Since the original was introduced, the Ford Focus – at least the American version – has gone downhill. The second-generation was as staid and boring as the first one was revolutionary, and the new third-generation model went off in the wrong direction, at least styling-wise. Meanwhile, the European versions have had us longing for inclusion. Fortunately, Ford announced that the next iteration would be a global car like the first, although speculation suggests that the US could get trunked versions while markets abroad go with the hatchback.
What you see above is said to be another rendering of what the next Focus five-door hatch could look like. As with the previous sketches we brought you a few days ago, this rendering draws heavily on the theme set forth by the Ford Verve concept. Though considerably less aggressive than the previous sketches, this could be closer to the mark, but could just as easily preview the successor for the European Galaxy-based S-Max sporty minivan.
[Source: The Hollywood Extra]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
James @ Feb 12th 2008 10:36AM
A global Ford? Don't make me laugh. Every time Ford Europe and Ford America sit down to design a car together they end up bickering and arguing over stupid details, and end up leaving each other in a sulk to build their own cars. It's a fantastic dream, and nice little rendering you've got there, but small minded middle managers will decide they can narrow a cost margin here and widen a profit margin here, and before you know it you'll have a superior European product and an inferior American one. Look at every generation of the Ford Escort and Ford Focus. The next generation will be just the same.
jmstro04 @ Feb 12th 2008 10:40AM
I don't like that car...
tio @ Feb 13th 2008 7:33AM
I like that car.
Kowell @ Feb 12th 2008 10:44AM
Lets just hope that if they DO create a global car, it will be a global EURO-focus and not a global US-focus....
MajorGeek @ Feb 12th 2008 10:51AM
My son had one, not much of a car, we are now borrowing a 2003 with only 2k miles from a relative because we had a car crash and this thing is a total POS. Has the car gotten any better as of 2008?
tom @ Feb 12th 2008 11:21AM
I like it. Can they make it happen? Just import all Ford Europe cars and slap a Mercury lable on it. So what if we have a poor exchange rate just charge more money. Merc only sells 168k units a year anyway with that low volume you can sell really nice cars like the european focus, modeo and maybe even the KA
C.W. @ Feb 12th 2008 11:21AM
oh, un-educated one. just read the automotive news sector. what you say is true of the past. different design teams/themes in each country. 12 versions of 1 nameplate for each market. however, if you paid any attention to the news around Jim Farley's new role, Alan Mulally's new direction and the general philosophy of the company moving forward you would know the past will not repeat itself. you no longer have 7 middle managers between Alan Mulally and the design teams in each country. You have 1. and they report directly to Alan himself. Design themes will ONLY move forward when y ou have general consensus which IS what you see happening today. the verve WILL happen and will be pretty much the same everywhere you go (slight flare added or removed per market). This company IS on the cutting edge of being global and you will see the other domestic makers following suit.
look forward. not backwards.
C.W. @ Feb 12th 2008 11:22AM
oh, un-educated one. just read the automotive news sector. what you say is true of the past. different design teams/themes in each country. 12 versions of 1 nameplate for each market. however, if you paid any attention to the news around Jim Farley's new role, Alan Mulally's new direction and the general philosophy of the company moving forward you would know the past will not repeat itself. you no longer have 7 middle managers between Alan Mulally and the design teams in each country. You have 1. and they report directly to Alan himself. Design themes will ONLY move forward when y ou have general consensus which IS what you see happening today. the verve WILL happen and will be pretty much the same everywhere you go (slight flare added or removed per market). This company IS on the cutting edge of being global and you will see the other domestic makers following suit.
look forward. not backwards.
Milos Radulovic @ Feb 12th 2008 11:47AM
This should represent a focus WAGON, not a hatch,at least not a hot one. This way it would look and feel too much like present mazda 3, which is basically a wagonette
Peter @ Feb 12th 2008 12:16PM
I really wish I knew what compels Ford to think they have to market different/inferior products to Americans. No other company that I can think of does this. Why does Ford make such a big deal about a "GLOBAL" car... so many other companies have the same offering around the globe. They should focus on building a GREAT car.
BMW, Audi, and Mercedes sell the same cars here as they do in Europe.
VW sells the exact same GTI that they sell in Athens, Georgia as they sell in Athens, Greece.
Toyota? The same Yaris here as there.
BTW, the European Focus (especially the ST) is light years ahead of the current US focus.
DKB_SATX @ Feb 12th 2008 2:09PM
GM does the same thing, but you may not notice because they name the cars differently. Over there it's Vauxhall and Opel instead of Chevy/Pontiac/Buick/Saturn here, but even when they do bring the European car (the Saturn Astra) they bring a narrow segment with the least common denominator... in Europe you can get the Astra with real power, here even the "Red Line" sporty one will, for the time being, have the same modest output that the base car does.
There are all sorts of reasons for it, one of which is that CAFE loopholes and the profitability of putting leather seats in a truck and doubling the price have Americans hooked on SUV crack. Living in Italy I occasionally saw Navigators in music videos, but here in Texas the family of 3 across the street have one as their daily driver... parked by the F150, next door to the driver of a Tahoe.
Americans are fine with paying for big (supersize me!) but expensive small things confuse us. Even if they are similar in size, there's a huge difference between a Hyundai Accent and an Alfa Romeo 147, a difference in content, in design, in performance and in price. Lots of Americans will tar both with the same "tiny cheap deathtrap my H2 will crush it" brush, even lots of the posters on this supposedly auto-enthusiast site.
P B @ Feb 12th 2008 12:26PM
Bring back the C/D pillar tail lights. It's just not a Focus without those.
Nellydesign @ Feb 12th 2008 12:27PM
I've seen it and it's cooler than this...
Cortez @ Feb 12th 2008 12:29PM
Sure there are the same,have the same engines,the same interiors the only thing that is diferent is the setup of the cars suspension,steering,brakes.........
I have driven the US spec Merc ML and rubbish compared to the Euro sprc ona
Noidor @ Feb 12th 2008 12:32PM
Small hatchbacks turned into sedans does not work, I think Jetta and Golf are prime examples of this.
And once and for us stop pitching the stupid idea of badging Euro Fords as Mercury. It is a direct assault on brand image.
Alan44 @ Feb 12th 2008 12:36PM
This car bears a strong resemblance to my Mazda 3 five door. Now I just recently rented a Focus for a week, and that was not a very good car. My Mazda 3 is a much better car. Since Ford owns both companies, why don't they just sell a rebadged 3 as the Focus? Instant nice car.
vLane @ Feb 12th 2008 1:40PM
What's this talk of a "second" and "third" generation" Focus? It was introduced for 2000, made boring-looking for 2005, and made screwy-looking for 2008. One generation.
Consumer Reports says they fixed the worst of the reliability problems by 2003. Too bad they killed the steering/handling for 2008 (try driving one).
One more fun fact: Automotive News estimates Ford losing $4,000 on each unit sold.
NOreasonY @ Feb 12th 2008 1:49PM
Dear Ford,
I want to replace my old Focus HATCH, don't make me go buy a VW against my will....
MAKE A HATCH BACK FORD FOCUS AGAIN....
NarutoRamen @ Feb 12th 2008 1:59PM
Ford will never bring this car over to the US. They don't have the balls to sell good looking products to the US.
Polly Prissy Pants @ Feb 12th 2008 2:32PM
My thoughts exactly. Ford will NEVER sell a car that handsome and stylish in the U.S. They may make something somewhat similar with the same name and swear it's the same but it won't be. No way no how.