Topnotch

With a little tweakin' the new Focus should look good...


And Bring Back the WAGON...

Zastava_101

Looks pretty good.

hi5.0

sorry, still doesn't work for me...

jsaylor

Wow, this really makes it clear that the overall profile is actually very good and that the new Focus is a looker...from the a-pillar back. The weak link is that seriously over-wrought front fascia, and perhaps the goofy vents in the front fender. I'd love to see what one of these would look like with some larger wheelas and tires and an angrier, sportier take on the Fusions front clip. If done correctly this could easily be the best looking car in this class.

Moosetang

A-pillar back the 08 is like the 1-series: funky but not really
in a bad way. I think Top does a good job making what's there look better but I bet it'd look really good if he didn't have to start with such crappy looks to begin with.

jsaylor

Indeed...that shcnoz is just awful. And as I said above that is really a shame because Topnotch has proven that this thing could be a real head turner with a better mug and some minor massaging elsewhere.

BTW Topnotch, the removal of the 'gills' is a huge improvement. Except for the schnoz, which might be beyond the ability of DaVinci to fix without siomply trashing the starting point and beginning anew, what you have wrought is really a looker. I'm impressed.

Black331

The rear wheelwell is also tiny, reminds me of the Echo and first gen Prius.

Nobody is going to buy a car that you have to spend 5k in custom mods to make it look "decent".

Ford built this decades Gremlin/Aztec/Yugo..

Heads should roll over this, this isn't how you turn a company around, I'm sure the import crowd will be trding in their cars for this gem..

htwag

Ford needs to totally revamp the engine, braks, etc. on the Ficus and led the competition, not catch-up to it. Hope the new Focus brings in buyers.

hi5.0

Yeah, it's called the Mazda 3...

Q`res

It's amazing how much of a difference adding a third bar to the grille and getting rid of the stupid notch in the headlights really make on this car.

I'm still not sure why Ford decided to try designing a replacement for the Saturn Ion...

jsaylor

Agreed, not an original part on that nose. The headlights look like a bad update on the II gen Contour's eyes.

rhumb

An improvement, though that's about all that could happen to the Focus, but still putting lipstick on a pig. I think the best that can be said for the '08 Focus is that it's a penny-pinching carry over, as evidenced by the fact that they gave the redesign task to some very junior stylists, that'll bide time until the next stem-to-stern redesign comes around in two-three years. Look for these clotting up rental car lots for the next couple years.

jsaylor

I don't entirely agree. After Topnotch removed the side vents this became a far better looking car than either iteration of the Euro C1 Focus IMO....at least from the doors back. And since the schnoz of a car is one of the easiest areas to fix that could be good news, although I seriously doubt it. Give the old girl a serious nose job and open up those rear fender wells just a bit and Ford could have a serious looker on their hands.

In fact Topnotch's render has so convinced me of this cars potential that I might actually buy one.

TomServo92

It sounds like Ford is listening to the consumers:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/24/f...umer-backlash/

Moosetang

Begs interesting questions: Which is better, immediately responding to feedback and implementing small fixes before it hits market, or doing a crash-redesign as with 500 and getting it more fixed a couple years down the road? Will we see both with this car, or will they just leave it on life support until the C2 Focus?

Personally, I think they should have shown something earlier, or done more focus group testing, in order to allow themselves time to fix it. Top has shown just how little has/had to be done to get this to a good-looking car, and I'm just shocked noone figured out that it didn't look good BEFORE the Show.

jsaylor

Exactly. These guys spend their days looking at cars, many of them hot. It makes you wonder how they miss stuff like this.

Vermillion06

If you read the comments on the autoblog article, it's all a "import sport compact" fanboys who are overreacting and condemning the refresh because its not the C1 Focus. These people would probably wouldn't buy a Focus anyway, simply because it's a Ford.

I'm so sick of hearing all the moaning about how we don't get the C1 Focus in the US. The C2 will be here in few years and they can all have a Eurogasm. Buy a freaking Mazda 3 or whatever Volvo that is C1 based if it's so important to have the C1 chassis.

jsaylor

I hear you. For the time being I would prefer a well executed redux of Focus 1, and this car has the potential to have been/be that with some tweaks.

grrr428

One or two things to remember, the Focus is our smallest and least expensive Ford in the US, there are 2 smaller, cheaper cars under it in Europe.

Our Focus has to compete against a large group of sub $15K cars. Hyundais and such. The Euro Focus is like $17-23K. So it has to be done economically. It's mission here is a different.

Also, it's still a **** good chassis. It handles very very well. I'm not thrilled with the new front end styling (how many angles are there?) and they should bring back the wagon/estate.

kevinb120

I never understood Focus bashing, the platform is much more modern and sturdier then the corolla And it prices with Hyundai's, not Hondas/Toyotas, or Mazdas. Its only a short run until the C2, and actually quite a large investment. I think a lot of people that complain have little exposure to automobiles. Most of the issues with the Focus were UNDOING problems from it being a european market car. I've driven thousands of Foci Corollas Civics hyundai's, kias, mazda 3's and protoge's etc etc etc...new and used. There ain't a lot special about a lot of the competitor's cars when you spend more time with them in person then reading an article in R&T on the can.