McFarland Ford

Introduction

The 2012 Ford Focus is set to go on sale in early 2011. The new Focus will be slightly larger than the vehicle it replaces and will be much more upscale than the budget-minded Focus currently sold in the U.S. With the new Fiesta taking up some of the lower end of the market, Ford sees the Focus graduating to greater levels of sophistication and comfort.

The look of the new car is pretty compelling. Like the Fiesta, the Focus is a product of Ford of Europe's "kinetic design language," and is better for it. There will be two body styles, a sedan and a four-door hatchback. U.S.-market cars, at least initially, will be powered solely by a new direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that should make about 155 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque.

The only transmission Ford is talking about is an automated dual-clutch six-speed manual, which it calls PowerShift. Essentially, it is the same unit as the one fitted to the Fiesta and takes the place of a conventional automatic. As far as Ford was willing to say, you will not be able to manually shift the dual-clutch, at least not with steering-wheel paddles. For the do-it-yourselfers, Ford is expected to offer a conventional six-speed manual transmission as well.

The company is loading the Focus with all manner of optional niceties such as keyless entry and ignition, a rearview camera, a semiautomatic parallel parking system and the new MyFord "driver connect" technology that reconfigures information and entertainment operation with five-way touchpads on the steering wheel spokes and, with high-end versions, adds an 8-inch touchscreen display.

While Ford is emphasizing the new car's reduced noise levels, it also claims the driving dynamics that have become something of a Focus trademark (at least early in the model's history) have been improved. Ford points to a modified control-blade rear suspension, electric-assist steering and a "torque-vectoring" front differential system known as Dynamic Cornering Control as evidence of this.

The new 2012 Ford Focus looks to be a big improvement and a strong contender in the small car segment. If you're looking for a Ford Focus in NH, you've come to the right place!