The next-generation Ford Focus was revealed today at the Detroit Motor Show this week. And it delivers on the company’s promise to offer more products people really want while truly leveraging its global product and manufacturing strengths.
Up to 10 new models will be built on the new global C-segment platform, which replaces three platforms currently in production regionally. The first of these will be the new Ford C-MAX and Ford Grand C-MAX – unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show – for launch in Europe in the second half of 2010.
By 2012, the new platform will account for more than 2 million units of volume, providing Ford unprecedented scale and an opportunity to offer to customers around the world an array of new technologies and product features usually reserved for premium vehicles.
“Ford’s new C-sized family will be the strongest demonstration yet of how we’re harnessing the company’s global resources to deliver real customer benefits,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of global product development. “The next-generation Focus is our C-segment flagship, offering technology you don’t expect in a C-car, feature content you would not expect in a C-car, and craftsmanship, materials and interior quietness you would not expect in a C-car. The scale we’re generating makes it possible to deliver all that.”
Globally, Ford expects its C-car volumes to double, from about 1 million units in 2008 to more than 2 million units by 2012. Plus, the new Focus is expected to be sold in 122 countries around the world.
The new Ford Focus will set about aggressively achieving scale, with production beginning almost simultaneously in Europe and North America in late 2010 and vehicles set to reach dealerships in the first quarter of 2011, including Ireland.
The new model is positioned to appeal to a major, and growing international customer segment. One in four vehicles sold worldwide is a C-segment vehicle. C-cars are the heart of the European car market, representing 30 per cent of sales in a highly diverse segment.
Developing appealing products that meet global customer expectations is a key facet of the ONE Ford strategy. The new C-car family from Ford will advance the ONE Ford strategy by offering a truly global product, with high degrees of commonality of about 80 per cent across all regions.
