Ford Focus 2012 News

The pocket rocket Focus RS is almost a sell-out, the first deliveries of the supercharged Falcons from Ford Performance Vehicles have begun, and there are a string of new arrivals planned to take the brand through to the end of 2011. The most important is the four-cylinder Falcon - to be called the Falcon EcoBoost - in the second half of next year.  Ford Australia also intends to have a Falcon with liquid petroleum injection and the Territory will finally get a V6 turbodiesel engine. "In the next 12 months around 85 per cent of the Ford product catalogue will be new or updated," says Peter Fadeyev of Ford Australia.  "This is a blend of new-model introductions and regular-model updates. The winners will be Australian customers." The latest Thai-built WT Fiesta is the next model on the launching page, followed by an update and upgrade of the Mondeo. Both cars are in showrooms from November, although the flagship Mondeo Titanium does not arrive until December. "The Titanium has a lot of the latest European safety systems, such as lane-departure warning," says Fadeyev.  November also brings a limited-edition Territory with more equipment and a slight visual tweak, as part of the run-out for the big change - including the turbodiesel - in the first half of next year. The big action happens in the second half of 2011 with the Falcon - likely to get a new name beyond FG - as the headliner, but an all-new Focus and the Ranger pickup on the plan. Ford is not giving any solid detail yet on the Focus, which will be built like the Fiesta in Thailand, but says the Ranger line-up will be much more extensive than the single display vehicle at the Australian International Motor Show.  While Ford is pushing hard, GM Holden also has plans for its own new-model drive following the arrival of the Barina Spark. It says there will be 10 new models in less than two years, but is not going into any detail beyond the obvious switch to an all-new Barina to sit slightly above the spark, the localised Cruze hatch and an all-new Captiva SUV. “Over the next year and a half Australian customers will see a roll-out of new Holden product like they’ve never seen before. We will have new, world-class, market-leading Holden vehicles competing in almost every segment in this market,” says Mike Devereux, chairman of GM Holden. “Spark is just the beginning with more fresh and original vehicles in the pipeline from our global and local design teams."

An all-new ST is also on the way as the successor to the XR5 Turbo, although the full-house RS500 is no chance Down Under as it is a European sellout.  The all-new ST is previewed at this week's Paris Motor Show, almost glowing under lights with its outrageous Tangerine Scream bodywork, although it is not coming to showrooms until 2012.  It is set to take the local place of the XR5 turbo although there is little detail yet from Broadmeadows.  "The thing we're looking at now is another Focus ST, which is the XR5 here in Australia," says says Beth Donovan, vice-president of marketing and sales for Ford Australia. She says Ford Australia has enough supplies of the XR5 for 2011, until the ST takes over as one of the first One Ford global products.  "The XR5 is under-stated, where the RS is overt. I think if we have an opportunity to have vehicles that enhance our brand, then those opportunities expand where we are with One Ford," Donovan says. The basics of the ST are impressive - a new four-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 10 per cent more power and torque but 20 per cent lower emissions - with a new chassis, 19-inch alloy wheels, bigger brakes and a six-speed close-ratio gearbox. The engine replaces the Volvo- designed five-cylinder turbo in the XR5 and comes with 186 kiloWatts. Work on the car is shared between engineers at Team RS in Europe and SVT in the USA, who are upgrading the basic Focus with lowered suspension and a bolder body kit. “The new Focus ST will be our first true global performance says Jost Capito, director of global performance vehicles.  Like the ST and RS models before it, the Focus ST will be the result of painstaking tuning around the curves of the Nürburgring, along high- speed German autobahns, and down classic British B-roads."  

