The 2012 Ford Focus is Ford Motor's most important new car since the 1986 Taurus and perhaps even the original Model T. Let's count the ways:
First, as Ford of Canada president Dave Mondragon admits, Canadian consumers "still think of Ford as a truck" company" -- a maker of pickups and SUVs (sport-utility vehicles). Remember, Ford's F-Series pickup has been the best-selling model line in the United States for 28 years and more than 40 in Canada. When you think Ford, you probably think pickup and if not pickup, SUVs like the old truck-based Explorer.
Ford desperately wants the all-new Focus to change that, to change perceptions in the marketplace. The goal is to retrain buyers in Canada and the U.S. to think of Ford as company with world-class cars. The compact Focus is a big, big gun in that fight.
Second, the Focus launch is the first truly global marketing campaign in Ford's history. In fact, a European team developed the marketing plan.
This is all part of Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally's drive to create One Ford -- a truly global car company where everything is done on a global scale. In short, new models are developed with an eye to selling them around the world, albeit with regional flavors. The Focus launch is a test case for the breadth of this One Ford concept.
"It allows us to leverage economies of scale on a global basis," says Mondragon.
In the case of the Focus, the Europeans know compact cars better than anyone else in the world. It makes sense for Europe to be at the centre of the launch campaign, just as North America is the centre of any F-Series pickup marketing effort.
In Canada, says Mondragon, the marketing team will not start from scratch and make its own campaign, but instead build on the work coming out of Europe. Thus, less marketing money is spent on production, more on the so-called "media buy." Plus, the Focus will arrive around the world with a clear and consistent message.
Third, Ford plans to position the Focus as not just a transportation appliance, but as a premium compact car with sleek styling, delicious handling and the sorts of high-tech features -- voice-activated controls, for instance -- usually seen only in bigger cars or luxury models.
Jim Farley, Ford's global marketing boss, says, "People can't look at our smaller cars as commodities. We need to make the transition for customers to look at these cars as premium."
Premium indeed. The new Focus, sold as a hatchback and a sedan, starts at $15,999 for the base four-door S, but if you go for a really loaded Focus Titanium five-door hatchback, the sticker is $30,859, including freight and $4,310 of options.
That price puts the Focus in premium territory. A front-drive Audi A3, with freight but no options, lists for $34,295. A Lexus CT 200h hybrid is $32,900 with freight and no options.
The important point here is for Ford to make healthy profits on passenger cars, the company expects buyers to pay the price for a feature-packed, up-market Focus with good fuel economy, outstanding crash test scores and entertaining ride and handling.
Finally, quality. Ford's is just now starting to develop a reputation for consistently building vehicles with world class durability and reliability. In the most recent J.D. watched annual study of the most reliable vehicles, Ford's Lincoln brand finished first overall, topping such industry stalwarts and Toyota Motor's Lexus luxury brand (second) and Porsche (fourth). Ford also had four segment winners in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study: Ford Fusion, Ford Mustang, Lincoln MKZ and Lincoln Navigator.
The Focus is Ford's first truly "global" model, with 80 per cent of the parts shared between Europe and North America. It's a test of whether or not Ford can redesign a model and sell it to the world with flawless quality right out of the gate. This is, again, something Ford has never done.
No wonder, according to Automotive News, Ford has been doing 50-km road tests of the first Focus units to come out of the Michigan Assembly plant where the Focus is built. This is a fairly common practice with premium brands such as Porsche, but not with mainstream car lines such as Ford. On quality, Ford wants to glitches.
Not to be lost in all this is the competition. The most fuel efficient version of the 2012 Focus has been certified by the U.S. EPA at 40 mpg highway/28 mpg city or 7.3 litres/100 km in the city and 5.2 highway in Canada.
However, Chevrolet (the Cruze), Hyundai (the Elantra) and Honda (the Civic) all have spanking new, very affordable and highly fuel efficient compacts either in showrooms now or coming soon. The Cruze went on sale last year, the new Elantra has just arrived and the new Civic hits showrooms this month.
"Compare Focus to anything in the segment," says Ford Canada boss Mondragon, arguing that in every way his offering is superior – from styling to performance to high-tech features.
Bold worlds, for sure. That said, neither the 1986 Taurus nor the original Model T faced such fearsome competition.
Oh, yes, the 2012 Focus is the most important car in Ford's history.
