Ford Focus Preview – 2007 Detroit Auto Show: The 2008 Ford Focus is the Blue Oval’s smallest car, offering economical and sporty transportation in a compact package. It originally debuted in 1999 as a 2000 model, winning the 2000 North American Car of the Year award. The 2008 Focus is redesigned inside and out and features standard thorax side airbags, side air curtains and Ford’s Personal Safety System for increased crash protection. Ford also says that its suspension refinements make it feel like a more substantial vehicle. For 2008 the only two body styles are a four-door sedan and a new coupe. Ford does not currently field a subcompact “B-car segment” vehicle, so the Focus must simultaneously satisfy sport compact enthusiasts and environmentally conscious buyers.

Ford expects annual growth of five percent in the small car market through 2008, meaning one third of new car sales will come from this segment. Therefore, the 2008 Ford Focus is extremely important. The Focus has experienced incredible popularity worldwide, and Ford needs to leverage this nameplate and the potential efficiency of this model to appeal to a diversifying group of buyers with increasing options every day. Its design is also crucial. Ford is trying to strengthen its brand by solidifying vehicles under a common and effective styling language, and the 2008 Focus extends this to a whole new category of buyers.

The 2008 Ford Focus is powered by a standard 2.0-liter Duratec four-cylinder DOHC engine that is matched to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. It benefits from a new air intake and cooling system, and output will be close to the current model’s. For “green” states that follow California’s emissions standards, a 130-horsepower Duratec 20E engine qualifies the Focus as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV). The new model is expected to give the same 37 mpg fuel economy as its predecessor.