Ford Malaysia to launch new Ford Focus

I remember the previous Focus was launched back in 1999. It won a grand total of 78 automotive awards and was brought into Malaysia by Ford Malaysia in CBU form. I first saw the hot hatch outside my secondary school and it was serious drool material. Looked really good.

Right now Ford Malaysia is going to bring in the new 2nd generation Ford Focus and it looks like it will come in a sedan form factor. They’ve already launched a pretty interesting teaser page for the new car.

The main page focuses on the Focus, and a text field below it. Along the lines of the theme of ‘bending the rules’ of how a car should behave, you can enter what you want the car to do like the subservient chicken promo by Burger King which was quite hot a few months ago. However this is not a video but a flash application. I tried keywords like jump and wheelspin and they worked! You can click the hint button for hints on what verbs work.

This 2nd generation Ford Focus shares the same common platform with the Mazda 3 and the Volvo S40/V50 so expect somewhat the same excellent driving characteristics as the other two brothers the car has. The car is likely to be positioned as a driver’s car, not cutting into the family car segment which the Lynx Ghia serves.

Here are the teaser graphics on the Ford Malaysia preview page:

Nice headlamps. Lancer-style triangle rear lamps which have been proven to work.

Classic round-nosed Ford front.

Check out the Ford New Focus teaser page here!

But if you want to view the full car, photos are already available all around the internet. The new Ford Focus has 4 bodystyles, which are sedan, wagon, 3-door hatch and 5-door hatch. You can click any of the thumbnails for a bigger version of the photo.

A very sharp looking front if you look at it from far. You won’t notice the roundness of the nose of the car from this angle. It reminds me of the Chevy Optra a bit. Well, that’s continental styling for you!

These are side profiles of the 3-door hatch and the 5-door hatch.

These can be likened to the S40/V50 I guess… sedan and wagon.

Check out those asses! Where’s JFE8555? :P Doesn’t the back of the sedan version remind you a little of the Mercedes Benz C-Class? It does to me… but that C-class is going to be replaced soon anyway. The hatch is as hot as the previous incarnation.

I have to say the new Focus looks a lot tamer than the previous one, and the local variation seems to be a sedan form instead of the previous hot hatch. I do not know how much it will hurt your pockets for now, or whether it will be a CKD or CBU model.

But it does show promise for hotter looks with an RS version, I can just visualize it! :)

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • armandd on Jul 31, 2005 at 12:28 am

    the sedan version looks damn great! i wonder how much it will cost here…

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  • dorjee on Jul 31, 2005 at 2:13 am

    I got feel for the wagon….. how much it gonna cost here in M'sia?

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  • bUttsHAk3r on Jul 31, 2005 at 5:00 am

    probably in the region of rm150k.

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  • I take a glance on Kia's 2005 Rios. Wallauwehhh… Look like Focus. Wondering if Naza will CKD this car, rebadge, Naza Kiok…1400cc for around RM50k? Still waiting for Naza's 206 in 2006. The Peagout version looks great.

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  • auyongtc on Jul 31, 2005 at 6:47 am

    unless i'm very much mistaken… last time Fly Guy and Lil' Kev was driving a Ford Focus ZETEC each – can always see their cars at the East Entrance carpark in AABC – remember?

    Speaking of the hot hatchback… would really drool over a Ford Focus SVT (Special Vehicle Team) – http://www.svt.ford.com/svtArchiveFocus.asp

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  • hokkien lang. on Jul 31, 2005 at 8:32 am

    really a good car… i want 1 …. any model of it……

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  • DOG THE WAN on Jul 31, 2005 at 8:58 am

    What a Ford? I never though about buying a Ford coz it is a FORD. Eventhough this model looks much better than before but it still not my taste. Sorry fellows!

    I think the price is not cheap too. If you bought it please don’t pass by me Okay! >

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  • neurra on Jul 31, 2005 at 10:12 am

    huhu.. i wonder how will the rally kit look like.. must be serious drooling session.. the side profile of the stock somehow really look like a civic ek

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  • sekot on Jul 31, 2005 at 4:55 pm

    Dang, but I prefer the 1st gen focus. Danm good.

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  • DOG THE WAN on Jul 31, 2005 at 5:00 pm

    I forgot to tell U that my car number is ADA 8×2+2. Cheers!

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  • edwardo on Aug 01, 2005 at 5:03 am

    Saw plenty of new Focus (both hatchback and sedan model)on the road in Taiwan this April when i was there, it seems like selling quite well… and the price? Start from TWD$590,000 (around RM70,000)….

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  • sioki on Aug 01, 2005 at 5:12 pm

    Nice designed, but realized nowadays design for each model are no longer unique and carry its own identity. Sorry to say, most of the car looks similar in my eye

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  • sad malaysian driver on Aug 01, 2005 at 5:15 pm

    so plus malaysian taxes (40%) = roughly RM 100k???

    I'll bet it'll be in the region of RM120k…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • narrowband on Aug 01, 2005 at 9:48 pm

    The previous model of Focus was rounder (the one used in WRC), and nicer, IMHO. I wonder why the RS version was not brought into the country (in fact, i've never seen a three-door Focus on M'sian roads before. It has always been 5-door ones). The release of the RS was delayed because of some problems, I heard – but still… Y'know, instead of the Jap's EK9, or Swift, VW's Golf GTi, the Focus RS could be a nice alternative. Renault Clio also not in M'sia.

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  • terion on Aug 12, 2005 at 3:29 am

    This 2nd generation of focus actually looks like the older generation. if u compare it side by side with the 1st generation ull see what i mean. also unless its in CKD form, dont expect it to be cheap, my guess in CBU form itll be in 130k and above for the mid range.

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  • Virtual Insanity on Aug 17, 2005 at 4:37 am

    Hey, checked out the teaser microsite, and it look DAMN COOL TOO! Never Malaysian site like this before, cool! :P

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  • Howard on Aug 27, 2005 at 1:08 am

    Good design n performance. if its price around 130K, i think it's value buy!!

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  • fauzi on Sep 20, 2005 at 7:55 pm

    i think it's time for me to switch from proton to ford focus. yes, i will be paying more than what i am paying now but i think it's worth it. the new focus has the same characteristic with mazda 3. I actually wish for drb to bring in more mazda models such as mazda 3, it's got a such a sporty & aerodynamic look, very sleek.

    Any body knows if mazda 3 is on its way to Malaysia.

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