, two-tone colour scheme mid  smattering of brushed aluminum accents on the Focus cabin is right on I  lie money and tastefully executed. The quality is generally good as  well, though some plastics aren’t quite Japanese slick (such as the  air-con vent flaps and switchgear), but the four-spoke leather steering  is good to grip, while the main controls are laid out logically and easy  to master. The amenities and equipment list is also generous and  thoroughly contemporary, courtesy of the ‘Ghia’ specs. There’s a useful  trip computer, a CD player that stacks six, accompanied by satellite  controls on the steering column, a dual-zone automatic climate control  system with rear air-con vents, clever little cubby holes front and  back, a rear bench that folds flat.
 
Have you ever gotten into a new car and felt immediately at ease by  how it drives? We reckon the Focus will do that to you. Apart from the  seats that should be more supportive, the relation of the primary  driving controls – steering, brakes and throttle – is spot-on, the  sensation isn’t dissimilar to say getting into a BMW 3-Series and  attaining the confidence to nail all the corner apexes on your way home.  The steering might have surrendered some purity and feedback of the  original rack in the transition to electric-hydraulic power, but it is  no less accurate, and weighs up nicely as the speed increases.
 
Like its forebear, the new Focus offers a blend of ride comfort and  sporty handling contemporaries will find hard to match. It is often  debated whether these qualities might be wasted on the average owner who  will only deploy the Focus on daily commute to work or the supermarket,  which is likely the case, but anyone in the Focus can appreciate the  supple (but not soft) ride, the responsive steering, the high resistance  to under steer and roll, and the control and ease of modulation when  braking. All of which makes the Focus an exceptionally easy drive, and  an even more rewarding one for keener drivers.
 
The  flipside to good handling is that it exposes power deficiencies more  readily, and while the 130bhp/ 165Nm 1.8-litre Duratec four-cylinder  performs adequately in town, on open roads, you’ll be wishing for some  extra grunt. An additional forward ratio wouldn’t have gone amiss  either, but the four-speed auto is thankfully well-paired with the  engine characteristics, and both go about their tasks in a refined,  Toyota-like manner. You can dictate matters with the sequential ‘manual’  shift, of which we discovered that the top speed of 190km/h of the  Focus is best achieved by leaving it in third.
 
If the second coming of the Focus is more grounded with a sales pitch  targeted at ‘regular’ car buyers (the sportier 2.0-litre five-door  hatchback will follow in a month’s time), then it is wholly intended.  The new Focus sedan is here for the long haul, styled and tuned for  Asia, produced in Philippines, with the lofty objective of giving the  Japanese a run for their money. We think it is good enough even if it  means being a little less flamboyant.
 
What We Know About the 2011 Ford Focus
We know it’s a bit early to be talking about the 2011 (or will it be  2012?) Ford Focus. But we also know that a full redesign of this compact  car is already underway, and we can make some educated inferences about  it based on recent announcements by Ford executives, competitors’  likely moves, and general industry trends.
 
All Ford Focus Prices & Reviews
For starters, the 2011 Ford Focus will be a true “world car,” sold  around the globe with only relatively modest tailoring for local needs  and tastes. The debut year-2000 Focus was a “world car” too. But where  Europe and other overseas markets got a redesigned replacement in 2005,  Ford kept the original “C1” design for North America as a cost-saving  move. Though that seemed prudent at the time, it meant the model was  bound to fall behind key competitors. Sure enough, most of them have  been redesigned twice since the millennium turned, so the North American  Focus now seems dated despite a 2005-model freshening and an even  more-extensive redo for ’08.
 
Under the “One Ford” product strategy ordained by CEO Alan Mullaly,  the next-generation Focus is being designed and engineered by Ford  Europe, the company’s designated center for global small-car  development. The aim is to trim upfront costs and boost manufacturing  economies of scale with a single basic design that can be built and sold  anywhere, rather than having disparate regional variations. That’s been  the appeal of every world-car project since Ford’s own Model T, though  only the original Volkswagen Beetle (and maybe the Toyota Corolla) has  had similar global success.
 
Unlike today’s North American Focus, most of its overseas cousins use  Ford’s newer C2 platform. So do the Mazda 3 and Volvo’s C30/S40/V50  compact cars. The replacement C3 architecture would presumably serve  future versions of those models as well as the 2011 Ford Focus, but  should be even more “scalable” to suit a wider range of vehicle types.  That includes crossover SUVs and stylish compact people movers like Ford  Europe’s popular Focus-based S-Max.
 
2011 Ford Focus Features
We expect the 2011 Ford Focus to be roomier than today’s car, as the C3  platform is likely to bring modest gains in width, height, and  wheelbase. Overall length, however, will probably be unchanged or even  slightly reduced. Because weight is the enemy of performance, fuel  economy, and a car’s carbon footprint, we also see Ford paring pounds  through greater use of aluminum, plastics, high-strength steel, and  other lightweight materials–costly substitutions for this price class,  but necessary in light of tough new U.S. fuel-economy standards and  equally daunting Euro-zone caps on CO2 emissions.
 
