Ford Focus 2011 News

Ford Australia has confirmed it is contacting almost 43,000 Focus owners to warn of a vehicle defect that could cause a fire.

The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has commenced legal proceedings against Ford Motor Company of Australia.

Waiting for a new car is never easy. It could be a week or it could be a year — even longer — but a delivery hold-up still means delayed satisfaction.

An automatic transmission designed to save fuel has increased complaints among Ford customers who claim it's not a smooth operator.

Fast Ford fans in Australia are among the big winners from a decision to make the next new Focus RS from Germany into a global model.The turbo-powered pocket rocket is still more than a year away but will eventually sit alongside the new-age Mustang in Ford showrooms.There are scant technical details yet, but the big news according to insiders is that the RS will be all-wheel drive for the first time — good news, too, because it is likely to have a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine making as much as 260kW.The last RS was a three-door hatch that sold in Australia until the end of 2010, although it was powered by a five-cylinder turbo engine developed by Volvo."To earn the RS badge, the vehicle has to be a no-compromise driver's car that can deliver exceptional performance on the track when required while providing excellent everyday driving," says Ford global product development boss Raj Nair.RS test cars have already been spotted in Europe, running five-door Focus ST bodywork to disguise the hard-edge mechanical package that will make the car a rival to everything from the Subaru STI to the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG."We haven't confirmed the timing yet but it's likely to be in 2016," says Ford Australia spokesman Neil McDonald."There's always keen interest from enthusiasts who like a little more from their performance hatches. We already have the Fiesta ST and Focus ST in the stable so the RS is certainly a car that will sit well with the ST models."However, the RS will challenge some of the premium Euro 'hot hatches' and appeal to a different audience."The previous RS was a hit in Australia, even though it was priced at $59,990 and only 315 were imported from Europe."Many have ended up being quite collectable," McDonald says.The big difference is that the Focus RS will not be a limited-edition model.There will be a regular production run when it joins more than a dozen other global models planned by 2020.

Hypo-hatch poised to get Mustang power. Hot hatch fans have never had it so good, with more choice and more power at their disposal than ever before -- and the battle is about to heat up even more. As our roads become more congested and parking spaces harder to find, more and more car buyers are downsizing without wanting to sacrifice life's luxuries, or a responsive right foot. While Mercedes-Benz set a new benchmark last year with an epic 265kW of power from its 2.0-litre turbo A45 AMG hatch, and Volkswagen says it is working on a 400 horsepower (or 300kW) version of the Golf R, Ford is getting in on the action with a successor to the iconic Focus RS. Based on the hugely successful Focus ST (a facelift of which is due in Australia early next year, with sleeker lights and a revised dashboard layout), thinly disguised prototype versions of the even hotter Focus RS have been spotted testing in Europe and North America. Ford has so far refused to confirm that a next generation Focus RS even exists, but leaks from well placed sources have pieced together the puzzle. According to reputable overseas reports the new Focus RS will be powered by a 2.3-litre turbo four-cylinder engine that will also be used in the new Mustang. The difference, however, is that the engine in the Focus RS will power the front wheels, not the rear, as in the Mustang. Getting all that power to the road will be somewhat of a challenge, which is why Ford is reportedly developing a limited slip front differential for its new hot hatch hero. Race-bred Brembo brakes have also been fitted to the new Focus RS, if the spy photos are a guide. The previous Focus RS -- sold in small numbers in Australia in 2010 -- was powered by a turbocharged five-cylinder engine shared with Volvo. But even though the new Focus RS has switched back to a four-cylinder turbo, it is understood to have more grunt, with overseas reports claiming an output of 250kW of power and close to 450Nm of torque (up from 224kW and 440Nm from the previous model). Ford Australia imported just 315 examples of the previous generation three-door Focus RS in September 2010, after Ireland gave up its remaining allocation of cars due to excess supply and weakened demand in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. Despite costing $60,000, all 315 examples were snapped up within months. The next generation Focus RS, set to be a five-door only, is yet to be confirmed for Australia but it is highly likely the model will make it Down Under given the company's global "One Ford" policy. It will likely arrive some time late in 2015, as Ford typically introduces the RS version towards the end of the Focus' model life. Don't rush to a Ford dealer anytime soon to place an order, however. Carsguide understands even Ford dealers are yet to be told that the Focus RS is coming. The last time the Focus RS arrived, Ford Australia dealers were only given two months notice that the hypo hatch was coming.

