Ford keeps putting a gun to their feet and pulling the trigger over and over.

And this my friends is why Ford is in trouble. If a model is successful initially they wait way too long to replace it. If a new model is not successful initially, they kill the model, allowing it no time to build brand equity and awareness. I like Ford but this is all their own doing. Marketing 101 people.

If ford was smart they would sell the Euro Focus here. Now.

I honestly can’t figure out why thes US companies sell their best products overseas. Make one awesome design and sell it all over the world.

Hey ford, you suck. Good idea – waste engineering cost changing a dinosaur. Bring the euro one here already a$$-clowns.

Again I am thouroughly disappointed in Ford. If this is their answer, Ford is definately on its “Way Backward”! I can’t believe Ford is squandering the chance to bring us the Euro Focus. That means when this FOcus finally is replaced, it will be 11 YEARS OLD! There will have been at least 3 Honda Civics….. They deserve to go away if this is how they are going to introduce new products to us.

I love my 02 focus, but woudl I buy the same car new today? Hell no. It is a great driver and I love it, but compared to nearly any other car in the compact market today, it just doesn’t hold up. Enough already. Ford, if want to know what you are in toruble, it is because you don’t bring you best cars to your home market. If there were a Focus C1 chassis variant for sale, I would buy one.

I have to agree that bringing the Euro version is more logical and timely. Shouldn’t Ford think about a single platform for all markets, a la VW?

I am from Europe and I don’t like the Ford Focus sold here. It seems like a good, solid car and the styling if fine. However, it seems too large for it’s segment. The sedan version seems Mondeo-sized.

The Focus ST is very good, according to what I have read. Yet, it does not beat the Golf GTi…

ford needs to stop beating a dead horese already, and give us the C1 platform.

The States seems like Brazil, where car manufacturers sell previous generations of its range for the market to ‘accept’ the vehicles (with poorer technology, manufacturing cost, etc.)

I just want to point out – in light of the recent much more disguised mule from a week ago, this is not the final sape – There are many versions of car mules running around, this one is likely just testing cooling of the new front end – otherwise there would have been ner reason to have a mule with full front, rear and C-pillar camo.

I have it from an inside source that the Focus will be getting much more sigificant changes.. the sheetmetal is all new and much better looking and the interior is completely new as well..

The 3rd gen global Focus will come ot the US, but it is not ready yet ..
Finally, I believe that unless this redesign improves that car very very significantly, it would have been better to leave the Focus as is until replacement … and given Field’s rapid decisions to scrap several mediocre plans, like the Mustang redesign and B-segments (and send them back to the drawing board), I have hope they will not let a crappy redesign slip by.

Igor

There may be more work done on the Focus as these pictures show:
http://forums.focaljet.com/team-pit-stop/519600-07-08-focus-sedan-pics.html#post5622798

Who cares, as long they keep updating the style till the great Euro Focus comes to the states in 2009 or 2010.

There may be a new Festiva coming here in two years. At least i read. It said it will have an excellent Euro style.

The only part of the Fusion that I don’t care for is the grille…needs a good aftermarket fix ! Other than that, the Fusion is a real nice car….

Is this a joke? Bold moves? hahaha.. Bold ugly ass 3 bar grill and a toy like body design… idiots

LAMO LAMO

They so won’t put that Lame ass grille on their european models

As many has mentioned, there seems to be nothing stopping Ford from committing the same sins that have gotten them in trouble over and over and over…

And is there a better way to dilute the three bar grille then to slap it on an otherwise 6 or 7 year old design…

Sigh, at least GM is showing some nacient signs of intelligence. Not so Ford…

Based on the mules running around, it appears as if the Focus will not be limited to a mild facelift, but most likely a solid refreshening (just not a full redesign).

Now, I know the chassis is a little long in the tooth, but it underwent significant improvements in 2004 and is still one of the best driving compact cars. It certainly lacks the refinement of the Civic, and will probably have a time with the new Sentra, but overall it is competitive. An interior, exterior, powertrain and NVH refresh is all it probably needs to stay competitive until the new Corolla comes out in ‘08.

