Focus to be built here from 2011...

[bob^]

Originally Posted by xe351

hopefully rwd and 4wd turbo varients! ok, dreaming.....

And indicator stalk on the right hand side instead of the left!

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Polyal

A Focus will never be like an escort.

XR5's will be popular with the young un's once second hand examples flood the market in 5 - 10 years time...

[belz82]

see, not all doom and gloom
may also go hand in hand with reports that the stamping plant may be expanded?
as i recall, someone posted a link to a report on the forums the other day about the stamping plant

and it's nice to see the media aren't covering this nearly as much as they were the '600 to be sacked in geelong' feeding frenzy from last week....

[calaway]

And what do you know, the union guys aren't happy because the engine is imported.

Some people are never going to be happy.

[Dr Smith]

It will be very interesting to see how the government fleets go when the Australian built Focus is marketed against all its imported opposition products...
and a locally built model will carry more profit margin.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Oh well atleast ull be able to buy Focuses in the same colour as Falcons now... Lol.

Originally Posted by ECOJET

wonder if focus would be a future cult car...
do they have any performance potential (excuse the ignorance) what engine combo's are offered in them e.t.c? what engines do they run in the rally cars?

Theres already a bit of a following, myself included.

Its been quoted that the 4cyl Duratec "has a head design that would make F1 engineers drool". Cosworth have kits to get over 190kw from the 2.3L varient of this engine, N/A. (2.3 not avaliable in a euro Focus, but its in the US Focus as well as MAzda 3 SP23) Heaps of aftermarket stuff coming out, this engine is used in heaps of other vehciles worldwide, such as Mazda MX5.

But the main talking point is the chassis and how the thing handles.

Of course the car is not for everybody, especially if you want something really cruisy or you carry heavy loads etc

[zetec]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Of course the car is not for everybody, especially if you want something really cruisy or you carry heavy loads etc

Like some of the heavy loads carried these days by Falcons...

[Rastus]

I find it amazing that after the media frenzy last week about the closure of the engine plant, this announcement "only" got a minute and a half of air time on Channel 7 news. That's including the rehash of last weeks story & hearing from employees that still are fuming.

[sleekism]

I am now eating my words for previously arguing that an Australian built Focus would be highly unlikely.

Think of the possibilities for an FPV variant!!!!!!!

Hmmm does anybody think the new V6 announced by Ford will be able to be fitted transversely into the Focuses engine bay??

I'm pretty sure Europe has a Focus variant with a 2.5L Duratec V6.

Are Ford going to be building up spec versions for the global market or is this going to be a domestic only model??

BTW I think calling the Focus a "small" car is quite inaccurate.

Small cars today were considered medium 15 years ago while medium today were considered large 15 years ago.

Brilliant move by Ford announcing this a week after the Geelong closure but the MEDIA IS STILL BLOODY WHINGING!!

They are complaining that the Geelong workers wont get a job there and that there is a heap of imported content with the new Focus?? WTF??

Am I over reacting or am i correct in being ****ed off that no matter what Ford Oz does they still get bagged. What is Holden and Toyota local content?? From what i have seen Holden is slowly going Korea.

If Holden announced the local production of a wiper blade they would declare a national freakin holiday!!

The media has been whinging since God only knows when that the locals should build small cars and Ford announces it and they whinge about it!

Good on Ford for staying with Australia! I'm going to start putting away for the FPV Focus (The new Duratec V6 would work very well in the Focus : )

Originally Posted by sleekism

I'm pretty sure Europe has a Focus variant with a 2.5L Duratec V6.

Perhaps a 2.5L straight 5 turbo;)

A RWD V6 Focus would be ace.

[sleekism]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Perhaps a 2.5L straight 5 turbo;)

A RWD V6 Focus would be ace.

Nope I realised where I heard about it.

On Forza Motorsport you can do an engine swap and put the 2.5L Duratec V6 into the Ford Focus

I think it is probale that as Ford will have both experience with the Duratec V6 and the Focus some very interesting mating will happen.

What Focus variants are there?? Do they have the 2.3L Mazda engine in the Focus? Is there turbocharged versions with the regular 2.0L?

[RS500]

at least we will be building European Focus's and not THE us ones

http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/200...yling/article/

[Nikked]

Take that holden.

Now lets See:

-orion with Perfomance (TTV6, hopefully, stomping Hurracane V8) Economy, (Diesel, LPG), quality and style
-Focus with better build quality, diesel, and peformance
-Territory with Perfomance, Economy (take that Captiva :jab: ) and quality

V's
-Some local built car with poor build quality, and some Perfomance cars...
-bunch load of imported Korean crap...

[outback_ute]

Good news but you wonder why, in the week Ford was being hammered over the closure of the Geelong engine line before the announcement, why they didn't announce it at the same time, it would have been a huge plus and taken so much of the heat out of the issue. I wonder why they are going to stop making the Focus in South Africa?

[Van D]

Bloody hell! That's a ripper ey.

About time we got some real good news. Good move FoA

[Paxton]

There is no impressing the Media. They have, and always will make a storm out of a Tea Cup. So what if the engines and transmissions are imported. We get another Australian car.

My first car was an Australian built Corolla. My Kids will be getting an Australian built Focus. I can't think of anything better that has happened to the Australian car industry since it began.

