New Video of Ford’s 2012 Focus ST Hot Hatch

Ford’s European arm has released yet another video of its upcoming Focus ST sport hatch that’s expected to hit the market early next year. There’s nothing new to see per se as the company has already published numerous teaser films in the months following the car’s introduction at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

As a reminder, the hottest version of the new generation Focus (that is, until Ford decides to resurrect the RS nameplate in the near future) will be propelled by a force-fed 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine cranking out 250 ponies and 360 Nm / 265 lb ft of torque. The show car was equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels, but there’s a good chance the production model will also be offered with a dual clutch transmission. Hit the jump for the video.

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Euro-spec Ford Focus to Bring Internet Access to the Masses in 2012

The European division of Ford announced on Monday that its Sync system with MyFord Touch will feature WiFi connectivity on the new Focus starting from 2012. The infotainment system will create a password-protected WiFi hotspot inside the car allowing up to five devices to be connected. The service will be free of charge, as the in-car internet connection will use customers' existing USB modems or compatible smartphones to access the web.

The Focus will be the first compact car sold in Europe to benefit from this feature of the Sync, but the technology will also be available later in other Ford models sold across the continent. The system delivers a secure wireless connection that is broadcasted throughout the car, with passengers being able to easily connect and access the internet via any WiFi enabled device.

“We’re finding that Ford customers are tech savvy and – while travelling as passengers in cars – they want to be able to use their WiFi enabled devices while on the move,” said Christof Kellerwessel, chief functional engineer, electronic and electrical systems engineering.

“A reliable in-car Internet connection is therefore extremely important to them, and that’s exactly what SYNC will offer when it makes its European debut on the Ford Focus in 2012. SYNC with MyFord Touch will offer rolling connectivity to Ford customers and everyone in a SYNC-equipped car can benefit at no additional expense,” added Kellerwessel.

In order to be compatible with the latest hardware and devices on the market, Ford will release software updates for the Sync whenever necessary. By default, the internet connection will be set to WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) in order to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the network.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Ford to Debut BTCC Focus Race Car at Geneva Motor Show

The first ever touring race car version of the all-new Ford Focus will make its world premiere at this week's 2011 Geneva Motor Show, ahead of it is scheduled track debut in the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch towards the end of March.

The BTCC Focus was developed by Arena Motorsport with technical support from Ford, and it's the first car to come out from a global initiative by Ford to support private teams around the globe in developing one common race car to S2000 specification.

To meet current local regulations, Arena Motorsport's UK-based Team Aon has opted for a 2.0-litre turbocharged Ford engine, instead of the 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost engine other teams will use in Championships in line with international FIA regulations.

"There has been tremendous interest in new Focus from the racing community and it's the perfect fit for a global touring car," said Jost Capito, director of Ford Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development.

"This new BTCC Focus is the first result of a collaborative effort between Ford and race teams around the world that have already built and raced successful Focus race cars. The teamwork has resulted in a global technical platform for racing using a common Focus with a safety cage built to FIA regulations – a competitive platform that can be tailored for regional competition, based on different rules," Capito added.

Ford said that the new Team Aon Focus touring car is expected to compete in all 10 rounds of this year's British Touring Car Championship .

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New European Market Ford Focus ECOnetic Expected to Return 3.5 lt/100 km or 67.2MPG

A new variant of the latest Focus with the ECOnetic moniker and a segment leading fuel efficiency will soon be added to Ford’s European lineup. According to the company, the diesel-powered Focus ECONetic is expected to use less than 3.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (equal to 80 mpg UK or 67.2 mpg US) and return ultra-low CO2 emissions of less than 95g/km when final certification is completed later this year.

Available as a five-door hatchback or wagon, the Ford Focus ECOnetic is powered by an all-new version of the 1.6-liter Ford Duratorq TDCi diesel engine, which delivers 105 horsepower and has a new injection system, turbocharger, enhanced charge cooling and further friction reduction measures.

Apart from the optimized engine, the car is fitted with Ford's Auto-Start-Stop system, Smart Regenerative Charging, Eco Mode and Shift Indicator Light. The Focus ECOnetic also features a unique aerodynamic package with an Active Grille Shutter, ultra-low rolling resistance tires and a revised final drive ratio.

The diesel engine is mated to a six-speed Durashift manual transmission optimized to eliminate frictional losses and operating with a special low friction transmission oil. Fuel economy is further improved by the revised final drive ratio, which reduces engine speed when cruising in top gear.

Aerodynamic upgrades focus on improving the airflow beneath the car but also at the front, where the Active Grille Shutter uses vents to control airflow through the grille to the cooling system and engine compartment. When no airflow is needed, the vents are shut, thereby reducing aerodynamic drag. When fully closed, the reduction in drag translates into 2 percent lower CO2 emissions.

Another interesting detail is that the car uses steel wheels combined with special low-drag ECOnetic wheel covers, which are more streamlined than a conventional alloy wheel design, at least according to Ford.

The new Ford Focus ECOnetic will be produced at the Saarlouis plant in Germany for the European market and will be introduced in early 2012. The car will receive its world premiere at the Amsterdam Motor Show next week.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

Ford to Show Four World Premieres in Frankfurt Including New Concept and High-Performance Focus

As we are nearing closer and closer to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, which will be held for the public from September 15 to 25, automakers are slowly releasing more details about their plans.

Today, Ford revealed that it is planning four global product presentations in Frankfurt including "a new design concept" and what the company described as "details of the next Focus performance car".

“Ford plans to make a strong statement at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with several very exciting global product reveals and our significantly expanded show stand,” said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. “We’re excited to be showing customers our best-ever vehicle line-up and a special glimpse of the future,” Odell added.

So what cars is Ford planning to show in Germany? Well, the "next performance Focus" will most likely be the production Focus ST that was previewed at the 2010 Paris Show in concept trim, while the other two product premieres could be the new sporty Fiesta ST and the production version of last year's Veratrek concept compact SUV that will replace both the European Kuga and North American Escape models.

As for the concept model, your guess is as good as ours, but we wouldn't be surprised if Ford showed a design study for a new member of the Focus family.

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Ford’s Smallest Production Engine Ever: The New 1.0-liter EcoBoost Three-Cylinder Gasoline Unit

It took the Ford Motor Company a very long time to jump aboard the turbocharged engine bandwagon for mainstream, non-sport models, but now the Detroit automaker is going full speed ahead with the presentation of a full range of force-fed gasoline powerplants. Ford latest offering is a new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, the company’s first three-cylinder unit and its smallest production engine ever.

Designed by the engineering team at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the U.K., the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine promises to deliver performance of a larger four-cylinder unit with even higher fuel economy. It employs all EcoBoost technologies, such as turbocharging, direct injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT).

The Detroit automaker is not yet ready to talk numbers, but Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development, said the new three-cylinder unit “will deliver horsepower and torque outputs equivalent to or better than most normally aspirated 1.6-liter gasoline engines”.

The new engine, which was first seen in the Ford Start concept mini at the Beijing Show in 2010, and more recently in the Ford B-MAX study at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, will be launched globally in Ford’s small cars and will be available in North America.

“Consumers are telling us they want to buy affordable vehicles that get many more miles per gallon,” said Kuzak. “Our new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will give consumers looking for hybrid-like fuel economy a new, more affordable choice.”

While Ford did not specify which models will get the tiny EcoBoost engine, it is believed that the Ka and the Fiesta will be among the first Ford models to be equipped with the petrol unit.

The company said full technical and application information for the new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will be released in September at the 2011 edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.

FORD b-max concept

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