FORD FOCUS EARNS HIGHEST POSSIBLE SAFETY RATING FROM INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY
- The 2013 Ford Focus earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway (IIHS), demonstrating Ford’s commitment to vehicle safety
- 2013 Ford Focus is one of only six small cars tested to earn top marks from IIHS
- Focus previously earned the federal government’s highest safety rating – a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The 2013 Ford Focus earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Focus is one of six vehicles in the small car segment to achieve IIHS’s highest rating.
Top Safety Pick+ is a new category in the IIHS ratings. Vehicles must earn a “good” rating for occupant protection in four evaluations: moderate overlap frontal crash, side impact, rollover, and seats/head restraints. The tests are scored “good,” “acceptable,” “marginal” or “poor.” In addition, vehicles must achieve “good” or “acceptable” in a fifth test – small overlap frontal crash. Focus was rated “good” in each of the first four tests and “acceptable” in the small overlap frontal crash.
“Ford is committed to designing vehicles that help keep people safe,” said Steve Kenner, global director of Ford’s Automotive Safety Office. “We are constantly seeking innovative ways to help drivers avoid accidents and keep occupants safe when an incident does occur.”
Structured to keep families safe
With families in mind, Ford took a holistic approach to safety when designing the Focus – from its ultra-high-strength steel structure to advanced safety technologies. This approach also helped the small car earn top safety ratings from the federal government. The 2013 and 2014 Ford Focus sedan and hatchback, and the 2013 Focus Electric were each awarded a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The body structure of the Focus is engineered to be highly protective. It makes extensive use of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels that to help protect the passenger cabin in a collision. Boron steel in the Focus’ structure absorbs and redirects crash forces to protect vehicle occupants in the event of a crash.
Focus also features Ford’s MyKey® technology, an industry exclusive. MyKey is designed for families with teen drivers and can be programed to limit audio system volume, to limit top vehicle speed, and to encourage teens to wear their safety belts with the use of chimes and by muting the radio if the front-row safety belts are not buckled. MyKey is standard on the 2013 Focus.
FORD HAS ALL THE COMPANY CAR DRIVER ESSENTIALS
The new Ford Focus Titanium Navigator, for example, comes with five of the 10 options fitted as standard, and is available to order now with the ‘International Engine of the Year’-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost. With all 10 options selected – at an all-in, 40% benefit-in-kind payment of £83.37 per month – the Ford Focus is the ideal company car.
Parkers’ top-10 company car essentials are:
1 Keyless entry and start
2 Bluetooth
3 Satellite navigation
4 Digital in-car audio (DAB)
5 Cruise control
6 Lane departure warning
7 Blind spot warning
8 Park assistance (Active Park Assist)
9 Emergency city breaking (Active City Stop)
10 Climate control
Satellite navigation is offered on a variety of Ford cars as standard, including the new Ford Mondeo Business Editions and Ford Kuga Titanium X Sport, while Bluetooth connectivity is available across the entire Ford range and is standard on Kuga, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models. Digital in-car audio (DAB) – another Ford feature to appear on the list – is also standard on the majority of Ford vehicles.
Other company car essentials identified by Parkers are lane-departure and blind-spot warnings, both of which are available on the options list for Focus, C-MAX, Kuga, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models. Also listed is emergency city braking – and Ford’s Active City Stop is widely available across the Ford range, including the award-winning Ford Fiesta.
Ford’s Active Park Assist removes the stress of parking in tight parallel spaces, and Parkers believes this is a must for company car drivers. Keyless entry is also available on a number of Ford models – including the Kuga, which offers the Hands-free Power tailgate – an additional feature highlighted by Parkers.
Notes: The Ford Focus Navigator models are currently available to order, with production starting on 19th August. Zetec Navigator, Titanium Navigator and Titanium X Navigator versions are available, with prices starting from £17,555. These come with satellite navigation fitted as standard.
