Official 2008 Ford Focus Pics and Information!

[focaljet-1]

Nooooooo, P25 you're not jumping on the "looks like X" bandwagon are you? :e-tear:

You forgot "mirrors"

I agree that out of it's competition, the new Sentra has the closest design language to the Focus.

What is for sure is that the cars were designed pretty concurrently, so it's not as if one design team "copied" the other.

Could it be that what we are seeing is simply the most current styling theories put into play?

[BlckXenonZx3]

^^^ No because Ford hates it's customers and would never try a "bold.." design "...move".

Edit: Note the puddle of dripped sarcasm. I hope people come around and end up moving past the front end. As Ron mentioned, I'm just quite suprised so many people hate it. If they don't come around it's all good. IMHO it seems like an upclassed Focus. When you sit it next to its competition I think it becomes rather apparent who used progressive modern designs and who didn't. With a bit of modifying it'll be pure sex.

[rpvitiello]

Originally Posted by sicko

they cut so many corners, they could probably still make a decent profit if the msrp was $12,000

which is why i dont get...
why not badge this as another car and use it as a scion fighter offering lots of bang for the buck and price it really cheap. Plus if they do that it can stay out till they get a proper b segmant car out.

as a step up they could import a limited quantity of mk2 foci from europe. Price them much higher, and sell every one without rebates. How ever much production they could squeez world wide. If they were running all the plants at full capasity i am sure they could get 20,000 to the US a year.

Originally Posted by Clegg

PS: When will they stop using those 4x108 freaking hubs? can we get something that maybe some other car uses?! I was hoping to see the 2008 with a 5x100 or 4x100 atleast.

those rims look like they were rims offered on the euro mk1 focus at one point. So i am guessing those were just part's bin finds.

Originally Posted by Peloton25

Maybe it's just me...



Front bumper, headlight profile, fenders and some of the other bodylines are surprisingly similar to me.

>8^)
ER

they are the same size car, so i dont see how the perportions would be all that different...

Front and back i like the nissan better, but from the side (in photos) the focus looks better...

I really think the best angle for this focus is the side profile, second best is the rear, and worst is the front

Originally Posted by deaconblue23

And who really needs all that SYNC B.S. The USB is nice and such but as long as it plays MP3's who really cares and I am sure since it is a MS product look at about $500 -$700 as an option. And the mood lighting has got to go. And also NO ARM REST = NO LONG TRIPS!!!!

ANYONE that lives in NY, NJ, CT, and now CA because it is required by LAW in those states you must use hands free to use a phone, text message etc...
Quite a few other manufactureres offered some type of bluetooth from the factory for a wile and at least in these markets NOT offering something like this will hurt sales.

I think this highlights one aspect where american car companies were completely out of touch with what consumers need and want. The HANDS FREE ONLY laws ARE inforced in at least the tri state NY, NJ, CT part of the us and i do not know ONE person that does not want bluetooth in a new car they buy regardless of what class the car is in. ad in Cali passing hand heald cellphone bans and thats what 60million people in the US that wont buy a car unless it has bluetooth?

I again think it is foolish for car makers to treat the whole US as the same.

In the south pick up trucks may be the thing to buy and may be a status symbol, but in other parts of the country you are looked at as lower class if you drive a truck no matter how $$$ it is. Some parts of the US want nice trucks, Some want nice SUV's, some want Nice full size cars, and others want nice SMALL cars.

I am wondering how much extra capasity ford could get out of all the C1 focus plants in the world to exporte some C1 foci to the US in a limited quantity. They could price these cars higher and target to sell say 30,000 a year in the us. They could then take updated c170 focus and give it a different name and position it against scion. This would give them the introductory level car they need to go against scion, and it would give them a premium small car to compeat against civic and such cars...