Toward the same end, the 2011 Ford Focus should benefit from new  high-efficiency front-wheel-drive powertrains that Dearborn is said to  be working on. These involve a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic  transmission and engines designed to do more with less. Dubbed  PowerShift, Ford’s new dual-clutch gearbox behaves much the same as a  conventional automatic transmission. But the company says the  dual-clutch transmission weighs less than a 4-speed auto, and helps  increase fuel economy by about nine percent.
 
The U.S.-market Focus will get a clean-sheet 2.0-liter 4-cylinder,  with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing. Other gas-fueled  engines are possible as well, and we also see the possibility of a  “clean-diesel” counterpart and maybe even a 4-cylinder turbodiesel. The  European Focus already offers thrifty “DuraTorq” diesel fours, but the  upcoming engines would be even cleaner and thus 50-state legal.  Nevertheless, a diesel-powered 2011 Ford Focus could well boast  EPA-rated fuel economy of 40 mpg city and 50 highway–as indeed it will  need to with the way fuel prices are going.
 
2011 Ford Focus Additional Features
We haven’t heard any official word on a gas-electric hybrid version of  the Focus, but Ford has confirmed that a full-electric version will go  on sale in North America during 2011. A so-called Battery-Electric  Vehicle (BEV), the all-electric Focus is being developed in partnership  with auto supplier Magna International and will be built in Michigan.  Details are still sketchy, but Ford is suggesting a possible 100-mile  range using a lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged through a  110-volt or 220-volt outlet.
 
As for styling, company designers are said to be collaborating on a  new global Ford-brand look that reconciles Europe’s current “kinetic”  motif with the “Bold American” theme exemplified by the Fusion midsize  car and Edge crossover SUV. Based on the pre-production models Ford has  shown, the 2011 Ford Focus will look something like a cross between the  current Taurus and Fiesta with a smooth lozenge shape punctuated by  crisp sheetmetal creases and a big trapezoidal grille. An optional  “Titanium” trim level adds sporty interior trim that is a bold  combination of leather and technical fabrics. It is a classy, complex  look that reminds some of Puma or Nike athletic shoes or clothing and  could help the new Focus stand out in a crowded market.
 
A Notable Feature of the 2011 Ford Focus
A good many Americans could be downsizing their rides in the coming  years, but they won’t want to sacrifice safety or convenience features  for higher mpg and lower emissions. Ford is well aware of this from  decades of doing business in Europe, where feature-laden, tech-filled  compact cars are strong sellers. We thus expect the 2011 Ford Focus to  have more standard equipment and a longer option list than today’s U.S.  models. It will still be a competitively priced mainstream compact, but  luxury features should proliferate to ease any buyer pain associated  with going small. For example, Ford’s new My Ford Touch control system  and an improved version of the popular Sync system will certainly be  available on the next-generation Focus.
 
2011 Ford Focus Buying Advice
There’s little advice we can give this far out, other than repeating the  old common sense mantra about scouting the field before you buy. The  2011 Ford Focus could be a new class trendsetter, much as the original  was back in 2000. But you know competitive brands won’t be sitting on  their hands, so Ford’s redesign will have to be very good just to be a  contender.
 
2011 Ford Focus Release Date
Ford recently announced that 4- and 5-door versions of the new European  Focus will start North American production in late 2010. So the 2011  Ford Focus should be out of the gate by spring of 2011.
 
2011 Ford Focus First Test Drive
Again, assuming all goes well–including model-year 2011 timing–media previews could be set for the fourth quarter of 2010.
 
2011 Ford Focus Prices
Inflation keeps making everything more expensive, so a Focus will  certainly cost more in the next decade than it does now. How much more?  That’s tough to predict so far in advance, but we’d guess prices will  start around $17,000, about $3,000 above today’s minimum, and range into  the mid-$20,000s with a hefty option load. The BEV version will  probably cost even more than a loaded gas-powered Focus. If that sounds  like a lot for a small Ford, keep in mind that the Focus arrived eight  years ago starting just under $12,000.
 
2011 Ford Focus Preliminary Specifications
The 2011 Ford Focus will be available as a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback (shown).
 
The Basics
Vehicle Type     : compact car
Drivetrain       : (CG estimates)
Drive wheels     : front
Engine           : 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Horsepower       : 160
Torque           : 160 lb-ft
Transmission     : 6-speed manual, 6-speed dual-clutch automatic
Dimensions       : (CG estimates)
Wheelbase        : 105.0 inches
Length           : 174.0 inches
Width            : 69.0 inches
Height           : 58.5 inches
Base curb weight : 2,450 pounds
 
For more inside information on hundreds of new cars of today and tomorrow, check out:
 
Consumer Guide New Car Reviews and  Prices: Road test results, photos, specifications, and prices for  hundreds of new cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs from the Auto Editors  of Consumer Guide.
 
Ford : Read Consumer Guide’s full reports, including ratings, prices, specifications, and fuel economy.
 
Compact cars : The 2011  Ford Focus will compete in the compact car class. Here’s Consumer  Guide’s roundup of all the compact cars on sale today.
 
Future Cars : Step into the automotive showroom of  tomorrow with reviews, analysis, pictures, prices, and preliminary  specifications on scores of vehicles that will be appearing next year  and beyond.