 |
Chinese motoring journalists have made the Ford Focus the most awarded car in China.
The Ford Focus is one of the world's most awarded cars, winning both the European Car of the Year and North American Car of the Year.
The Ford Focus immediately became the most celebrated medium-size car in China when introduced in 2005. The following year, the Ford Focus received more than 30 awards nationally.
In 2007, Ford Focus's class-leading safety, confident European styling, and superior driving dynamic qualities were recognised and awarded by China's motoring fraternity. Ford Focus received more than 20 national motoring media awards, including:
- 2008 Best Car of Passion for Auto Life
- Most Popular Car of the Year
- Best Sporty Car of the Year
For model-year 2007, the exceptional Ford Focus was improved. Features were tailored in response to the wants of the Chinese market. Meanwhile, the Ford Focus inherited the subtle design changes of its European namesake. The motoring media had very good reasons to praise the Ford Focus.
Claims of world-class quality and class-leading occupant safety features were substantiated by independent testing.
China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) awarded the Ford Focus Luxury (with front side airbags) its maximum five-star score for occupant protection. Ford Focus is the first medium-size car in China to score five stars by C-NCAP. In Europe, the Focus also received a five-star occupant safety rating from Euro NCAP.
Four-wheel disc brakes (278mm front, 265mm rear) with the beneficial assistance of ABS and EBD control are standard across the Focus seven-model range.
Ford Focus Model Range:
- Focus Comfort – 5dr hatch 1.8-litre manual
- Focus Comfort – 4dr sedan 1.8-litre manual
- Focus Fashion – 5dr hatch 1.8-litre automatic
- Focus Fashion – 4dr sedan 1.8-litre automatic
- Focus Sport – 5dr hatch 2.0-litre manual
- Focus Sport – 5dr hatch 2.0-litre automatic
- Focus Luxury – 4dr sedan 2.0-litre automatic
Class-Leading Driving Dynamics
The Ford Focus reacts predictably and precisely to the driver's inputs. Its on-road driving qualities are unmatched in the medium-size sedan and hatch segment in China. The Ford Focus has the all-around ability to commute comfortably in day-to-day driving, and it has the distinct athletic ability to reward drivers who appreciate driving and the intimacy between man and machine.
Ford Focus is powered by Ford's all-aluminium Duratec petrol four-cylinder engine family. The engine features a Variable Intake System (VIS) ensuring consistent engine response under all conditions.
The Duratec engine is available in two capacities: a 1.8-litre engine producing peak power and torque of 91kW and 161Nm, and a more potent 2.0-litre engine producing peak power and torque of 104kW and 180Nm.
The Duratec engine delivers 90 percent of peak torque between 2000-4000rpm. This wide band of torque allows the Focus to effortlessly and comfortably operate in stop-and-go city traffic. Because the engine delivers near-peak torque across a wide engine speed range, the engine's performance at highway speeds is noted for its fuel efficiency and for its ability to accelerate quickly to overtake slower vehicles safely.
Ford Focus range offers two transmission choices: the relaxed comfort of a four-speed automatic (with a driver-select Sequential Sport Shift) or a more performance-minded five-speed manual gearbox.
European Design and Style
Focus along with Mondeo and S-MAX display European style. The dynamic quality of the Focus is carried through every design detail in the car. The bold sporty exterior is confident and muscular. There is obvious energy and excitement in its design that is true to the dynamic character of Focus.
Interior and exterior designs blend perfectly to visually convey its European heritage and European on-road driving qualities that have made the Ford Focus the most celebrated mid-size car in China.
Class-leading Occupant Protection and Quality
Throughout the bodystyle range, the new Focus has a structure that was designed to protect its occupants within a lightweight and highly efficient survival cell. It’s constructed from variable-gauge laser-welded panels of high strength steel.
The occupant cell and the surrounding energy-absorbing crush zones have been rigorously tested and verified through virtual crash simulation by super computers and in real laboratory crash tests in a state-of-the-art safety centre.
More crush space has been achieved by a controlled detaching of stiff chassis components from the body structure underfloor. During a crash, this allows the impact energy to pass beneath the rigid passenger cell, reducing the deceleration values for the occupants and avoiding deformation of the underfloor structure.
The structure includes such features as new compression members inside the door structure to reduce the A-pillar and instrument panel beam deformation and a new straight cross-car beam bolted between the A-pillars, which stabilises the body side structure and minimises the intrusion of the steering column and pedals.
These structural features combined with advanced passive safety systems set a new standard of crash protection for the Focus brand. As a result, the new Focus is performing strongly in independent testing programs, such as C-NCAP.
The entire Ford Focus range is equipped with driver and passenger front airbags, front seatbelt pretensioner with force limiting, front seatbelt height adjustment (B-pillar), seatbelt reminder for driver, and adjustable height headrests front and rear to provide class-leading occupant protection for driver and passengers.
Ford Focus is manufactured using state-of-the-art European production line process with strict quality control measures. Chang’an Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd., (CFMA) the manufacturer of Ford Focus in China, continues to enhance the quality of its component suppliers and to ensure world-class standards.
Innovative laser welding technology and Leica laser tracing equipment, with 1000 checking points per second, provides very high reliability and quality.
The Ford Focus will continue to impress the most critical motoring journalists.
About Ford Motor in China
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 245,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.
Ford's wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and investment in China include Ford Motor (China) Limited, Ford Motor Research & Engineering (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., Ford Automotive Finance (China) Ltd., Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd., Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. Nanjing Company, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. and Jiangling Motors Co., Ltd.
For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com and www.ford.com.cn.
