Click Here to Comment at The Motor Portal Blog!!     2009 FOCUS SEDAN BROADENS APPEAL WITH NEW HIGH-END SERIES AND AVAILABLE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL   See the PDF for more info and pics (Acrobat Reader Required) Additional luxury: A fourth series - SEL - includes chrome door handles and mirrors, SYNC and leather trimmed heated seats as standard equipment.    More control: Driving dynamics are enhanced with available AdvanceTrac electronic stability control on all models.    The hot selling, fuel efficient Ford Focus sedan adds a new SEL series for 2009, offering small-car customers more upscale features while retaining key Focus attributes, such as bold styling, excellent driving dynamics, superb passenger roominess and leading safety and security features. SEL models include 16-inch Euroflanged alloy wheels, chrome door handles, chrome heated mirrors and leather trimmed heated seats.  Ford SYNC™ - an industry-first technology that offers unprecedented levels of connection, control, simplicity and personalization for electronic devices inside a car -also is standard on SEL. The SES series now comes with optional 17inch wheels and new suspension tuning.  The 17 inch tire and suspension development work done by Ford engineering further enhances the handling capability of the Ford Focus, making the driving experience even more exciting and fun.   A new option available on all Focus models for 2009 is electronic stability control (ESC), which uses sophisticated sensors and the anti-lock braking system to help correct skids that can lead to accidents.  High Fuel Efficiency, Low Emissions Focus sedan is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I-4 Duratec 20 engine that produces 140 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque, mated to a five-speed manual transmission.  A four-speed automatic transmission is optional.  Both combinations deliver excellent fuel economy of up-to 35 mpg. Furthermore, every Focus sold in California and other states that have adopted similar emissions requirements is a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV).    Great Value With an MSRP that starts at $15,690 including destination and delivery, the 2009 Focus sedan continues to offer the superior quality, refinement, cutting-edge technology and exciting driving dynamics today's small-car customers demand at a price that represents outstanding value. Add to that Ford's ongoing to commitment to safety and security, and the combination is outstanding. Standard safety features on the Focus include Ford's Personal Safety System®, thorax side air bags and side air curtains for enhanced protection in the event of frontal and side crashes. A tire pressure monitoring system also is standard, and anti-lock brakes are an available option.     ‘TOP TEN’ REASONS TO CHECK OUT 2008 FORD FOCUS Redesigned from the inside out, the 2008 Ford Focus goes on sale this fall with a long list of improvements that make it better than ever, including 35 miles per gallon highway fuel economy and a starting price under $15,000.   Below are just a few reasons why the 2008 Ford Focus is better all around: 1. Ford SYNC™ – The 2008 Ford Focus is the first vehicle to offer the company’s industry-exclusive Ford SYNC technology. SYNC – a voice-activated, hands-free, in-car communications and entertainment system – seamlessly integrates mobile phones and media players into the vehicle using Bluetooth technology and USB connectivity. It is also updatable to support the portable electronic devices and services of tomorrow. Developed in collaboration with Microsoft, SYNC will be offered exclusively on 12 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles this year. It will be standard on Lincoln vehicles and widely available on Ford and Mercury vehicles. In most cases, SYNC will be included as standard equipment on high-series models from Ford and Mercury. On models where SYNC is optional, it will be priced at $395. 2. Fuel-Sipping Focus – Although Ford engineers added an average of 64 pounds of content to the 2008 Ford Focus, they also took dozens of actions to trim the weight –making the average car nearly 38 pounds lighter. The weight reduction, along with an improved powertrain, upgraded parts and fine-tuning from bumper to bumper, help the Focus achieve better mileage than the model it replaces. Initial figures show the 2008 Focus delivers a 3-5 percent improvement in fuel economy over the 2007 model. Under the EPA’s revised – and more realistic – mileage test standards, the 2008 Focus delivers 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highway fuel economy with the automatic transmission and 24/35 with the 5-speed manual. Under the same standards, the previous model’s fuel economy rating would have been 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway for the automatic and 24/33 for the manual. 3. Fun to Drive – The Focus has long been hailed as an affordable car that handles and drives like a car twice its price. Its acclaimed driving dynamics are further improved in the 2008 model with a retuned suspension and chassis refinements, including new spring rates, dampers and stabilizer bushings. Its more powerful 2.0-liter engine delivers 140 hp, a 3 percent gain that comes from an all-new air intake system and a new cooling system, both designed to improve efficiency. 