Will a Facelift Be Enough to Spur on Sales Against Tough Competition?
To be honest, this one caught me off guard. You see, I've been expecting Ford to introduce a completely revised second-generation Focus for a while now. After all, there were several clues which I'd taken as a good indication something completely new was on the way, namely the introduction of the worldwide global C1 compact platform that is the basis for Volvo's upcoming
S40/
V50 and the new
Mazda3 that's already in showrooms, plus the addition of the European Focus C-Max.
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| Ford's "mid-cycle" Focus facelift is less of a redesign than expected. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
Next in line to receive the C1 treatment would expectedly be the blue oval's bread and butter Focus. No doubt it will come, but only after a "mid-cycle" facelift tries to lure buyers back into the brand's dealerships. Will the changes be enough to combat Volkswagen's completely redesigned Golf Mk V?
No doubt purveyors of the domestic brand will be chuckling to themselves as they read reports of Volkswagen's inability to bring the flashy new Golf replacement to its European market without serious problems, most of which revolve around a lack of consumer demand that could be resultant of reported technical glitches. But the majority of these challenges should have been resolved by the time the Golf hits North America, which means sales of the European-designed Focus will be under threat.
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| The most noticeable change to Ford's compact is a subtle exterior makeover. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
With this in mind the most noticeable change to Ford's compact is a visual makeover for the exterior. For those who are familiar with the brand's European midsize Mondeo, the
2005 Focus' face will seem familiar. Gone are the once controversial triangular shaped headlamps with grille-mounted turn-signal indicators, in favor of Mondeo-esque rounded four-sided headlamps with crystal-clear lens covers and a more distinctive mesh grille. These updates, along with a revised front air dam and bumper, give the Focus a handsome and sophisticated look.
