2008 Ford Focus facelift unveiled at Frankfurt

The new 2008 Ford Focus facelift has been unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motorshow, and although still based on the same chassis most of it’s ingredients have been updated significantly for the new model year. The new Focus will come in 3-door and 5-door hatch forms as well as sedan, estate and coupe-cabriolet body styles. All models will be available first in UK showrooms, with the coupe-cabriolet and hot ST performance versions available from spring 2008 onwards.

The Focus has been updated with Ford’s new kinetic design that first made it’s debut on the new Ford Mondeo. The Titanium trim level also receives an interior update which includes a redesigned center console which also incorporates the new kinetic design language. The green backlighting for the meter cluster has been phased out for a more modern and sporty red colour.

The two 2.0 litre Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel versions of the new 2008 Ford Focus will have the option to be equipped with Ford’s new Powershift transmission – a dual-clutch automated transmission developed together with Getrag. Powershift uses two layshafts working in parallel, each with it’s own wet clutch. One carries gears 1, 3 and 5 while the other carries gears 2, 4, and 6. Upshift speeds are increased using pre-selection.

The most frugal 2008 Ford Focus will be the ECOnetic variant which uses a 109 PS 1.6 litre Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engine that manages to snag the Ford a respectable 65mpg, or 3.6 litres of fuel consumed per 100km travelled. There will also be a Flexifuel version of the 1.8 litre Duratec petrol inline-4 engine that can use E85 bio-ethanol, conventional unleaded petrol, or a mixture of both. The 2.0 litre Duratec will be available in conventional unleaded petrol form, or two other derivatives which use Compressed Natural Gas or Liquid Petroleum Gas.

The Focus is a fantastic drive and this new facelift will certainly make it more desirable as I think it looks so much better now.

More images after the jump.

Related Posts:
Ford Focus 2.0S First Impression Test Drive

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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

  • flizzardo (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 2:15 am

    1st post

    looks great

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  • flizzardo (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 2:16 am

    but i dislike hatchbacks :( anyway morning paulyan ! still havent sleep ar??

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  • F430CS (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 2:59 am

    If the engines and tranny put in mazda’s cars. Hmmmm

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  • mystvearn (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 4:34 am

    looks like production model to me

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  • NiceCar (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 7:44 am

    the facelift make focus look like a totally new car!!!
    really love this.. look forward Ford bring this to here soon…

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  • wildthingz (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 8:49 am

    love the front looks but rear errrrrrr looks like pegi pasar car. gen 2 rear looks is better

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  • lowprofile (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 9:00 am

    i like it , to me it looks like a mini mondeo which in itself is a pretty handsome car.

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  • msmar_453 (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 9:20 am

    Wow! isn’t that with 6 gears? Great.
    but no thanks… i’m prefer mazda6

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  • petulance (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 10:56 am

    msmar_453, you can’t compare the Focus to the 6. Both are aimed at different markets since the Focus is a small car and the 6 is a medium sized car.

    Hatchbacks are great. I don’t know why the Malaysian public prefers sedans for small cars (i.e. cars with engines of size 2.0 litres and less).

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  • armandd (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 10:57 am

    where’s the sedan?

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  • renyeo (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 11:24 am

    Ford is losing the focus in the latest redesign. Bring back Mk1 originality, please!

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  • 4G63T DSM (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 1:50 pm

    Indeed hatchbacks are great.

    And this Focus has one really BIG boot.

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  • lowprofile (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 2:25 pm

    msmar, the focus is actually same with the mazda 3 and volvo s40. the mondeo is similar to the mazda 6, the new jaguar thing and one other car that i cant remember.

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  • joeysis (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 2:29 pm

    lookin forward for the Sedan facelift also…..when will available in Malaysia ler?

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  • szw (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 2:45 pm

    looks like a squirrel .

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  • kei9 (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 3:07 pm

    izzit me or is the rearlights gone smaller..?hmmm

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  • proton.GL.. (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 3:20 pm

    rear need to compliment the front,

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  • altimi (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 3:23 pm

    I want one in ST trim……..

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  • zack_keyme988 (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 3:40 pm

    HURM…….FRONT IS NICE..BUT THE REAR DESIGN IS OUTDATED DESIGN..NO FUTURISTIC ELEMENT THERE… DASH LOOK SPORTY..BUT NEED SOME ENHANCEMENT…

    VERDICT : ******/10*

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  • transformer (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 4:45 pm

    a good car been refine again…. nice!

    couldn’t wait for the next Focus…

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  • topgunthang (Member) on Sep 12, 2007 at 5:45 pm

    looks like mazda 3 will have the upper hand in 2008. especially with the 2 and 6 looking to be sell outs.

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