Ford have cemented their position in Australia for the life of the Third Generation Focus and the next Generation Falcon. I just hope that Ford can get their quality up, as compared to a German Focus, Falcon and Territory are rubbish.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by Paxton

There is no impressing the Media. They have, and always will make a storm out of a Tea Cup. So what if the engines and transmissions are imported. We get another Australian car.

I just hope that Ford can get their quality up, as compared to a German Focus, Falcon and Territory are rubbish.

Agree with you there. The sad thing is that the Falcon's engine and transmission is better than the Commodore's rattle-machine or clunkinator. I am sure that the Duratec 35 or 37 will continue that trend.
It's sad that the media fail to see that although Ford has gone for ZF 6, the car is that much better off and makes the Holden six (and four) sound like a squawking stuck wombat. The media need to realise that despite Ford's roots coming initially from the U.S., it has been very good at supporting Australian industry.

Ford need to AGGRESSIVELY state that all cars in the same class are imported while the Focus is creating jobs and helping Australia. The Focus is on Australia.

Build quality will be a huge focus. If Ford can built a top quality car and the media actually recognises it, then it will do well.

[The Stylist]

Originally Posted by Paxton

I just hope that Ford can get their quality up, as compared to a German Focus, Falcon and Territory are rubbish.

I must admit it does worry me a bit, considering the poor quality of the Falcon.

Regardless, getting the Focus built in Australia is a major boost for Ford.

Things will get even better soon with the arrival of Fords new midsizer.

[Paxton]

@The Stylist & uranium_death ultimately, Ford have to up their quality if they want to play with the Big Boys (Corolla and Mazda3), and if they have any export aspirations, they have to start from the bottom and work their way up. They may have a world class car, but unless they have the means to make the car comparable with Germany (where the XR5 will continue to be sourced), then the Focus gamble may not succeed.

I look forward to seeing how the cars that come from Australia compare to those from Germany/South Africa. I am impressed that Australia got the contract at the Jeopardy of South Africa. Perhaps Mondeo may be sourced from there, as they already make Mondeo AFAIK.


Andrew.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

I wonder why they are going to stop making the Focus in South Africa?

Though I do not know the specific reason and I am unsure if I will ever know...South Africa is a place in turmoil. The economy is stuffed, skilled workers are fleeing and the banana-republic is back in!

To paint a picture, a large number of cops are killed every year. If a cop makes it to 20 years service, they deserve a parade through the city.

[Steffo]

I'd just love to know what's so poorly made about the Falcon? I don't see how cars that do 500,000km between engine reconditions are "poorly made?"

[apolloxbgt]

Even if ford aus don't colour the engine bays,at least they are consistant,they get paint almost everywhere unlike south africa.The focus has terrible paint quality now,hopefully when they're built here that will improve.

[The Stylist]

Originally Posted by Steffo

I'd just love to know what's so poorly made about the Falcon? I don't see how cars that do 500,000km between engine reconditions are "poorly made?"

An engine is not the entire car is it?

[Steffo]

Originally Posted by The Stylist

An engine is not the entire car is it?

Nope, its just what makes the car move. A very important part, don't you say?

Though if you people are complaining about small interior imperfections and calling a car poorly made as a whole... well then...

[ClevlndStemer]

Originally Posted by Steffo

I'd just love to know what's so poorly made about the Falcon? I don't see how cars that do 500,000km between engine reconditions are "poorly made?"

own one and you will see. it isn't just the engine, its the whole car, the imperfections in the gaps between the panels, the lack of paint under doors and many other areas, the interior fit and finish, etc.

[Steffo]

Originally Posted by ClevlndStemer

own one and you will see. it isn't just the engine, its the whole car, the imperfections in the gaps between the panels, the lack of paint under doors and many other areas, the interior fit and finish, etc.

We have owned them. I'm around a 400,000km old AUII every day. Interior is the same as its always been, engine and gearbox still original etc.

The one before it was an 896,000km old AU. The biggest fault on that was the steering wheel had melted (common in cabs). Eventually it got "written off," that being, damage exceeded 75% of the value of the car (not hard) and was replaced with said AUII.

I'll let you know when minor imperfections actually affect the car. :P

[DanielXR8]

Great news, but Ford Aust will have to substanially improve the build quality of the Focus over what they consider acceptable for the Falcon and Territory, otherwise the car will get a bad wrap locally and be avoided by buyers in what is a highly coompetitive segment of the market. Same goes for exports.

Needless to say the biggest worry for this cars success in Australia is the dealer network. They would really have to lift their game if Ford want to win sales from Toyota and Mazda.

All doable, but Ford will have to start straightening out these issues now. I suspect its a good five or ten year job to weed out the bad dealers (as in getting rid of them) and make the others realise the value of good customer service, if they want to compete successfully in the small car market.

The good news is it will be worth the effort for the smart dealers, as Focus is a very competitive car.

Dan

[ClevlndStemer]

Originally Posted by Steffo

We have owned them. I'm around a 400,000km old AUII every day. Interior is the same as its always been, engine and gearbox still original etc.

The one before it was an 896,000km old AU. The biggest fault on that was the steering wheel had melted (common in cabs). Eventually it got "written off," that being, damage exceeded 75% of the value of the car (not hard) and was replaced with said AUII.

I'll let you know when minor imperfections actually affect the car. :P

i guess you are one of the rare lucky ones. Good for you.

[LeadFoot81]

Re: rear wheel drive Focuses
Ford in Europe are trialling an all wheel drive Focus RS, would this make a rear wheel drive version as easy to make as front wheel drive one?