Ford’s Fiesta ST is already arguably the king of the light hot hatch set, but a new report out of the UK suggests that an even hotter RS version is under development. AutoExpress suggests that a RS-badged Fiesta could be followed by the much-anticipated third-generation Focus RS, if a business case can be made for the models. Ford has been toying with the idea of a Fiesta RS since at least 2004, with a pumped-up concept based on the previous generation model shown at the Geneva motor show that year. Stranding in the way of the number crunchers though is the current economic woes of the Ford hatches’ European-market heartland, and the plans are reportedly far from being locked in. If a green light is given, tradition suggests we’ll see the new RS models towards the end of the Fiesta and Focus model life cycles, which could result in a Fiesta RS arriving at least 12 months ahead of as Focus RS – and as soon as 2015. The likely power source for a Fiesta RS would be an uprated version of the ST’s 134kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbo, producing in the order of 172kW to trump the existing 160kW/320Nm Mountune-enhanced version available overseas.  A tricky diff is possible to help put such power to the ground, along with widened tracks, monster brakes, and pumped wheelarches and other agressive body enhancements to help link it with the RS-liveried Fiesta WRC racer. Development mules have already been sighted of a Focus with the same treatment, with the likely motive source a version of the 2015 Mustang’s circa-227kW 2.3 litre EcoBoost engine. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn  

Getting a straight answer out of Ford on the next Focus RS is likely getting a concise and clearly-worded response from a politician: no matter how you phrase the question, the reply will be in the form of a non-answer. While that may frustrate potential customers and Focus RS fans, we understand the realities of the global automotive business. To justify a niche-specific performance car, you need to sell a whole lot of crossovers and family sedans first. That makes Ford reluctant to commit to a car as specialized as the Focus RS. Britain's Autocar is now reporting that the Ford Focus RS will go on sale (in Europe, anyway) sometime in 2015. That means that Ford has built a business case for its highest-performing hot hatch, justifying it against the likes of the more accessible Focus ST and the brand’s iconic rear-drive pony car, the Mustang. Thanks to the automaker’s “One Ford” policy, that may mean that overseas customers will have a shot at sampling the Focus RS’ wares, unless Ford decides the car is simply too expensive to export to these shores. Unlike the Focus ST, which blends equal parts performance and practicality, the Focus RS makes few concessions to things beyond acceleration and handling. It’s priced accordingly, which raises the issue of whether or not Americans will spend that kind of money on a hot hatch, no matter how fast it is. Under the hood of the next Focus RS will be a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, also expected to appear in the next Mustang. In Mustang guise, it will be longitudinally mounted, and is expected to make some 243 kW. For Focus RS duty, the engine will be spun sideways and transversely mounted, with power going to the front wheels. Final output remains a mystery, but it’s a safe bet that the Focus RS will make more thrust from the 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine than the Mustang will. The once-rumored all-wheel drive is reportedly off the table, too. An electric-drive system for the rear wheels was considered, but deemed to be too expensive. The Escape’s AWD system was also looked at, but it was found to be too bulky for use in the Focus RS. Instead, torque steer will be addressed by a revised version of the Revoknuckle front suspension that appeared on the last Focus RS. Like the Focus ST, the new Focus RS is expected to come in five-door flavor only, and the car will use the same “Sound Symposer” found in the ST to deliver the engine’s beautiful noise to the cabin. Assuming Autocar has the right information, expect the Focus RS to debut in Europe sometime in 2015. We’d call U.S. sales “possible,” though a timetable for a U.S. launch is impossible to predict. www.motorauthority.com  

