Focus sharing opportunity

Though Ford Australia is concentrating on putting the Focus into local production from 2011, president Tom Gorman says its shared-platform architecture also presents other opportunities.

The next-generation Focus, codenamed C2, will share much with the new C-Max multi-purpose vehicle and Kuga crossover all-wheel-drive. Though keen to hose down speculation, Gorman says something like the C-Max or even Kuga could present opportunities.

“We'll still take that out of Europe. But it does open up for us more opportunity for success in that small-car segment. If things happen in the future and something like C-Max or other derivatives make sense, you'd have to see what size the volume is. What I don't want to do is be in a position where we're putting 200-units-a-month opportunities into the plant. That's very hard to justify economically.”

The Kuga goes on sale next year after its Frankfurt motor show debut in September. Though details are scarce, the Kuga will probably offer a range of petrol and turbodiesel engines, including the 2.0-litre 100kW/320Nm TDCi that has just appeared in the Focus.

The Kuga is based on the Iosis X concept unveiled at last year's Paris motor show and introduces Ford's new “kinetic design” language into a compact and distinctive AWD crossover.

Ford of Europe executive design director Martin Smith says the company knows image-conscious customers want a very individual car.

The Kuga, which uses underpinnings similar to those in the robust Land Rover Freelander and proposed Volvo XC60, will be built at Ford's Saarlouis plant in Germany.