FOCUS ST BRINGING NEW AND YOUNGER BUYERS TO FORD BRAND
- In its first year of sales, Focus ST achieves highest competitive conquest rate of all non-hybrid vehicles
- 32 percent of buyers under 35 years old, compared with 22 percent for Focus overall
- Average household income for Focus ST is $127,000 annually, compared with $67,000 for non-ST Focus and $107,000 for Ford brand overall
- Biggest ST markets are Detroit, Los Angeles, Houston and Orlando
Focus ST is showing signs of success in bringing younger, more affluent customers into Ford showrooms as the car and the Ford ST performance brand mark one year in the market.
Through October, U.S. sales of the Focus ST since launch are just under 12,000 units, with demand strongest in Detroit, Los Angeles, Houston and Orlando. Among those buyers, nearly two-thirds, or 65 percent, traded in a non-Ford vehicle to buy their car – the highest percentage of conquest sales for a non-hybrid vehicle among all Ford cars and trucks. The most traded-in brands: Honda, Chevrolet, Mazda and Toyota.
In addition, many Focus ST buyers are young, with 32 percent under 35, compared with 22 percent of non-ST Focus owners. And they have higher incomes, with an average annual salary of $127,000, compared with $67,000 for non-ST Focus customers.
The Focus ST is helping to boost sales of other Ford models, drawing customers to showrooms who then buy a different Ford model, most often a Fusion sedan or Escape utility, said John Felice, vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service, citing anecdotal evidence from dealers.
“It’s having the kind of halo effect for other vehicles we’d hoped for when we invested in the ST brand,” said Felice. “We continue to build through word-of-mouth and terrific reviews. As an affordable high-performance vehicle that can serve double duty as a daily driver, it has no equal.”
Ford recently launched the Fiesta ST, the second vehicle in its ST lineup. With a 197-horsepower 1.6-liter EcoBoost® engine and EPA-estimated highway mileage rating of 35 mpg, Fiesta ST essentially has no direct competition in its price range.
Focus ST, Ford’s first global performance car, integrates advanced and sport-oriented technologies previously unavailable to North American customers. The combination of these technologies into a refined yet high-performance sport compact elevates the category and further cements Focus as the most complete compact car range sold in North America.
Part of the buying experience for both Focus ST and Fiesta ST owners is complimentary precision driving instruction at Miller Motorsports Park in Toole, Utah; the exclusive experience includes classroom instruction as well as karting and autocross driving lessons from Miller’s professional instructors.
Focus ST offers Recaro® sport seats, unique 18-inch Y-spoke ST wheels, dual-zone climate control, Xenon headlights and leather appointments throughout the cabin. Its superior chassis rigidity aids the suspension in providing a firm, but quiet and controlled ride. The instrument cluster features ST-unique sport gauges with red needle pointers to monitor turbo boost, oil pressure and oil temperature levels.
Advanced technology such as available SYNC® with MyFord Touch® are available for Focus ST, along with a Sony® Audio System, HD Radio™ and 10-speaker surround sound.
FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC BOOSTS POWER OF CHOICE
- Following the successful start of European production, Ford Focus Electric now available in the UK
- Ford Focus Electric joins 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol and 1.6-litre Duratorq diesel offering largest-ever range of ultra-low-CO2 powertrains
- Ford now offers 10 vehicles in the UK with CO2 emissions under 100g/km
The Ford Focus Electric is now on sale in the UK, complementing the company’s awards-winning line-up of fuel efficient petrol and diesel powered vehicles.
The Ford Focus Electric is priced from £33,500, with an expected on the road price of £28,500 – allowing for the £5,000 UK Government Plug-in Car Grant. Subject to the existing pattern of demand, Ford will initially introduce a low volume of Focus Electric vehicles to the UK, responding to interest from fleet customers and in support of Ford’s market-leading business sales.
