Ford's Global Focus - Analyst Blog

Ford Motor Co. (F) will unveil its first global car, Focus 2012, in the Detroit Auto Show. The model will echo the “One Ford" concept, incorporated by the company CEO Alan Mullaly, to focus on cars that can be engineered once and sold around the world in more or less the same form. With the launch, the automaker will also fulfill its commitment towards building small and fuel-efficient cars. The new Focus is set for a global launch in 2011.

The new Focus replaces the original Focus, introduced in 1998. Ford will begin manufacturing the car in the same way at plants in Europe, Chongqing, China and Wayne, Michigan later this year, with 80% parts commonality. The car will be identical in all markets except variations in powertrains and color. It will hit the European and North American showrooms next year followed by Asian, African and South American ones.

The new Focus will be equipped with a new two-liter, four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission. It will also be lighter and quieter than the current U.S. version. It will have the same electronic-controlled suspension as the European Focus, generally known for better handling compared to the U.S. version.

Although Ford has not disclosed the gas mileage of the new Focus, it has assured a better mileage than the existing U.S. version, which gets up to 35 mpg on the highway. Ford also plans to introduce Focus as its first battery operated electric passenger car in North America. The electric Focus will be built in the Wayne plant, where the company is spending $550 million for retooling.

The existing Focus has also attracted the attention of U.S. consumers as the most fuel-efficient car from the company. Last year, the car ranked 4th in the top-10 buy list in the $3 billion U.S. cash incentive program Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), or “Cash for Clunkers."

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