Then in 2010-11 they could come out with a true b segmant car to go against scion, they could come out with a new replacement to this focus coupe to fight the tC, and they could come out with the all new focus in full volume to compeat with civic, VW jetta/rabbit, etc

also the iosis was a concept form of the mondeo, I simply stated the US focus looks like the production mondeo instead of the prototype. I remember reading the current managment at ford does NOT like the whole fusion styling, but the ball was rolling before they got there to roll out the whole brand to look like that. I believe there plan was to roll out the fusion styling, and then for the next generation shift over to global styling. It looks like the focus was an attempt to meet US and euro styling 1/2 way and make it a transition car so that when the universal styling comes out it looks like it was an update to that car line.

also after looking at the car for a bit, it does look a bit like a focus. it is not the same design direction europe took with it, but the car still has some focus trates, especally from a side profile...

the headlights used to have a indent in them that folowed the curve of the grill, in this case they simpally made the grill continue into the headlights. The side profile on the front has the raked back lights like the first gen does.

To make this car look more upscale ford should replace the tail lights with LED lights, the tC, mazda 3, and i believe the civic offer them. The front headlights should be replaced with projector lights to give the car a more "high tech" look which is what they are going for, and the front bumper needs a better design with projector style fog lights

not big changed, but those would help the styling ALLOT on this car and would be worth it from a marketing standpoint imo

[NOS2Go4Me]

That rear shot of the coupe on the first page (compared with the Escort) also looks a hell of a lot like a Hyundai Accent. I thought we were going to be getting a seriously hot-styled sport compact... but when the spy shots of the coupe showed, I could tell it was going down the toilet.

I'm SO glad I bought my 2007. Anything Ford I buy after this will NOT be a Focus.

Am I the only one who thinks the Brits are laughing at us quite hard right now?

[darkness]

Well, I was able to go to the Industry Preview night last night (my aunt graduated from Northwood University) and get a good look at both cars. Going in I was really liking the coupe and lukewarm on the Sedan, but having seen them both up close I find my opinion flip-flopping. Something is really just off about the coupe's proportions (I think longer doors and a liftback would have really helped), but the sedan just pops. The proportions are very nice and muscular (reminds me of a Fusion crossed with an S40) and with the 17" wheels I found myself really liking it. I'm still not wild about the headlights (mainly the 2 horizontal lines) and the fender bling, but the goodness of the rest easily outweighs those 2 items.

One thing I noticed in person that I didn't in pictures was that the dash in the sedan is a different color than the coupes. While the coupe dash is silver, the sedan was grey-much nicer looking, IMHO.

[focaljet-1]

Originally Posted by darkness

Well, I was able to go to the Industry Preview night last night (my aunt graduated from Northwood University) and get a good look at both cars. Going in I was really liking the coupe and lukewarm on the Sedan, but having seen them both up close I find my opinion flip-flopping. Something is really just off about the coupe's proportions (I think longer doors and a liftback would have really helped), but the sedan just pops. The proportions are very nice and muscular (reminds me of a Fusion crossed with an S40) and with the 17" wheels I found myself really liking it. I'm still not wild about the headlights (mainly the 2 horizontal lines) and the fender bling, but the goodness of the rest easily outweighs those 2 items.

One thing I noticed in person that I didn't in pictures was that the dash in the sedan is a different color than the coupes. While the coupe dash is silver, the sedan was grey-much nicer looking, IMHO.

Thanks for the "real world" review.

I think the two different interior treatments you saw were probably two separate trim levels. The "brighter" one being the "Sport", which I believe will be available on the Coupe of Sedan. The subdued one you saw in the Sedan was probably a "SEL Deluxe".

[CrUziN4L]

Originally Posted by MEJ684

True on reliability but I was really hoping for a FI model this year. Anything thats already fast from the factory has my vote....... wait maybe i should look at a mustang....

hoping for FI on a "revamped" model and not a completely new gen? pipedreams

so go look at a mustang, no pulling ur panties.


most likely will be some sort of a FI for the C2, at least a option. Say 5cyl?

[CrUziN4L]

im sooo amazed by this thread...on a website to modify cars, especially focuses in general; the amount of people completely shuteyed to the glimmer of potential this car has...which is a lot!

maybe its because this website has created an "alternate reality" for us making us think we are the only market Ford has to base their designs off of?

whatever it is, im glad there are several who see its potential, defend its general design and where ford was going with it. Because "In general" is all that matters, this will be a hit among the general public for a good 2-3yrs when a completely new focus comes...

then the rest will hail




-chris

[SilverSVT]

With that one photo that P25 posted with the Sentra, from the C pillar back, it almost exactly reminds me of a C1 Sedan...I'd say that's the best part styling wise of the car. I can see other similarities also with the C1 and the new US version, but obviously many of these elements are for the American market.