Ford’s European electrified vehicle range will complement the company’s class-leading fuel-efficient petrol and diesel vehicle line-up that includes:
- Focus ECOnetic (powered by a Dagenham-built 1.6-litre TDCi diesel engine) which delivers 83mpg and 88g/km**
- Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost 100PS delivering 99g/km and 67.5mpg (from early next year)
- Seven Fiesta powertrains that deliver sub-100g/km CO2 emissions
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine combines direct fuel injection, turbocharging and variable valve timing to reduce fuel consumption without sacrificing power, and was named International Engine of the Year 2013 and 2012.
Ford’s line-up of electrified vehicles in Europe will include:
- Focus Electric which features an advanced electric motor and lithium-ion battery powertrain that produces 142PS, achieves a top speed of 85mph and has a driving range of 100 miles. The standard 13 amp home charging cable with three-pin plug can charge the 23 kWh liquid cooled lithium-ion battery pack in 10 to 11 hours, when plugged to 240 volt/10 amp grid connection. A 32A dedicated fast charge station can also be specified for reduced charge times of three to four hours*.
- C-MAX Energi (not initially planned for RHD markets) is Ford’s first production plug-in hybrid and combines hybrid electric technology with a 7.6 kWh lithium-ion high-voltage battery. It is targeted to provide CO2 emissions below 50g/km and to run in pure electric mode for more than 18 miles. Connected to a charging station it can be fully recharged in less than three hours.
- Fusion Hybrid which combines an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery, and is capable of reaching 85mph on electric power alone. The combustion engine takes over for higher-demand operation and charges the battery, while electric power is used for vehicle launch and lower speeds. Fusion Hybrid will come to Europe as the Mondeo Hybrid and targets fuel economy above 64mpg and CO2 emissions below 99g/km.
“Ford is leveraging our global experience and expertise to roll-out a range of electrified vehicles that offers a wide and compelling power of choice,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “European customers care deeply about the environment and are increasingly seeing electrified vehicles as a way of balancing those concerns with a commitment to car ownership.”
A Ford-sponsored poll shows most Europeans are concerned about the environment and believe the biggest problem facing the world today is climate change. However, the survey of 6,000 people also found that many are unsure of how to lead a ‘greener’ lifestyle, that most are committed to car ownership, and that the overwhelming majority see electrified vehicles as better for the environment.
Ford commissioned the poll conducted by “The Futures Company,”*** a leading consultancy, to better understand public opinion and attitudes on a range of mobility issues and found:
- 72 per cent believe electrified vehicles are better for the environment
- 54 per cent believe climate change is the single biggest problem facing the world today
- 52 per cent say that their life would be impossible without their car
- 38 per cent are unsure of how to lead a more environmentally conscious lifestyle
- 28 per cent would consider buying a vehicle with an electrified powertrain
- 23 per cent want to change their future travel behaviour to be greener
Ford first produced an electrified vehicle exactly 100 years ago when the company built a non-production electrified version of the Ford Model T. The joint project between Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and inventor Thomas Edison to create a “cheap and practicable… electric automobile” was hampered by the limited battery technology of the time.
“Ford has a proud heritage of making innovative technology available to as many people as possible and will provide one of the industry’s most comprehensive ranges of sub-100g/km CO2
FORD REVEALS ALL-NEW FOCUS SEDAN, RETAINS WORLD’S BEST-SELLING NAMEPLATE TITLE FOR 2013
- Ford Focus ranks as the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the world, based on just-released Polk new vehicle registration data for the 2013 calendar year
- Focus gains momentum with 50 percent sales growth in Chinese market
- New Focus four-door sedan globally unveiled, featuring leading combination of technology, fuel economy and power
Ford Focus retains its title as world’s best-selling vehicle nameplate for 2013, according to Ford analysis of the just-released full-year Polk new vehicle registration data from IHS Automotive. The news comes as a new Focus four-door sedan prepares to make its debut at next week’s 2014 New York International Auto Show.
