01-10-07: We have to sheepishly admit that the 2008 Ford Focus caught us by surprise. This publication and many others have railed the automaker for some time now about not offering the US market the better Ford Focus that is sold elsewhere in the world. When news came last summer that they were planning a face lift on the same old car, well that wasn’t met with kind accolades either.
When the all-new 2008 Ford Focus rolled out on the stage however, we were admittedly impressed with the full and complete sheet metal makeover that was presented. The car is truly brand new inside and out. An all new interior is clean and sophisticated, and an all new coupe version is now to be offered.
The redesigned Focus doesn’t share a single square inch of sheet metal with its previous model. Gone are the dopey looking wheel arch eyebrows, replaced by a new sculpted side creases that tie into a chromed faux vent ornament just ahead of the front doors. While this design element is non-functional and is the new trend this year on many cars, it does add a new look.
The new grille and headlights tie in with Ford’s new design language set by the popular Fusion. A two-bar chrome grille flows into the wrap around headlights. Those headlights flow up into the chamfered lines of the fenders, giving a well integrated appearance. Horizontal bars with a matte surface run through the reflection area, visually connecting the headlights with a sweeping line running through the chrome-bar grille. Ford feels this design element is significant enough that they have requested a patent for the design.
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In keeping with modern and youthful tastes, the rear tail lights have been given the chrome under clear treatment. The center high-mount brake light is also chrome and has LED lighting. Snappy.
Inside the 2008 Focus is a truly new interior. The sweeping design and use of new materials is miles apart from other Ford cars, even as recent as the Edge. It has a modern and contemporary appearance you would expect of Honda. There is no mistake there.
“We've taken cues from fashion and home design and translated them into a more upscale Focus interior,” says Lon Zaback, Focus chief designer. “We've given it some sophistication and flair by adding touches of silver metallic finishing like you see in today's home appliances, and used materials that provide a higher-quality feel to surfaces and touch points throughout the car. The overall package is simply more inviting.”
On SEL models, the dashboard and center console sport brilliant matte silver-metallic finishing. On SE models, the dashboard center finish panels are a contrasting dark stone non-metallic color. A “top-of-dash” display, positioned at eye-level at the top of the center stack, features a message center that shows radio function readouts. This simple, efficient design makes it easier and quicker to read when driving. A new seamless passenger front airbag door further cleans up the interior.
New seats have improved contours and offer more lateral and lumbar support. A new cloth pattern is available for 2008 while the leather trimmed seats feature contrast stitching for an added touch of craftsmanship.
Customers can also order an ambient lighting package that places tiny LEDs inside the front and rear cupholders and footwells. The LEDs can highlight the cabin in any of seven different colors (red, orange, blue, indigo, violet, green and yellow) and are controlled by a simple dash-mounted switch.
“The idea was to let owners give the car its own mood,” says Philip Smoker, 2008 Focus product marketing manager. “Customizable ambient light gives the interior a whole different look and keeps it fresh. Focus is the first in this segment to offer ambient lighting as a factory installed option.”
The 2008 Ford Focus will be one of the first Ford Motor Company vehicles to feature Ford “Sync“, a cutting-edge way to use cell phones and portable music players inside a vehicle. Developed in association with Microsoft, Sync offers a new level of in-car communications and entertainment convenience.
The 2008 Focus has an all-new climate control system that is more efficient with improved cooling and heating performance. Switching to electronic actuators for the floor, panel, defrost and temperature controls improve Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) performance. This completely redesigned HVAC system results in a climate control system that is quieter, lighter in weight and more effective in cooling and heating the cabin.
On the matter of chassis work, there are a number of improvements to the existing Forcus platform architecture. For one, the 2008 Focus’s curb weight is down by 60 pounds, even though the body structure is stiffer. This allowed the suspension engineers to sharpen the car’s steering and handling while improving ride quality at the same time.
Engineers reworked and improved the strength of the roof structure, the package tray, the connections between the rear floor and the underbody and the door systems. A stiffened cross-car beam under the instrument panel connects the car side-to-side and provides better lateral stiffness.
The basic suspension features an independent front suspension with MacPherson struts and an independent multi-link design in back. The spring rates, shock absorbers, stabilizer bars, and jounce bumpers have all been re-tuned for 2008. Engineers derived unique tuning packages for vehicles equipped with 15- or 16-inch wheels and tires. Models with 15-inch wheels and tires are equipped with low-rolling resistance Hankook tires. Those with 16-inch wheels and tires are paired with sporty, responsive Pirelli tires.
“Fuel economy was at the top of the improvement list for 2008, so we put the new Focus on a diet, dropping the curb weight of the vehicle by over 60 pounds,” says vehicle dynamics manager Mark Rushbrook. “To maintain good ride character, we reduced the spring rates. Improvements to steering and handling were accomplished by increasing the size of the front stabilizer bar for both the 15- and 16-inch tire packages, as well as detailed tuning of the shock absorbers to optimize the ride and handling balance.”
Rushbrook says the revised chassis settings help improve steering feel over the previous Focus without sacrificing ride quality. The front stabilizer bar diameters have been increased over 2007, from 18 millimeters to 20 millimeters on the 15-inch wheel tuning package, and from 21 millimeters to 22 millimeters on the 16-inch wheel tuning package.
“From a dynamics perspective, the new Focus feels much more solid and substantial,” says Rushbrook. “The chassis has been tuned with the new body structure to continue that feeling of confidence. Whether you’re driving down a twisty back road or an interstate highway, it always feels like you’re in a very solid yet responsive and fun vehicle.”
Focus gets revised front aluminum brake calipers save weight and improve brake pedal feel. The brakes are 10.9-inch vented discs in front and 11.0-inch drums in back with an available anti-lock braking system (ABS). Ford seems to have cheaped out a bit here, as the optional 4-wheel disc brakes have been dropped for 2008.
Engines are essentially carryover from the 2007 models. The 2008 Focus features a the 2.0-liter, “Duratec 20” DOHC, inline four with 136 hp as well as the eco-friendly
“Duratec 20E” engine for states adopting California emission standards. The latter engine qualifies Focus as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV). PZEVs are as clean as some hybrid vehicles, according to the EPA. Unfortunately, it appears Ford has dropped the more powerful 150hp 2.3 DOHC engine from the option list according to the early specifications released.
The 2008 Focus comes standard with Ford’s Personal Safety System®, thorax side air bags and side air curtains for increased coverage in the event of a side impact crash.
Ford’s Personal Safety System is a comprehensive collection of passive safety features for the front passengers. The system includes dual-deployment front air bags, energy absorbing safety belts, load limiting retractors and pretensioners, all which will help to create one of the safest cabins in its segment.
Focus uses Ford’s Safety Canopy™ side air curtain system that deploys in certain side-impact collisions to help protect front- and second-row outboard occupants using "roll-fold" technology. If occupants are resting their heads against a window, the Safety Canopy™ is designed to slide between the glass and occupants as it inflates. The curtains remain inflated for several seconds after deployment to enhance protection during an extended crash event.
Overall, the new Ford Focus is a vast improvement over the 2007 models in areas of styling, safety and market appeal. While we hope Ford will see the wisdom in offering an enthusiast oriented model akin to the SVT Focus that was offered a few years back, we admit that it is unlikely. No, while this new Focus is meant to appeal to younger buyers, they aren’t the type of buyers who are looking for a rocket-ride. They are more likely to be happy with their I-Pod and Bluetooth connectivity.