4. Mood Lighting -- Tapping the emerging trend of configurable lighting, Ford is making its ambient lighting system available to Ford Focus customers as a factory-installed option. The feature lets customers set the mood inside the vehicle with subtle LED lighting in the cupholders and in the front and rear footwells. The driver or front-seat passenger can choose from seven different colors – red, blue, aqua, purple, white, green and yellow – by cycling through a dash-mounted switch. 5. Cool Coupe – The 2008 Ford Focus features expressive new exterior styling inspired by the highly successful Fusion: a prominent chrome-bar grille design, flared wheel arches and sweeping, crisp lines, along with a sporty stance. For the first time, a Focus coupe is available in addition to a four-door sedan. Both are offered in three distinct trim series. 6. Inviting Interior – Focus introduces an all-new interior design with unique materials, plenty of storage space and new levels of craftsmanship. The redesigned cabin features an integrated instrument panel, a new top-of-dash display, new “Ice Blue” lighting for instruments and switches and distinctive cues such as metallic finishes. New seating provides more lateral and lumbar support. 7. Focus on Safety – The 2008 Focus comes standard with Ford’s Personal Safety System®, including thorax side air bags and side air curtains for increased coverage in the event of a side-impact crash. A tire pressure monitoring system also has been added as a standard feature. Anti-lock brakes are an available option. 8. Value Leader – The 2008 Ford Focus offers the best value in its segment, starting at only $14,695 for the Focus S coupe and $14,995 for the Focus S sedan, including $620 destination and delivery. Focus SE models are an additional $1,000. The top-of-the-line Focus SES coupe and sedan, with SYNC standard, begin at $16,695 and $16,995, respectively. According to the Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG), the projected 36-month resale value of the 2008 Ford Focus is as high as 50 percent for the Focus SE and SES coupe and 49 percent for the SE and SES sedan, which is fully competitive with small cars from Asian manufacturers. 9. Sounds of Silence – Ford engineers made numerous enhancements to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) on the 2008 Focus. Improved quietness comes as the result of new exterior design cues, a new acoustic windshield, new moldings and sealing systems, redesigned mirrors and much more. The 2008 Focus performs among the leaders in wind noise and powertrain NVH. It’s 3 dBA quieter than the outgoing model – a 10 percent improvement – and it achieves a 19.4 percent improvement in powertrain NVH, tying for best-in-class powertrain noise levels. 10. Manufacturing for Quality – Along with its new look and new features, the 2008 Ford Focus benefits from new manufacturing methods designed to deliver outstanding quality. Ford invested $130 million in its Wayne ( Mich.) Stamping and Assembly Plant to build the new Focus, with much of the funding dedicated to enlarging and upgrading the body shop. The upgrades included the installation of new robots with much more precise welding guns that attach the body sides to the underbody. The new machinery allows the assembly process to be more flexible. The plant also has installed 130 new direct-current electric hand tools with error-proofing for use during assembly. The new tools reduce workers’ strain and allow for constant precision monitoring during the build. Every new Focus also is scanned by Perceptron vision cameras to measure its dimensional integrity for fit and finish and to eliminate squeaks and rattles. These and numerous other factory-based improvements mesh with the car’s engineering upgrades to produce a more refined vehicle.     2008 FORD FOCUS STARTS UNDER $15,000; DELIVERS NEW DESIGN, MORE SAFETY, BETTER FUEL ECONOMY AND SYNC Value Leader – 2008 Ford Focus starts at $14,695 and offers the best value in its segment along with an all-new design, fuel economy in the mid-30s and such available class-exclusive features as Ford Sync™ and factory-installed ambient lighting. Ford Sync™Debuts – as an industry-exclusive, hands-free way to use cell phones and portable music players using voice commands. Ford Sync™ comes standard on 2008 Focus SES models and is available on Focus SE models. Fun to Drive – Acclaimed Focus driving dynamics are further improved with new suspension tuning and chassis refinements. Improved NVH levels provide a quieter ride. New Features – Standard safety equipment now includes side air bags, side air curtains and tire pressure monitoring system. An audio input jack, tilt steering wheel and air conditioning are standard on all models. SIRIUS® Satellite Radio is now available.   