Registrations of the compact Focus were up 8.1 percent with 1,097,618 cars sold worldwide last year. That compares with global Focus sales of 1,014,965 in 2012.
Market gains for Focus continue to be driven by consumer demand in China. China registrations were up 50 percent in 2013 to 403,219 vehicles, up from 268,354 vehicles in 2012. China now is responsible for just more than one out of three Focus vehicles sold globally, based on Polk data.
The debut of the new Focus four-door sedan and the Focus Electric in New York follows the Geneva Motor Show debut in March of the Focus three- and five-door hatchback and wagon. A new version of the performance Focus ST will be shown later this year.
The redesigned Ford Focus offers a bolder exterior design, a more intuitive and upscale interior, a host of technologies uncommon for a compact car and the additional powertrain option of Ford’s award-winning 1.0-liter EcoBoost® engine with a new six-speed manual transmission in the U.S.-spec Focus. While U.S. EPA fuel economy ratings are not yet available, Ford expects the 1.0-liter EcoBoost Focus to raise the bar in fuel efficiency among non-hybrid compact vehicles.
For 2015, Focus adds an SE Sport Package, which includes new body treatments, paddle shifters (requires automatic transmission), a revised touring suspension, 17-inch black gloss aluminum wheels and P215/50 HR-17 tires.
The paddle shift feature provides drivers an additional element of control by allowing them to simulate the manual gear selection aspects of a manual transmission and extract more power from their engines.
Also notable for 2015, Ford’s popular MyKey® feature will be standard on all trim levels. An all-new heated steering wheel will be available as well as 10 different wheels as factory options.
“It is remarkable to see Focus again lead the industry as the No. 1-selling vehicle nameplate on the planet,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, Ford Motor Company Global Marketing, Sales and Service and Lincoln. “With the new car, we’ve raised the bar again, showcasing Ford’s commitment to continuous improvement – adding better technology for drivers and a sleeker, more modern exterior across the entire Focus family.”
While the latest Focus is essentially the same worldwide, color preference varies. In the U.S. market, Sterling Gray is the most popular at 21 percent of sales, with Tuxedo Black second at 15 percent. In China, Crystal Solid White is overwhelmingly the most popular with just more than 50 percent of sales. Candy Red is second at 17 percent.
Fiesta world’s best-selling subcompact
Ford’s analysis of Polk new vehicle registrations also confirms Ford Fiesta earned the top spot as the best-selling subcompact car globally, with 735,299 registrations for 2013.
Together, registrations of Ford’s small cars – Fiesta and Focus – totaled 1,832,917 vehicles last year, which is a 4.3 percent increase from 2012.
Award-winning 1.0-liter EcoBoost
In addition to a host of styling and technology advances, the new Focus will offer the efficient, fun-to-drive 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine with a six-speed manual transmission. Automotive journalists globally named it International Engine of the Year for 2012 and 2013.
“The 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine is proof that excellent fuel economy and performance can come in one package,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development. “Focus is already known for bringing together efficiency and fun, and our latest offering will bring consumers a whole new level of enjoyment – on the road and in what they’ll save at the pump.”
The smallest engine in Ford’s growing EcoBoost family – already available in Fiesta – will come standard in Focus with an Auto Start-Stop feature that automatically shuts down the engine at stops and instantly turns it back on at takeoff.
EcoBoost technology combines smaller-displacement engines with turbocharging, direct injection, variable valve timing and proprietary Ford software to bring customers outstanding performance and fuel economy. Ford EcoBoost engines can deliver significantly better fuel economy than larger-displacement gasoline engines.
New Focus customers also will enjoy a quieter ride, achieved by thicker carpets and side window glass and improved engine-bay insulation.
Stylish new Focus
The new Focus arrives with a bolder look. It features a restyled hood and grille, signature LED lighting for headlamps and taillamps, new rear lamp clusters and a restyled trunk lid. Four-door and five-door versions will be available in the United States.
