New Ford Focus 2012? News?

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Permalink Reply by Jessie on March 8, 2011 at 11:50am

Misha - GOOD CHOICE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE GAS GUZZLER!!! 

 

I actually just read an articles about the 2012 Ford Focus in the paper edition of AutoWeek.  Good things were said about it.

 

1st - It provides a bunch of goodies that you can't even get in an Audi A3. 

• Self parking electronics
• Backup camera
• HD Radio with iTunes tagging
• Proximity key with push button start
• LED interface
• Advanced airbag technology
• Torque-vectoring stability control
• PowerShift dual clutch auto tranny

BEST THE FOCUS WILL GET 40 MPG!!

 

The PowerShift feature is the first dual dry-clutch automatic in the USA.  Decision was driven by efficiency not cost. 

 

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Permalink Reply by Jessie on March 8, 2011 at 11:52am

Oh - forgot to tell you that the 2012 Ford Focus model STARTS at 18K!  Here is a pic:

 

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Permalink Reply by Zach G on March 14, 2011 at 12:38pm

This early review from automobile . com may help....

 

Automobile manufacturers, like other businesses, are in the business of making money. Increasingly, this means saving money in the manufacturing process. One of the ways that automobile manufacturers try to do this is by making a vehicle that can be used in all auto markets around the world. As tastes, and regulatory requirements, vary around the world, sometimes this can be difficult.

The 2012 Ford Focus will be a redesigned vehicle, created with the world marketplace in mind. The new Focus is expected to be a little bit larger, and slightly more upscale, than the current model. Buyers looking for a smaller, less expensive car will now have the Fiesta. This initial car review will detail what we know about the vehicle so far.

Specifications

These are the specs that are currently known about the 2012 Ford Focus:

• Pricing: base model should start around $18,000, but options may bring the Focus into the mid $20k range
• Fuel economy: 40 mpg highway
• Engine: 2.0-liter, 155 horsepower direct-injected four-cylinder
• Car safety features: antilock brakes, stability control with “torque vectoring”, the programmable MyKey system, front side impact airbags, and side curtain airbags should be included in the new Ford Focus
• Suspension: front strut suspension, multilink suspension in the rear
• Warranty: three-year/36,000 mile basic warranty; five-year/60,000 mile powertrain and roadside assistance warranties; five-year/unlimited corrosion warranty

Exterior Features

The 2012 Ford Focus will be offered in two different body styles: a five-door hatchback and a four-door sedan. It will be a lower, sportier car than the current Focus. Exterior features that we can expect to see, on one trim level or another, include rain-sensing windshield wipers, a rear camera, fog lamps, and heated side mirrors.

Interior Features

The new Focus will be available in a variety of trim levels, each of which will have different levels of features. One of the features that we can expect to see in the new 2012 Ford Focus include the new MyFord SYNC interface, which operates a little bit like an iPod Touch. It will offer voice recognition and have web-browsing capability. Parallel-parking assistance, push-button start, and a navigation system will also be available.

Performance

The 2012 Ford Focus will see some performance changes. Ford is focusing on a more comfortable, quiet cabin. The vehicle is expected to come with a six-speed, dual-clutch automated manual transmission, along with a six-speed manual transmission. It will also have electronic power steering. Both the dual-clutch transmission and the electronic power steering add to the vehicle’s fuel efficiency.

The engine will be one of the first non-hybrid vehicles to have stop-start technology, which shuts off the engine when it is stopped, so it doesn’t waste gas idling at traffic lights. A better assessment of how this new technology will actually work in practice will be made when new Focuses are available for test drives.

How the 2012 Ford Focus Compares to the Competition

When the Ford Focus was first introduced, it was one of the best small cars on the road. Over the years, other vehicles surpassed it in quality and features. The 2012 Ford Focus is likely to be once again highly competitive with other vehicles in its class. This new Focus may not be the bargain that it once was, but it should be an exciting entry in Ford’s 2012 lineup. It should be available in late 2011.

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