SEATTLE, Sept. 17, 2007 – Introduced for the 2000 model year, the Ford Focus was designed to be a "world car," meaning that it has been sold around the world in the same basic form as the car sold in the United States. In order to appeal to European buyers, the Focus was tuned to provide responsive handling and communicative steering. The new 2008 Ford Focus goes on sale this fall with a long list of improvements that make it better than ever, including 35 miles per gallon highway fuel economy and a starting price under $15,000. The new Focus is redesigned from the inside out, is available as a sedan or new coupe body style, is 30 pounds lighter, 10 percent quieter, has 3 percent more horsepower, more safety features, exceptional driving dynamics and fuel economy better than many smaller vehicles. With a starting price of $14,695, Focus pricing is essentially unchanged from last year – even with the addition of new standard safety features like side-curtain air bags.     The Ford Focus also introduces two new factory-installed technologies: programmable LED-powered ambient lighting and Ford Sync. Sync is a Ford-exclusive technology developed with Microsoft that allows users to control most portable digital music players and Bluetooth-enabled cell phones using voice commands.   “The new Focus is arriving at exactly the right time, with consumer interest in both small cars and technology surging,” said Barry Engle, general manager, Ford Brand Marketing. “With new a new design, great handling, fuel economy in the mid-30s and now Sync, we have something truly unique to offer consumers.”   Cutting-Edge Technology The 2008 Focus is the first vehicle to offer the company’s industry-exclusive Ford Sync technology this year. Sync – a voice-activated, hands-free, in-car communications and entertainment system – fully integrates mobile phones and media players into the vehicle using Bluetooth technology and USB connectivity. It seamlessly integrates the Focus with the popular portable electronic devices of today and is updatable to support the devices and services of tomorrow.   Developed in collaboration with Microsoft, Sync will be offered exclusively on 12 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles this year. It will be standard on Lincoln vehicles and widely available on Ford and Mercury vehicles. In most cases, Sync will be included as standard equipment on high-series models from Ford and Mercury. On models where Sync is optional, it will be priced at $395.   Tapping the emerging trend of configurable lighting, Ford is making its ambient lighting system available to Focus customers as a factory-installed option. The feature lets customers set the mood inside the vehicle with subtle LED lighting in the cupholders and in the front and rear footwells. The driver or front-seat passenger can choose from seven different colors – red, blue, aqua, purple, white, green and yellow – by cycling through a dash-mounted switch.   ,.   Great Value For the 2008 model year, an all-new Focus coupe complements the sedan model. Three trim series – Focus S, Focus SE and Focus SES – are available for both body styles. Base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for the 2008 Focus S coupe starts at $14,695, while the new Focus S sedan begins at $14,995. SE models are an additional $1,000. All prices include a $620 destination and delivery charge. The top-of-the-line Focus SES coupe and sedan, with Sync standard, begin at $16,695 and $16,995, respectively.   All-new features on the 2008 Focus include a standard audio input jack for MP3 players, Ice Blue instrument backlighting, new wheel designs, along with Ford Sync and SIRIUS™ satellite radio. Newly standard features include driver and front passenger seat side impact air bags, side curtain air bags, tire pressure monitoring system and air conditioning.   Standard content on the 2008 Ford Focus includes: 2.0-liter Duratec 20 4-cylinder engine (140 hp and 136 lb.-ft torque) In states that have adopted California emissions rules, every Focus qualifies as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV), meaning its tailpipe emissions are cleaner than some hybrids. 5-speed manual transmission Front-wheel drive European-inspired suspension Dual-stage driver and passenger air bags Driver and front passenger seat side impact air bags and side curtain air bags * Tire pressure monitoring system * Audio input jack for MP3 players ** AM/FM stereo with single CD player Ice Blue backlighting for instrument cluster and control knobs ** Air conditioning *   Available options include: 4-speed automatic transmission Ford Sync (standard on SES models and available on SE models) ** Ambient interior lighting system SIRIUS™ satellite radio ** AM/FM Stereo 6-disc CD/MP3 player with digital clock AM/FM Stereo 6-disc CD/MP3 player Audiophile system Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Traction Control Power moonroof Fog lamps Front row heated leather-trimmed seats Speed Control   * Indicates newly standard features ** Indicates all-new features   A new Deluxe Package also is available for the Focus SE series. It includes: heated side mirrors with chrome skulls caps and door handles; 16-inch Euro flange wheels; fog lamps; an enhanced European-inspired suspension with rear stabilizer bar; metallic instrument panel appliqué; bright cluster rings and other interior accents; a performance instrument cluster; four-way adjustable driver’s seat; and chrome tip exhaust.   The 2008 Ford Focus is built at Ford’s Wayne ( Mich.) Assembly Plant. It goes on sale this fall.