THE 2008 FORD FOCUS

Fresh design, better fuel economy and new safety and technology features. The 2008 Ford Focus brings an expressive look, a refined and flexible interior and a higher level of driving enjoyment to an evolving small car market. With features including Ford SYNC™, standard side-curtain air bags and fuel economy in the mid-30s, the redesigned Focus will play an important role in Ford Motor Company’s resurging car portfolio, continuing the momentum built by the successful Ford Fusion mid-size sedan.

Refined interior. Redesigned cabin delivers improved craftsmanship and comfort along with added flexibility and storage.
Innovative technology. Ford SYNC – an industry-first – offers unprecedented levels of in-car connectivity for mobile phones and media players.
Dynamic and confident. New suspension tuning and chassis refinements improve an already rewarding and dynamic driving experience.
Quiet ride. Improvements to sealing and sound deadening materials reduce noise, vibration and harshness levels, providing a quiet, comfortable ride.
Fun to drive. A redesigned and retuned suspension for improved ride and handling, and a more powerful engine that delivers fuel economy in the mid-30s.

HUGE STRIDES IN QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

The popular Ford Focus bests industry segment average as most improved model.

A top industry study named Ford Focus the most improved model in the industry. The 2008 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study by J.D. Power and Associates showed that Focus gained 88 index points over last year.

With the biggest improvement score in the industry, Focus performed better across all categories with significant improvements in the areas of fuel economy, audio/entertainment/navigation, interior styling and exterior styling.
Earning a 36-index point improvement was the Ford Escape, which put the strong seller in the top 10 of most improved vehicles in the industry. Five Ford Motor Company vehicles received second or third honors in their segments:

Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 2nd place in Midsize Pickup segment
Mazda CX7, 2nd place in Compact Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) segment
Mazda CX9, 2nd place in Midsize MAV segment
Ford Focus, 3rd place in Compact Car segment
Lincoln Navigator, 3rd place in Large Premium MAV segment

Overall, Ford moved up five positions to 22nd, with a 14-point improvement. Lincoln checked in at 12th place and Mercury placed 29th, improving by 12 index points.

Released 2008-06-27

FOCUS NAMED COOL NEW CAR

Ford Focus cited as a cool, affordable car by Kelley Blue Book’s kkb.com

For the fourth consecutive year, Ford Focus has been recognized as “one of the coolest new cars under $18,000” based on pricing under $18,000 by Kelley Blue Book’s New Car Blue Book Values (what consumers are actually paying for the vehicle). The Focus came in at $14,942.

To narrow the list to 10 from the 40 cars considered the kkb.com editors used fuel economy, comfort, technology, safety, interior size and the fun-to-drive factor as criteria.

Strong consumer demand drove Ford Focus retail sales up 35 percent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the same period last year. To keep up, Ford is increasing Focus production in 2008 by nearly 30 percent to 245,000 units.

The Focus’ fuel efficiency, which delivers 35 miles to the gallon, combined with features like Ford’s SYNC – the voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment technology that integrates Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital music players – have made the vehicle a popular choice with customers between the ages of 16 and 35. This younger set accounts for approximately 30 percent of Focus sales.

Released 2008-05-01

Suggested Tags: Ford Focus, Kelley Blue Book’s kkb.com, SYNC

CONSUMER DEMAND PUSHES PRODUCTION

Ford Focus increasing North American production to keep up with strong demand.

In the first three months of 2008, Ford Focus sales increased by 23 percent, for a total of 49,070 units sold, over the same period in the year before. Because retail sales also increased by 35 percent, Ford can now claim 7.6 percent of the U.S. small car market, 1.2 percentage points better than a year ago. In short, production is expected to rise to 245,000 Focus units in 2008, up from 191,000 in 2007.

Consumers may be reacting to a few key Focus features:

New class-leading technology - Ford SYNC™, a hands-free voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system that integrates Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital music players, is attracting vehicle buyers. SYNC-equipped Focus accounted for 40 percent of the sales.
Fuel efficiency - The Ford Focus delivers 35 miles to the gallon.
Improved overall quality - According to the 2008 Q1 Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study, the new Focus boasts 13 percent fewer Things Gone Wrong (TGW) over last year.

Released 2008-04-16

FOCUS GAINS SALES MOMENTUM

Ford Focus attracts younger buyers seeking sync, connectivity and fuel economy

Focus’ retail sales have been up year-over-year for the past three months – and February retail sales also are tracking above year-ago levels. The small car’s sales were up 18 percent in November – the car’s first full month on the market – followed by a 9 percent increase in December and 33 percent in January.

J.D. Power sales data show that 32 percent of 2008 Focus year buyers are 16 to 35 years old. That’s up from 28 percent of 2007 Focus buyers.

Helping drive the trend: More Millennials who are becoming drivers – and vehicle buyers. Born between 1980 and 1995, approximately 70 million Millennials live in the U.S. Each day, more than 11,000 of these savvy consumers reach driving age, looking for stylish, fuel-efficient vehicles that feature the latest technology.

Ford is ready with a mix of accessible vehicles – including Focus – that feature industry-leading connectivity technology with SYNC, improved fuel economy, an array of safety features and creature comforts such as the popular ambient lighting feature that allows occupants to cycle the cabin lighting through seven available colors depending on their mood.

SYNC’s advanced capability allows consumers to access the songs, artists, genres, albums, play lists and more through voice commands. Powered by Microsoft and launched in the fall of 2007, the award-winning system is available in 12 vehicles from Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.

Ford Focus sales are gaining momentum, with three consecutive months of year-over-year retail sales volume increases. February sales are on track to trump February 2007 retail sales.
Ford’s strategy of simplifying the Focus vehicle line, along with offering affordable industry-first SYNC technology, is paying off.
Nearly 40 percent of the 2008 model year Focus units sold during the past three months included SYNC. SYNC-equipped Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles sell nearly twice as fast as those without.

Released 2008-02-29

FORD FOCUS SES GIVEAWAY

Someone Will Drive Away in a 2008 Focus in ‘SYNC Your Life’ Video Contest

Ford Motor Company introduces the ‘SYNC Your Life’ video contest that lets you imagine how you could voice-activate your life – just like the Ford SYNC in-car communication and entertainment system lets you listen to mp3 players and use your cell phone hands-free while you drive. You can SYNC your morning coffeemaker, your exercise machine, the door to your house – the sky’s the limit and creativity counts.

The contest prizes are:

Grand Prize: One person wins a 2008 Ford Focus SES equipped with SYNC; the winner’s video will be used in an online advertisement.
First Prize: 5 winners will receive a Sony DVD high-definition handycam camcorder.
Second Prize: 5 winners will receive an Xbox 360 Arcade.
Third Prize: 5 winners will receive a $100 AMEX gift card.

After you’ve made your video, you upload it to http://www.jumpcut.com/syncyourlife/. You can also upload raw footage of your video shoot and edit it online. Keep in mind that there is a 100 MB limit on individual files, and it’s best to mark your video as “private – not remixable.”

You can upload your video until May 14, 2008, 11:59 p.m. EST.

Released 2008-01-24