Inside, colors and materials have a clean, modern look, with satin chrome detailing, new seat trims and switches, and an available heated steering wheel. A new center console incorporating adjustable cupholders improves storage capacity.
Advanced technologies
A package of sensors brings a new level of convenience for compact car customers by adding driver-assist technologies, including a rear view camera, available Blind Spot Information System and a lane-keeping system.
Standard on Focus for the first time, the rearview camera will appear on either a 4.2-inch screen or the 8-inch screen that comes with MyFord Touch®-equipped cars.
BLIS® uses two advanced multiple-beam radar modules, the same used with cross-traffic alert, which are packaged in both rear quarter panels. The radar identifies when a vehicle enters the defined blind spot zone and illuminates an indicator light on the corresponding sideview mirror, providing a warning that a vehicle is approaching.
Should a Focus driver start to drift out of the current lane without a turn signal activated, the lane-keeping system provides a warning through a series of steering wheel vibrations that mimic a rumble strip. If the unintended lane departure is not corrected by the driver, the aid function of the system actively applies steering to help the driver direct the car back toward the center of the current lane.
The new Focus benefits from advancements in exterior styling, interior design, powertrain and technology, as well as suspension and chassis upgrades.
These include a new shock absorber valve design providing improved interior quietness, and a change to the rear suspension to give drivers a more connected feel to the road. The electric power-assisted steering has been retuned to make the driver feel even more connected to the road.
Enhanced SYNC AppLink
Focus drivers will have access to powerful new capabilities thanks to a host of functions developers can integrate as they modify their apps to communicate with enhanced SYNC® AppLink™.
Android and iOS smartphone users can download more than 60 AppLink-enabled apps from the Apple App Store and Android market.
New functions include:
- Connected apps can access a variety of real-time vehicle data such as speed, acceleration, odometer and location information that can be used by the app to further customize and personalize the owner experience. For example, access to the in-vehicle GPS signal can enable more precise and accurate location-based services than phone sensors
- More consistent user experience thanks to voice pass-through capability. This enables developers to use on-device or cloud-based voice-recognition systems to evaluate driver commands, meaning drivers can use the same set of voice commands to control an app when connected to the vehicle as they would use when not connected
- Notifications read aloud as a driver enters the car, with no need to touch the phone. Best of all, alerts are available any time a mobile device is connected to SYNC AppLink, even if the app is not currently active. This means a driver could get an alert about a traffic jam ahead while listening to the radio or using another app
Ford builds the Focus in eight manufacturing plants on four continents. Facilities in Germany, the United States, Russia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Argentina have a combined capacity to build more than 1.5 million Focus cars annually at a rate of more than two per second.
Since the launch of Focus in 1998, the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the world for two years running has sold more than 12 million vehicles globally.
FORD FOCUS BEST-SELLING VEHICLE WORLDWIDE
Ford Focus maintains its leadership as the best-selling vehicle nameplate globally, based on Ford analysis of the latest Polk global vehicle registration data for the first half of 2013
Globally, Focus is up 20 percent in the first half of 2013 compared with the same period last year
- In addition, Ford Fiesta ranks as the fourth best-selling vehicle overall, and is the world’s best-selling subcompact vehicle through June 2013
- Ford is the only brand with two nameplates among the global top five best-sellers
- Ford Focus, the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the world in 2012, retains the title for the first half of 2013.
In addition, Ford Fiesta ranks as the fourth best-selling vehicle – making Ford the only brand to have two nameplates among the global top five best-sellers, according to Ford analysis of Polk global vehicle registration data.
Ford Focus grew 20 percent in the first half of 2013 from the same period last year, to 589,709 vehicle registrations, driven primarily by increasing demand from customers in China and other Asian countries. Focus in China is up 137 percent from 2012, to a total of 202,380 vehicles, making China the single biggest global market for the car with one-third of Focus sales.
Xiao Bing, a 31-year-old sales manager for an IT company in Beijing, is one such new Focus customer.