Now, this is not to say that I didn’t hope for the C1 – I certainly was hoping. The Mazda3 is a fine machine (far better than even the new Civic). But, the C1 is not the end all and it would have been significantly more expensive to bring here and modify than update the C170, just to be replaced 2 years (or less) later. If the update C170 has better NVH isolation, an new interior, and upgraded exterior and slightly modified powertrain options, I see no reason it cannot continue to be competitive except for the ignorance of people who would rather buy an ‘07 Corolla and pretend as if they just purchased the greatest small car ever!

“but overall it is competitive.”

BWAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

They are going ti ruin the car, the Fusion grill looks good in the fusion, but not in a car like this a very bad idea

Duhhh, the grille is NOT excuslively for Fusion. Its a Ford grille. See new Edge? New 500 will have this, too. New Expedition has similar grille.

Its like with BMW or Pontiac with twin grilles on all cars.

Ford desperately needs the new Focus NOW and not 2009. If they keep this charade up, Ford woudn’t last till 2009. Maybe Toyota should buy a bankrupt Ford.

If Ford won’t put this grille on Euro Fords (coz it sucks) why would you want it on American Fords?

What the hell is wrong with these people?? Why can’t they look at the insanely great sales of the Mazda3, the Volvo S40, and the Euro Focus and do the very simple math the rest of us have done? The C1 is an incredible platform that makes for class-defining, exceedingly competitive choices in the market, so why use it everywhere but the North American Focus?

Somebody in their PR department better put out a press release so the rest of us can understand exactly how they are going to move forward by looking backward to dress up obsolete crap.

“Ford keeps putting a gun to their feet and pulling the trigger over and over.” – Bush, #1
Nobody said it better than you.

#19 (Robert) – I think those are good points, and I wish they’d sunk in before I posted my other comment; I’m still feeling burned for wanting a C1 Focus but having to go to the 2004 and then 2006 Mazda3 to get it. (The 04 was destroyed by a teenage driver) No complaints or regrets – I love the car, but all things considered, I’d probably feel better going to a Ford dealer since they tend to offer better service.

After reading your comment again and doing a little bit of research on the Mazda3 forums, it would appear that the 2nd Generation Mazda3 will be ready for primetime sometime in 2009/2010, which is about the same time frame the Volvo S40 gets a redesign. My guess is that these two cars will continue to share the same platform, so if Ford is planning on lining up the Focus with the Mazda and Volvo at that time, then your point makes total sense. Why retool the C1 for a North American Focus just to scrap it two years later? That would be stupid indeed so now I think my earlier comment was short-sighted to put it mildly.

I do recall that when Mark Fields was behind the turn around at Volvo, then Mazda, those companies had to stretch their existing product lines too before the good stuff came out. Mark is just cleaning house before Ford comes back with a vengeance. OK.. I feel better now.

MArk fields needs to do something about his own hair before I trust him

I really hope this is a joke…first of all the fusion grill is bland in design
focus has a gread design as it is…don’t change it

WOW!! Ford has been Sleeping for about 15 years, keeping in mind that they are a GIANT and most certainly the pioneers of the automotive industry. FUSION has been extremely successful having no recalls and less TGW (Things gone wrong) than CAMRY & ACCORD!! What does that say about quality? FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION AS WELL for the Fusion. This is a great example that Ford has awakened, and have definately been working hard to unleash thier new beasts. We all should know Ford does have Volvo, Austin Martin, Mazda, Lincoln, Land Rover, and put that together. Its about time, and NOW we all should be saying “Have you driven a Ford Lately”? Its amazing on how much the new line up will blow out the competition, geeze if your gunna spend 34 grand on a Camry at 5.9% to boot, Treat yourself to a Lincoln MKZ AWD, keep some cash for yourself, ride in real comfort & class, and enjoy your free oil changes!!!