Whenever a Ford topic crops up, there are sure to be requests for new models and complaints that we’re not getting what Europe or US is getting. Once again, it’s not as simple as cherry picking any model from any market – local Ford reps must follow their principal’s global direction and masterplan. Here’s some of the plans revealed, and it will cheer some of you hankering for the new Focus.
Bangkok Post reports that Thai production of the new Focus will begin around mid-year at the company’s new plant at Rayong. This US$450-million facility is part of Ford’s aggressive expansion strategy in Asia Pacific and Africa. The Focus meanwhile, is a “One Ford” product, a global car to suit all markets.
The C-segment car was first built in Germany in December 2010, before production started in Michigan, USA. Mid last year, production began in St. Petersburg, Russia. Now is the turn of Thailand for ASEAN, and a new Ford factory in Chongqing will supply the vast Chinese market this year.
The current Focus sold in Malaysia and Thailand is imported from the Philippines, which will cease to make the car once production shifts to our northern neighbour.
The report adds that the Focus will make an appearance at the Bangkok International Motor Show in March, with an official launch planned for mid-year. Apparently, there will be no TDCi option, just 1.6- and 2.0-litre petrol engines at launch.
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would be great if ford offer a focus 1.6 ecoboost (with dual clutch gearbox, etc)…rm90 roadtax y’all
its coming nearer….hoping it will be sold in malaysia really soon
1.6 Eco Boost ?? hopefully the price would be compatible with Japanese rival.
I would chose this anytime over Inokom Elantra which look like a hairsylist car, on the other hand i hope Ford would ditch SD & choose another distributor, surely SD would “Anak Tiri” Focus for Elantra just as how Naza did to Cruze.
I dont know whats your beef with SD but dont come here and talk if you dont have any facts to back it up. Talking bad about the cars just becoz you dont fancy their distributors/services is naive and childish. Just my take ntg personal.
I would just cut a long story short.
SD could not concentrate on 2 brand with rival models, Infact SD is never good in selling car, just look what happen to Alfa Romeo today ?
Focus & Elantra is 2 rival brand with similar product range, how can the distributionship been given to 1 company, so which Brand is SD suppose to concertrate, Both ? No way, i mean you can’t have the same company selling Coke & Pepsi or Samsung & Nokia can you ?
Bring TDCi back!
Yes! Yes! Yes! It’s coming, coming to Malaysia soon. Huhu!
No! No! No! Why no TDCi version? So sad…
About damn time!
Hope both engine options are boosted. :)
No TDCI? Oh man :(
I feel the same.. why no TDCi
Until the govt provide the consumers at least the Euro diesel 4 then its appropriate to bring the TCDi.
Sadly our diesel is only rated Euro 2. Not much good for the advanced Ford TCdi engines.
Cmon the powers that be in Putrajaya….
Paul, what’s the point bringing TDCI, most malaysian reluctant to diesel car anyway.
There are plenty of people who bought the current TDCI. Just follow the current sales trend and provide the choice for those who have the sense to use diesel.
really hope they can put 2.2 diesel into new focus as diesel sport!
Obviously you never drove TDCI. :)
1 heck of a crazy car. Eat 2L Civic for breakfast and priced the same 2. I like.
Totally agree with you! Test drove the TDCI that day and I can say it’s nearly comparable to the VW’s Golf GTI at nearly half the price. IMHO, it’s worth it.
It’ll be a bummer if we only get the petrol version here in Malaysia.
I don’t think many Malaysian are reluctant to buy diesel cars. I for one can’t wait to get my hands on a diesel car. In fact, it’s the other way around; not many distributors want to bring in diesel cars for fear of our Euro 2M quality fuel, hence limited choices of diesel cars. If I’m not mistaken the choice for diesel cars below RM200k are only between Ford Focus and Hyundai Santa Fe. Not everybody need/want a sport utility vehicle like Santa Fe while current Ford Focus looks too dated. With new Focus on the way, people are even more reluctant to buy the current one. There’s a trade off though…heard that the handling of new Focus 2012 is not as good as the current Focus due to the use of electrical power steering (drivers can’t feel the road from lack of steering feedback).
You’re absolutely right about “new Focus 2012 is not as good as the current Focus due to the use of electrical power steering (drivers can’t feel the road from lack of steering feedback).”
But a standardization of dual clutch and ecoboost definitely balance that out. 200+NM from 1.6k rpm. Yum yum..
