Ford Faqs

In contrast to a number of news reporting poor sales figures and overall company peformance in North America, Kiwis are more willing to “Buy American” than Americans themselves. In fact, the current pulse in the enthusiast market suggests New Zealand consumers are more willing to buy Ford than a good number of Americans.

Ford dominated passenger vehicle sales in New Zealand in August capturing overall new vehicle market leadership and passenger market leadership the Ford Falcon (558 units) and Focus (369 units) were the two most popular vehicles in the country.

After years of being completely ignored in the compact segment, the 2008 Ford Focus is finally hoping to grab some attention with an all-new look. Unlike the European Ford Focus which now rides on an all-new platform, the 2008 Ford Focus in the U.S. will remain on its current framework.

Most of the changes for next year will be cosmetic, with a new three-bar grille up front similar to the larger Ford Fusion midsize sedan. A new character line down each side will give the profile a slightly different look while reshaped taillights spruce up the rear.

The 2005 Ford Focus is the entry-level vehicle class in the Ford family. This is so because it is really several cars all rolled into one. Sedan, wagon and hatchback models are available. Hatchback editions come in 2 or 4-door, in the bottom three trims, 2 wagon versions are available, in the middle two trims, while the sedan comes in four different trim options.

This year Ford has simplified the offering with only two engine choices to replace the previous four, and they have actually come up with fewer trims to come up with the series line-up. However, despite the changes, one thing remains, the Focus is a ticket to Ford reliability and value with a relatively small bite out of the bank balance.

The Focus Wagon is Ford’s compact wagon, that is also available in three other bodystyles: 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, and 5-door hatchback. The Focus was first introduced in 1998 in Europe and for the 2000 model year in the U.S.

All 2006 Ford Focus trim levels offer a standard AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system. Six-disc audio systems now include steering wheel controls and new exterior colors choices include Dark Toreador Red Clearcoat Metallic, Pueblo Gold Clearcoat Metallic and Screaming Yellow Clearcoat.

All versions of the Focus tested very well. It’s agile, spacious, and fun to drive. It is also available in wagon and hatchback models. Overall crash protection is good. We recommend only the Focus with side air bags.

The Ford Focus is a ground-up re-evaluation of the subcompact vehicle. For years, the small car has been a shrunken version of the standard sedan. Ford studied the needs of passengers and designed the Focus from the inside out. Although you may have heard that song and dance before, there’s more truth to it with the Focus. Continue Reading »