These cars are operating in one of the toughest of all market segments and buyers are being wooed from all directions. Ford has revised the specifications of the entry level model, the Focus Ambiente sedan by introducing the choice of a manual gearbox. The manual option was previously offered only on the hatchback. Ambiente is now on sale with a recommended driveaway price of just $19,990. An excellent price for a fully imported Euro styled car that sits a fair way up in the image stakes. Ford Australia is also offering driveaway pricing, at $27,490, on the Focus Sport and Focus Trend manual for $22,890. To further increase value, the Ford Sync system is now standard across the entire Focus range. Sync synchronises hands-free, voice-activated in-car connectivity, this consists of USB and Bluetooth connectivity including music streaming; access to contacts stored in a connected phone via voice commands. It also lets you access music from a connected USB or iPod device via voice commands, as well as by way of steering wheel controls. You can view music and call information on Ford Sync’s in-dash display. The multifunction trip computer used by the Sync system also give economy-minded drivers information by way of the Ford EcoMode system. Passive safety features on the Focus include ABS brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist; Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Torque Vectoring Control and Hill Launch Assist. Secondary safety is provided by driver and passenger front and side thorax airbags, and side curtain airbags that aid front and rear passengers. Focus Ambiente is powered by a Duratec 1.6-litre petrol engine with 92 kW of power and 159 Nm of torque. Performance is good without being exactly exciting and our tests show it can get fuel consumption in the six to seven litres per hundred kilometres range on the open road, and seldom used more than nine litres around town even in heavy traffic. Further assisting the low price of buying a Ford Focus is the MyFord capped price service plan where Ford will publish the maximum price you will pay for its standard services at a participating authorised Ford dealer. As an example, the maximum amount the owner of a new Focus 1.6-litre petrol would pay at a participating dealer for the first 15,000 km service is just $320. The new prices of the Ford Focus range, with the previous prices in brackets: Ambiente 1.6-litre manual five-door hatch: $20,290 ($21,990) Ambiente 1.6-litre automatic five-door hatch: $22,590 ($24,290) Trend 2.0-litre manual five-door hatch: $22,290 ($24,490) Trend 2.0-litre automatic five-door hatch: $24,950 ($26,790) Trend 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door hatch: $28,090 ($30,500) Sport 2.0-litre manual five-door hatch: $25,890 ($27,890) Sport 2.0-litre automatic five-door hatch: $28,190 ($30,190) Sport 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door hatch: $31,690 ($33,690) Titanium 2.0-litre automatic five-door hatch: $32,990 ($33,840) Titanium 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door hatch: $36,490 ($37,340) Ambiente 1.6-litre manual four-door sedan: $20,290 (n/a) Ambiente 1.6-litre automatic four-door sedan: $22,590 ($24,290) Trend 2.0-litre automatic four-door sedan: $24,950 ($26,790) Trend 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-door sedan: $28,090 ($30,500) Titanium 2.0-litre automatic four-door sedan: $32,990 ($33,840)  

It was smiles all round at Central Coast Ford when homegrown singing sensation Karise Eden dropped by the West Gosford dealership. The winner of The Voice met staff at the popular car dealership last Friday when she stopped by to pick up the Ford Focus Titanium she won on the Channel 9 show earlier this year.  For general manager Tony Kutlucan, handing over the keys of the popular 2012 vehicle, which was imported from Germany, to the coast's favourite daughter was a proud moment. “My family and I watched The Voice and we were cheering for Karise to win because she was just such an amazing woman and representative for the Central Coast,” he said. “So when she won the show earlier this year we contacted Ford immediately and asked if we could be the ones to hand over the keys to her new car to her.” Despite being one of the biggest artists in the country, Eden hasn't forgotten where she came from and continues to live on the Central Coast. “It was really nice to know that when she heard we asked to be the ones to give her the car she said she was more than happy to come along and support a fellow coastie, which was a bit of a buzz for staff at Central Coast Ford,” Mr Kutlucan said.