2012 Ford Focus

From the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Cars.com's Mike Hanley takes a look at the 2012 Ford Focus.

2012 Ford Focus Hi! I'm Mike Hanley with Cars.com, and we’re here at the Detroit Auto Show taking a look at Ford’s new Focus. It’s been redesigned for the 2012 model year and it should go on sale about a year from now in early 2011. It’s shaping up to be one of the most significant models here at the auto show. And, we’re going to take a closer look at it right now. The Focus is the first effort from Ford’s One Ford strategy where they have one model sold around the world and it replaces three Focuses that were sold on a regional basis before. It also has Ford’s kinetic design which is basically a way to say that it looks like it’s moving even when it’s still. And, it has an aggressive look, an over all pretty premium look for the compact class. The Focus has a two-liter four cylinder engine that teams with the six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Now, Ford says—is going to be unsurpassed in this car, which means it’s going to have to get around 40 miles per gallon on the highway to match Chevy Cruze and what it’s coming out with. Eventually, you’ll be able to get an eco boost turbo charged model as well. The interior of the Focus continues that premium look that’s been established on the outside of the car. It has nice materials and nice details too like real stitching on the dashboard. The Focus is also going to be offered with a number of high end features you may not expect to find in a compact car including a self parking system, a back up camera, rain sensing windshield wipers and also the MyFord system, which is Ford’s new entertainment and communication system. There’s been a lot of skepticism about whether Americans will embrace smaller vehicles without the incent of high gas prices but I think the Focus, with its stylish exterior and high end technology, can stand on its own merits and attract shoppers that way.