[sh0velman]

wow thats a good looking Focus.. never seen a C1 sedan before.

[zurno]

Originally Posted by NOS2Go4Me

That rear shot of the coupe on the first page (compared with the Escort) also looks a hell of a lot like a Hyundai Accent. I thought we were going to be getting a seriously hot-styled sport compact... but when the spy shots of the coupe showed, I could tell it was going down the toilet.

I'm SO glad I bought my 2007. Anything Ford I buy after this will NOT be a Focus.

Am I the only one who thinks the Brits are laughing at us quite hard right now?

they basically had similar reactions to this thread

ffoc thread I made

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by focaljet-1

Nooooooo, P25 you're not jumping on the "looks like X" bandwagon are you? :e-tear:

Not really - I was just surprised at the number of similarities. They are obviously different cars in more ways than they are the same, but I still had to share.

You forgot "mirrors"

Funny - I thought I wrote "mirrors" too.

I agree that out of it's competition, the new Sentra has the closest design language to the Focus.

What is for sure is that the cars were designed pretty concurrently, so it's not as if one design team "copied" the other.

Could it be that what we are seeing is simply the most current styling theories put into play?

Well the Sentra looks a lot like the rest of it's family, and the Altima and Maxima designs have been around for a while. Maybe the two designers both went to the same school.

>8^)
ER

[panchocito]

Originally Posted by SilverSVT

Thanks for rubbing it in our face how nice a sedan can look. lol
I actually like the c1 sedan better than the c1 hatch! And I don't even like sedans!

[EggYolkBill]

I can't be the only one who sees a family resemblance between these two????

[FocusOnPunk]

It's clearly bastardized a bit, but remember the Focaljet creed:
Euro = good
USA = bad

You must not deviate.

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by panchocito

I actually like the c1 sedan better than the c1 hatch! And I don't even like sedans!

I said the same thing back when they were introduced.

Frankly I am not a huge fan of the C1, except in ST form. It's a better evolution of the original Focus design that what we will be getting, but it just doesn't sit well with me for some reason.

>8^)
ER

[panchocito]

Originally Posted by FocusOnPunk

It's clearly bastardized a bit, but remember the Focaljet creed:
Euro = good
USA = bad

You must not deviate.

Am sorry but lets do a test, and show those two pics to people around us who never heard of fj, and I bet which one they will say looks cleaner, more solid, more balanced, and more expensive.

[OmniFocus]

The other thing often over looked with a potential C1 "upgrade": Weight!

The C1 cars are larger and heavier... some of you want that, but I don't NEED a larger car, and I certainly don't want the extra poundage. The C170 will always be more nimble due to the lack of mass. Sure, the extra weight provides a more solid, more expensive "feel"... but there is more to a car than that.

[panchocito]

Originally Posted by OmniFocus

The other thing often over looked with a potential C1 "upgrade": Weight!

The C1 cars are larger and heavier... some of you want that, but I don't NEED a larger car, and I certainly don't want the extra poundage. The C170 will always be more nimble due to the lack of mass. Sure, the extra weight provides a more solid, more expensive "feel"... but there is more to a car than that.

That's a good point. So bring over the Fiesta!

But indeed, the 08 focus breaks the norm on cars getting heavier from generation to generation.

[OmniFocus]

Originally Posted by panchocito

That's a good point. So bring over the Fiesta!

That would almost be perfect for me, but I've noticed that as cars move downsegment they lose some of the important touches to enthusiast drivers... but are still good for the masses.

The Fiesta, for example, has a twist beam rear suspension.

It is pretty much impossible to please everybody though. Folks here speak of dislike for the 08 nose and like of the tail, whereas I'm the opposite... I don't like the butt, but find the nose "curiously refreshing".

[panchocito]

Originally Posted by OmniFocus

I don't like the butt, but find the nose "curiously refreshing".

wahaha lolllllllll
I don't know but butt and curiously refreshing in the same sentence just sounded funny..

[focaljet-1]

Yes, expect the Fiesta (or any B-Segment car for that matter) to have twist beam rear suspension.

Actually I predict you will see more C-Segment cars "downgrading" to it as well, as companies struggle to find profit, the new Euro Civic already has.