“The new Focus looks high-tech and meets my aesthetic expectations,” Bing says. “It has significantly changed from the previous model. The car’s handling is great. When I test-drove it, the new Focus cornered smoothly. Overall, it’s the best combination of looks, performance, value and fuel economy.”
Customers are responding enthusiastically to Focus in other Asian countries, as well. Through September, Ford reports Focus sales are up 193 percent in Indonesia, 72 percent in both the Philippines and Vietnam, and 42 percent in Thailand.
Fiesta also a best-seller
Ford Fiesta joins Focus among the five global best-sellers, and earns the top spot as the best-selling subcompact car globally, with 356,434 units registered in the first half of 2013.
“Fiesta is off to a terrific start, and Focus just keeps getting better – especially in China,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, global marketing, sales and service and Lincoln. “This is One Ford at its best: great-looking vehicles with great fuel economy, leading quality, technology and fun-to-drive personalities.”
Combined, global registrations of Ford’s small cars – Fiesta and Focus – total 946,143 vehicles for the first six months of the year, representing an 8 percent increase.
NEW FORD FOCUS 1.0-LITRE IS FIRST PETROL FAMILY CAR BELOW 100-GRAMME CO2 BARRIER
Ford has announced a new ultra-efficient version of the Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost that will be the first petrol-powered family car in Europe to offer 99g/km CO2 emissions.
The Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost has returned 67.5mpg in tests thanks to its specially calibrated 100PS version of Ford’s award-winning engine.
The new Ford Focus will feature Ford ECOnetic Technology including ultra-low rolling resistance tyres, unique aerodynamics under the car and revised gearing to help deliver the company’s most fuel-efficient ever petrol-powered family car.
“Just a couple of years ago few would have thought that a medium-sized petrol car could break the 100g/km CO2 barrier,” said Barb Samardzich, European Product Development vice president. “Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine has a habit of taking expectations of what a petrol engine can deliver and turning them upside down.”
The International Engine of the Year 2013 and 2012 makes the new model more powerful than a first generation Ford Focus with a 1.6-litre engine from less than 10 years ago, while producing 47 per cent less CO2.
The new model will extend to three the number of Focus models offered with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, alongside the standard 100PS version, with 109g/km CO2 emissions, and the 125PS with 114g/km CO2.*
Introduced to the Fiesta, B-MAX, C-MAX and seven-seat Grand C-MAX last year, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine will be extended to the EcoSport SUV, Transit Connect and Transit Courier commercial vehicles; Tourneo Connect people mover; and later the all-new Mondeo.
Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine uses a low inertia turbocharger, split cooling system and direct fuel injection to deliver surprising levels of performance from the three-cylinder engine block. The new Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost 99 g/km will also use a range of fuel-efficient Ford ECOnetic Technologies including Auto-Start-Stop, Smart Regenerative Charging, Active Grille Shutter and Ford EcoMode to support a more economical and environmentally friendly driving style.
Ford is also currently launching the zero emissions Focus Electric, and also offers the diesel Focus ECOnetic that delivers 88g CO2 emissions.*
“With the Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost, Focus Electric and Focus ECOnetic, Ford offers customers an unrivalled power of choice of fuel-efficient family cars,” said Sherif Marakby, medium car vehicle line director, Ford of Europe.
New Focus Navigator models
Available immediately in the UK are new Ford Focus derivatives with satellite navigation as standard. The Focus Zetec Navigator is offered in addition to the standard Zetec series and adds Ford nav, new-design 16in alloy wheels and centre console.
The Titanium Navigator series replaces the Titanium series and adds Sony satellite navigation, new 16in alloy wheels and rear parking sensors. The Titanium X Navigator supplants the Titanium X series, offering Sony nav, rear view camera and new 17in alloy wheels.
These series are priced from £17,555, £19,295 and £21,295 respectively, compared with £17,305, £19,045 and £21,045 for Zetec, Titanium and Titanium X currently.