Yes, the Focus RS is coming to Australia, albeit in limited numbers, with a sensational reputation in the UK.  The Focus XR5 on sale for sometime here has a turbocharged, 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine of 166kW power. But now the super-special RS will leave that in its dust. The RS has that engine tweaked to an amazing and V8-like 224kW power. Torque peak of 440Nm is from just 2300rpm. The RS output of 224kW (it bears repeating) shadows not only the Subaru WRX figure of 195kW but also the hotter STi version's 221kW. Mitsubishi's Evo X is rated at 217kW, putting the new Ford in front. Focus RS is built on a separate line to the normal Focus and has unique body panels, picked by flared wheel arches. Aero help comes from a front splitter and rear bumper venturi on the three-door hatchback. Recaro seats in partial leather trim, keyless entry and start, eight-speaker sound system, dual-zone climate control and rain-sensing wipers are part of the kit. Price will be $59,990 for this Euro hotshot and it will be here in the final months this year, only 315 earmarked for Australia.

The company is also unlikely to build another turbo Territory after the lacklustre reception of its F6X version. FPV boss Rod Barrett says Campbellfield operation will build "fast Falcons" only for the foreseeable future. "We've noted our speciality," he says. Barrett says the Focus would have been a welcomed entry addition to the FPV range but Ford's decision to cancel local production has ended the chance to go up against HSV's hot Astra-based turbo VXR. "If the mothership doesn't produce the mother car, we have got very little opportunity to make a locally-produced Focus now. That was always our waiting game. A hot Focus sourced out of Europe is also unlikely. "We don't do imports," Barrett says. "They are just price-prohibitive for our business case and when the decision was made that the Focus wouldn't be made at Broadmeadows that effectively ended the FPV locally built Focus." With the company building just 2000 hot Falcons a year, Barrett admits the options are few for growing the FPV brand. Although a hot Focus would have given enthusiasts a leg up into an entry FPV, going down the import path to bring in an Focus RS as a badged FPV was no longer an option because of exchanges rates. "We did look at it and then the dollar dropped," he says. Ford of Europe's, Focus RS, which sells in the UK for $52,000, was the likely candidate. The RS has a heavily reworked version of the same five-cylinder turbo petrol engine that powers the XR5 that lifts performance to 224kW/440Nm. To cope with the extra power the RS gets a beefier sports suspension, upgraded brakes, dual exhausts and retuned steering as well as a limited slip differential. The car accelerates to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 260km/h. Barrett says that if the company could have got 200 Focus RS models it could have been profitable, with a price under $60,000. Apart from the Focus, Barrett also says there are no plans to revisit the Territory F6X. "It's not in our immediate plans to go back into a Territory at the moment," he says. "We didn't have plans to go into an F6X at the new Territory." Barrett says the F6X was accepted as a very good car but "unfortunately it didn't appeal to the market".

Two months after Ford Australia fixed a potentially dangerous brake defect on some versions of its Territory, the company is now recalling its Focus and Mondeos to check problem with brake vacuum pumps. The recall for the LV Focus and MA Mondeo, built since last year, only affects those with a diesel engine. Ford says under certain conditions the supply of vacuum to the brake booster may be reduced causing a hard brake pedal and increase stopping distances. Ford is contacting known owners by mail. In March, Ford recalled more than 83,000 Territories to fix a brake hose defect which was uncovered by Carsguide after complaints from readers.    

