Ford Australia has provided us with detailed information on the German-made Focus that’s due here at a date yet to be announced, but probably late this year.
New Ford Focus will be the first vehicle built on company’s C2 global platform, making for greater body strength with less weight.
Styling gives it a low and sleek look, with a huge front grille and a slick tail obviously aimed at low aero drag. It certainly moves away from the somewhat bland shape of previous Focuses.
Body types are sedan, five-door hatchback and station wagon. Ford Australia won’t confirm that all will be coming to Australia.
Cars coming Downunder will have a strong emphasis on safety, with Autonomous Emergency Braking with Night-time Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection standard across the range. An impressive safety feature is a rear wide-view camera, offering almost 180 degrees for improved visibility when reversing from parking spaces or driveways.
Power for Australian focus models will be generated by either a 1.5-litre three-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine or a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol EcoBoost unit. Both will sit beside an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission or a six-speed manual in Europe, however we are not sure if the manual will be offered here.
We will provide more details on the new Ford Focus as they become available.
In the meantime it’s fascinating to note that the two ‘local’ car marques are keen to promote the German build quality of their vehicles, with Ford Focus and Holden Commodore being made in the country where cars were invented over 130 years ago.
