09-04-2014
Ford onthult in New York de Focus Sedan en Electric versie van meest
verkochte auto ter wereld.
• |
Ford Focus ranks as the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the
world, based on just-released Polk new vehicle registration data
for the 2013 calendar year |
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Focus global sales gain momentum with China responsible for more
than one in three registrations and Europe accounting for 29 per
cent |
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New Focus 4-door to make global debut with new exterior styling,
interior design, powertrain and technology, suspension and
chassis upgrades |
Ford Focus retains its title as world’s best-selling vehicle nameplate
for 2013, according to Ford analysis of the just-released full-year Polk
new vehicle registration data from IHS Automotive. The news comes as a
new Focus 4-door prepares to make its debut at next week’s 2014 New York
International Auto Show.
Registrations of the Focus were up 8.1 per cent with 1,097,618 cars sold
worldwide in 2013 compared to 1,014,965 in 2012, including 317,110
registrations in Europe last year – 29 per cent of total registrations.
China now is responsible for more than one in every three Focus vehicles
sold globally, based on Polk data.
“It is remarkable to see Focus again lead the industry as the No.
1-selling vehicle nameplate on the planet,” said Jim Farley, Ford
executive vice president, Ford Motor Company Global Marketing, Sales and
Service and Lincoln. “With the new car, we’ve raised the bar again,
showcasing Ford’s commitment to continuous improvement – adding better
technology for drivers and a sleeker, more modern exterior across the
entire Focus family.”
The new Focus delivers a more sophisticated look, featuring a restyled
bonnet, grille and headlamps, new rear light clusters and a restyled
boot lid. Inside, colours and materials have a clean, modern look, with
satin chrome detailing, new seat trims and switches, and new
technologies including available heated steering wheel. A new centre
console incorporating adjustable cup holders makes for improved storage
capacity.
Ford has taken the model’s acclaimed fun-to-drive DNA up a level with
enhanced handling and steering for the new Focus. Ford engineers have
delivered a more solid, responsive and connected-to-the-road feel by
increasing the structural stiffness at the front, revising the
suspension geometry, increasing lateral stiffness of “steering-relevant”
suspension bushes, retuning the shock absorbers and incorporating a new
Electronic Stability Programme. The Electric Power Assist Steering also
has been retuned to make the driver feel even more connected to the road.
Ford has improved its popular Active City Stop collision avoidance
system, which pre-charges the brakes and – if the driver still does not
respond – reduces engine torque and automatically applies the brakes to
reduce the impact of collisions. It has been enhanced to operate at
speeds of up to 50 km/h, compared to 30 km/h with the current version.
Ford also is introducing to Europe the Pre-Collision Assist system. This
works in a similar way to Active City Stop but with a much greater
vehicle detection range to support the driver at higher speeds, for
example on the motorway, by issuing warnings and if necessary applying
braking.
The current Adaptive Cruise Control technology enables Focus drivers to
maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead, even when that vehicle
is travelling more slowly than the cruise speed. For occasions when
Adaptive Cruise Control is not active, Ford is now introducing to Europe
for the first time the new Distance Alert and Indication system, which
enables drivers to set a preferred distance they would like to maintain
with the vehicle ahead.
A new package of sensor-based, driver-assist technologies brings a new
level of convenience for Focus customers including Cross Traffic Alert,
which warns drivers of vehicles approaching when reversing out of a
parking space; Perpendicular Parking, a new hands-free parking
technology that builds on the Active Park Assist system introduced with
the current Focus and helps drivers reverse into spaces alongside other
cars in addition to parallel spaces; and Park-Out Assist, which helps
drivers avoid obstacles as they exit a parallel parking space.
Focus will be the first European Ford vehicle to offer the
voice-activated in-car connectivity system SYNC 2 that facilitates
easier access to audio, navigation, climate control and compatible
mobile phones. Simply pushing the voice control button and saying “I’m
hungry” will bring up a list of local restaurants, which you can then
get directions to.
New Focus also will be equipped for the first time with Ford’s MyKey
technology. MyKey enables owners to programme a key – usually for
younger drivers – that restricts top speed, reduces the maximum volume
of the audio system, and can disable it altogether if driver and
passengers are not using safety belts.
The improved Adaptive Front Lighting System adjusts the beams of the new
Bi-Xenon HID (High-Intensity Discharge) headlamps to best suit the road
layout. The system assesses the ambient light surrounding a vehicle, as
well as objects in the road ahead and then adjusts the headlight beam
angle and intensity to one of seven settings depending on the vehicle’s
speed, steering angle and distance to an object in front.
In addition to a host of styling and technology advances, the new Focus
will offer the remarkably efficient, fun-to-drive 1.0-litre EcoBoost
engine – International Engine of the Year, for 2012 and 2013 – with a
six-speed transmission, surpassing the fuel efficiency of the previous
model.
“New Focus offers a host of new and cutting-edge features and
technologies, but at the same time this latest version has been refined
and simplified,” said Sherif Marakby, vehicle line director, Ford of
Europe. “The sophisticated redesign has given Focus a new, fresh and
modern style both inside and out, but the soul of Focus is the
fun-to-drive feeling you get when you’re behind the wheel, and we’ve not
compromised on that – in fact, we’ve improved it.”
The debut of the new Focus 4-door and the Focus Electric in New York
follows the Geneva Motor Show debut in March of the Focus 3- and 5-door
hatchback and wagon. A new version of the performance Focus ST will be
shown later this year.
Ford builds the Focus in eight manufacturing plants on four continents.
Facilities in Germany, the United States, Russia, China, Vietnam,
Thailand, Taiwan and Argentina have a combined capacity to build more
than 1.5 million Focus cars annually at a rate of more than two per
second. Since the launch of Focus in 1998, the best-selling vehicle
nameplate in the world for two years running has sold more than 12
million vehicles globally.
Polk data also confirm Ford Fiesta earned the top spot as the
best-selling subcompact car globally, with 735,299 registrations for
2013. Together, registrations of Ford’s small cars – Fiesta and Focus –
totalled 1,832,917 vehicles last year, which is a 4.3 per cent increase
from 2012.
Bron | Ford Nederland
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