The 2008 Ford Focus is redesigned inside and out with a bold new exterior, a modern interior and a long list of new safety and technology features, including Ford Sync-Ford’s exclusive fully-integrated, voice activated in-car communications and entertainment system for mobile phones and digital media players
Also new is a sporty two-door Focus coupe, which is designed to attract new and younger buyers in the growing small car market. Small cars make up the largest vehicle segment in the U.S. today, and growth is expected to continue.
On sale in the fall of 2007, the new Focus will offer fuel economy rivaling smaller vehicles. With its fuel-efficient 2.0-litre engine and approximately 60 pounds less weight, the new 2008 Focus is expected to deliver real-world fuel economy similar to today’s model, despite added content and a stiffer body. Currently, Focus is among the segments best with a U.S. EPA rating of 37 miles per gallon on the highway.
Overall, the interior is modern and quieter. The 2008 Focus features a new acoustic windshield, thicker side glass in the front doors and additional sound-deadening materials through the cabin. Customers can order a new ambient lighting package that places tiny LEDs inside the front and rear cupholders sand in the footwells. The LEDs can highlight the cabin in any of seven different colors through a dash-mounted switch.
The 2008 Focus, in addition to Ford’s Personal Safety System, comes standard with side air bags and side air curtains. The advanced side air curtains-Ford’s Safety Canopy-feature “roll-fold” technology. If occupants are resting their heads against a window, the curtain is designed to slide between the glass and occupants as it inflates. In the event of a rollover, the curtains remain inflated for several seconds to enhance protection during an extended crash event.