Ford will add a fourth body style to its extremely popular Focus compact line this fall when the 5-door hatchback called the ZX5 arrives in dealerships across Canada.
ZX5 will join the 3-door hatchback, the 4-door sedan and the 4-door wagon in the Focus lineup for 2002.
According to Martin Inglis, the vice-president of the Ford North America Consumer Business Group, "Focus ZX5 is aimed at those who love the edgy styling, solid performance and handling of ZX3, but need the functionality of four doors with versatile seating and a rear hatch."
Inglis sees the ZX5 as a possible harbinger of the resurgence in the popularity of 5-door models in the North American market. Various manufacturers have abandoned the body style in recent years, as its popularity waned. Meanwhile, people in other places have embraced it. In Europe, for example, the 5-door hatchback is the most popular Focus model.
"Growing numbers of new generation buyers seem to be developing a real taste for the 21st Century's take on this bodystyle," Inglis says. "Perhaps it's because today's buyers have become so accustomed to the shape and functionality of SUVs and minivans. With our new ZX5, we're at the forefront of this trend, establishing another benchmark with the Focus lineup."
The new ZX5 is expected to have broad appeal, Inglis says, "especially to 30-something buyers who like the fashion-forward design and need four doors. The ZX5's distinct, New Edge design, with sculpted body panels and taut character lines, provides a visual cue to the car's fun-to-drive character."