The world's biggest motor show is weeks away, yet the car companies are already scrambling over each other to release clues about their exhibits.Among the highlights of the 62nd Frankfurt International Motor Show are cars made out of bamboo, a boxer diesel engine and yet more “urban crossover SUVs.”Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will unveil its Concept-cX compact SUV at the show.Concept-cX uses interior trim materials made from bamboo and other plant-based resins.The concept is powered by a new high-output, high-efficiency 1.8 litre diesel engine, featuring a variable geometry turbocharger for optimum boost control and a diesel oxidation catalyst with diesel particulate filter, and Mitsubishi's new twin clutch sport shift transmission.Dodge will also launch a crossover wagon, called Crew, which hits Australia late next year.The seven-seater is based on the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring sedan platform but with all-wheel drive and powered by 2.4-litre petrol and 2-litre turbo-diesel engines.The Crew looks like a shrunken Chrysler Voyager people mover, but with a longer nose and higher ground clearance.It will be built at Chrysler's Toluca plant in Mexico with production due to start in December.Subaru will use the show for its biggest new model blitz yet.Leading the line-up will be the new Impreza five-door hatchback in its 1.5 and 2 litre naturally aspirated formats, which arrives in Australia the same month.Other Subarus on show include an Impreza-based World Rally Car Concept, facelifted Tribeca luxury SUV with more efficient 3.6-litre boxer engine and five-speed auto, new Justy one-litre supermini and the world's first horizontally opposed boxer turbo-diesel engine, due to be progressively installed in models from early in 2008.Mazda will debut its Mazda6, the second Mazda new generation product to evolve to the next stage following the new Mazda2.Although Australia is yet to see the Kia cee'd five-door, the Korean company will debut its new sporty three-door Pro-cee'd, the third model in the family of cars designed for Europe and made in Slovakia.Only the bonnet and the front wing panels are carried over from the five-door model.Volkswagen will revive the 'people's car' with a concept Beetle.It is called the City Expert because The Beetle name has been taken by the more expensive new-generation car.The City Expert goes back to Beetle roots with a rear-mounted, flat-four boxer engine and a cheap price tag.VW will also reveal six new models with BlueMotion diesel technology, including the new Golf BlueMotion claiming economy of 4.5 litres/100km down 0.6-litres from the previous model, and CO2 emissions down 16g/km to 119g/km.Range on a 55-litre tank is now more than 1200km.Peugeot's 308RCZ concept will give a big hint towards a future body style for the 308 family.The ultra-light 2+2 coupe uses aluminium, polycarbonate windows and carbon fibre body parts and is powered by a 160kW 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbo jointly developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen and BMW.Renault will show a wagon version of its Clio mini.The Clio Sport Tourer will go on sale in Europe early next year.Mini is also on the bandwagon with the return of the Clubman van.The five-door model has double rear doors and a suicide door on the driver's side.The suicide door, which opens the opposite way, is designed to allow passengers easier access to the back.It would make more sense on the other side, but clearly the former British car now owned by BMW is designed for left-hand-drive markets with the blinkers also on the left.Ford will show its Kuga crossover all-wheel-drive probably powered by a range of petrol and turbodiesel engines, including the 2-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.In a surprise move, Suzuki will show it's expanding from small cars and SUVs into the family market.Their Kizashi family car looks mean with a massive black grille, sloping lamp clusters and low-level fog lamps.Also looking mean is Saab's 9-3 Turbo X which will rekindle the spirit of the 1980s Saab 900 Black Turbo.It will feature Cross-Wheel Drive allowing torque to be split to either side of the rear axle via an electronically limited slip differential, based on information from the stability and traction control systems.However, the show-stealer is likely to be seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher when he unveils the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, a lighter and faster development of the existing 430 coupe and convertible.Power is up to 380kW, weight is down 100kg and the F1 transmission has new software that cuts shift times to 60 milliseconds. 

Ford has released the first official styling sketch of a funky crossover based on the Iosis X concept, which will join the range in Europe next year.The Ford Kuga compact 4x4 uses the `kinetic design’ seen on the Iosis when it was showcased at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.While the sketch waters down the strong styling of the Iosis, it shows an athletic emphasis with an aggressively styled front end, pronounced character lines and bulging wheel arches.The Kuga will be previewed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and will be launched across Europe in 2008."With the launch of the Ford Kuga, we will keep the promise that we gave at the Paris Motor Show 2006; to develop a stylish new model based on the stunning Ford iosis X concept car in less than two years," Ford Europe president and CEO, John Fleming, said in a statement.Ford is yet to release any technical details of power train or equipment specification for the Kuga. A good fit could be the 2.0-litre Duratorq common rail turbo diesel four-cylinder, which has just arrived in the Ford Focus TDCi, developing 100 kilowatts of power and 320 Newton metres of torque.Petrol units might include a version of Ford’s four-cylinder 2.0-litre Duratec, also in the Focus, that develops 107kW and 185Nm, although a sport version could happily carry the hot Focus XR5’s 166kW/320Nm 2.5-litre turbo five-cylinder.Ford says the Kuga will go into production early in 2008 at Ford's Saarlouis plant in Germany.