:)
Focus year 2005 already use electric power steering until today , i have no idea why said lack of steering feel….
Somehow, for an all-new model, this Focus exterior looks dated and dull. I hope the driving dynamic compensate for this.
I thought the new Focus looks rather good. Almost book the current Focus TDCi Sedan until I saw the new Focus in the internet. Anyway, I hope SDAC will offer more choices to increase the appeal of this car.
Suggestions:
——————
1. More colour choices (currently only 3 colours – black, white and silver).
2. More airbags (currently only 2).
3. Darker interior (while the current beige cream colour looks nice, they difficult to maintain).
4. Please don’t change the nice soft plastic dashboard to the cheap hard plastic.
5. TDCi engine option is a must!!
Seriously? The Focus only has 2 while the Fiesta sedan has 7?
Yaaaaaaaaayyyy!!!!!! =D
No diesel is because we don’t buy much of it. But the big question on my mind is; are we going to see dual clutch autos or dual clutch manual for the 2.0 I-4 Ecoboost? Or do they still think paddles are useless.
no diesel is because the diesel quality in malaysia not good.is only euro ll diesel.
Prefer the look of previous gen Ford Focus…
agreed!
No Tdci? Grrrrrr. Angry!
are these ecoboost engines? so the 2.0 will have the mondeo ecoboost with 200bhp? the 1.6L ecoboost does up to 180bhp in europe.
my 7 months old fiesta is falling apart…. i’m not ‘tipu’ … give me your emel , and i send u the pix… i shud buy pug….. :(
I’m not surprised..the test car that i drove was also falling apart in some interior places.. Maybe bcos ours is made in phillipines..i think the euro ones should be better..or else they wont be so popular there
fiesta is made in thailand
Hmmm… but my wife’s car is now approaching 9 months and it’s fine wooooor.
Some more she drives through the crappy Rawang roads daily from day 1!
Everything still good! Must be your car I guess coz I know my colleague is bitching about his 1st gen 308!
That’s a shame. Maybe you can upload it to a site like tinypic.com and describe what’s wrong with the car?
Malaysian roads are tougher on the cars than European ones, but my Kangoo doesn’t mind them… after almost 100k km it’s still like new, just dirtier. Although judging by pics and looking into the car through the windows the plastics used look rather flimsy. The ones in the Kangoo look cheap, but they are pretty solid. Mind you… the Toyota Aygo is super flimsy too.
I hope they bring in all the driver aids like blind spot alert and front end cruise control with auto brake to the focus like what Europe is getting else this would be like any other hatch.
Would Malaysians even care? The Vios is still the best selling import car, despite the Fiesta being much safer. Also there are features that every car has as a standard, like rear view mirrors, side mirrors and windows, but they are absolutely underutilized it seems (some even use their rear window as a shop window it seems and decorate it nicely).
not really digging the overall design.prefer the look of the current focus tdci
then … no TDCi going down trend
mean need to get this old focus …..with TDCi … :-)
dieselhead ……
i like the new rear light. hope the diesel will come to malaysia.
and can i dream of getting a focus with the price range like forte or inspira?……
volvo’ish…….
The overall design seems off ..
To me, the front bumper is the most obvious culprit.
Rear design is all right.. but with a hint of a bit being overdone.
Current Focus which now looks rather dull and dated gives better impression than this (when it was first launched). I’m afraid this new Focus looks just not attractive enough.
Is it a 2.0 ecoboost like the one found in the Mondeo?
Pleasd bring in the good-old manual tranny with six speeder please!!..bring back the mk1 legacy..
I hope they bring in the ST / ST-Wagon – those are 6-speeder MTs!
strongly agree, 1.6 ecoboost with 6sp manual… even better turbodiesel 6sp manual
A new Focus … finally .. it is about time :-)
Finally a new Focus … it is about time :-)
I hope that Ford would refine the Dual Clutch System (clutchless manual). The sync is with flaw especially shifting from 1st gear to the second (require a higher ref and sometimes it make a crack sound). I would much prefer the durashift automatic in the current outgoing focus as its smoother. My wife (a fiesta owner) has been complaining.
I hope SDAC would offer the 2.0 liter engine (like the ones in Australia/ USA). Dont quite like ecoboost (turbo) engine as the maintenance may be high after a few years especially when the turbo system konk off.
Anyway, I contemplating to replace my aging Sentra (2005 model) with the new Ford Focus 2012 once its available.
it will be only 2.0 NA engine for malaysia market, no ecoboost yet