The Ford Focus (third generation), also known as the Focus Mk III, (Code name: C346) debuted at the 2010 North American International Auto Show as a 2012 model. The cars shown were a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback, also debuting a new 2.0-litre direct injection I4 engine. A 5-door estate (wagon) was previewed at the Geneva Motor Show a month later.
This generation of Focus would be the first Ford vehicle designed under the tenure of CEO Alan Mulally and his "One Ford" plan, which aimed to leverage Ford's global resources into creating more competitive vehicles that could be sold globally in each segment with minimal changes.
The "One Ford" plan would reunite the North American and global Focus line. The previous North American version was thus discontinued, and the new model was launched simultaneously in North America and Europe on March 2, 2011, both having started production near the end of 2010. Production in Asia, Africa, and South America followed later.
Ford debuted the all-electric Ford Focus Electric at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 to compete with the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt and announced the hot hatch ST model at the Paris Motor Show in September 2010.
The Ford Focus was the best-selling car in the world for 2012.James Tate, Ford Focus is best-selling model worldwide in 2012 editorial.autos.msn.com . Retrieved April 11, 2013
The third generation Focus originally was intended to spawn a compact sedan that was to be sold by the Mercury division, following Ford confirming its 2012 lineups with its dealers. While not officially confirmed by Ford, two Mercury dealers stated that the car would be sold as the Mercury Tracer. It would've given Mercury two sedans again following the discontinuation of the Grand Marquis after the 2011 model year, and would've slotted below the larger Milan. It was to go on sale in 2011 for the 2012 model year. The plans for the new Tracer, however, were scrapped after Ford announced the closure of the Mercury division in the summer of 2010.
Design The design was built on Ford's Kinetic Design. The lights at the front have a different shape. The trapezoidal grille has triangular features. At the rear, the hatchback tail lights are positioned lower, similar to the Ford Fiesta. The interior has been changed from the second generation in the NA and International versions. Ford wanted to make the Focus more upmarket so it offers two types of central consoles: the basic is associated with smaller engines and the premium is available to more powerful engines.
This generation of Focus incorporated a redesigned cabin, changed materials, and a new "infotainment" system. Following the industry trend towards contending, and in keeping with the sedan's downmarket "economy car" image vs. the "premium" hatchback, the earlier sedan's space-saving gas strut trunk hinges are replaced with cheaper, intrusive gooseneck hinges. The Focus also has Ford's patented capless fuel tank, which doesn't require a cap to prevent siphoning.
In designing the Ford Focus, a group of young designers used what's called the Third Age Suit in order to simulate the physical limitations of an elderly person. The suit, which restricts the wearer's movements, allowed for insights that were implemented into the car's design.
Production
The Focus was promoted as a global car, built in several different factories around the world, with changes to engine line-ups and trim levels to suit regional markets and regulations. Production locations include: Saarlouis, , production commenced December 2010 for the European market. Wayne, Michigan, , production started in February 2011 for North America and Chile. Vsevolozhsk (St Petersburg), , production commences in July 2011, with the estate (wagon) model starting in January 2012. Rayong, , commenced May 2012 for the Asian and Australasia markets, and replaces the previous Philippines plant used for the last generation Focus. Chongqing, started production of the Focus for the Chinese market in May 2012. Taoyuan, started production of the Focus for the Taiwanese market in November 2012. General Pacheco, started production of the Focus for most of the South American market in 2013.
Transmission reliability issues Along with the Ford Fiesta, the Focus equipped with the Ford DPS6 PowerShift transmission has received much criticism due to transmission shuddering, including several lemon law claims. The issue is due to the dry type clutches associated with petrol models. Ford's current response is to replace the clutch pack assembly (with updated parts) when shuddering exceeds 250 rpm (upon customer complaint).
There have been at least 6 revisions of clutch packs and transmission control modules since inception. Newer clutch packs and transmissions are more resistant to wear and fluid contamination, as the source of many shudder issues involved an improperly installed seal which was leaking transmission fluid onto the dry clutches. Ford also claims there are "Changes to the clutch material for better performance across temperature ranges (new for 2016)." Some consumer complaints are due to the normal operating characteristics of the transmission, because the DPS6 does not contain a torque converter fluid coupling and does not behave similarly to traditional torque converter transmissions, instead sharing some characteristics found in traditional manual transmissions.
North American market
Like in most other non-European markets, only the 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback are offered in the United States and Canada. The EPA rated fuel economy at 28 city/38 hwy MPG for the 6-speed automatic, and 26 city/ 36 hwy MPG for the 5-speed manual. The SFE package ("Super Fuel Economy"), which was only available as an add-on to the SE sedan with PowerShift automatic dual-clutch transmission, improves highway fuel economy to 40 MPG. The SFE used various fuel-saving aerodynamic items developed for the Focus ECOnetic such as a rear spoiler, low rolling-resistance tyres on 16-inch steel wheels with aerodynamic hubcaps and active grille shutters. The platform that the new Focus is based on is 25% stronger than the previous North American version.
Engine lineup in North America The Focus was launched with only one engine option, a 2.0-litre Duratec 20 direct injected, Ti-VCT 4-cylinder, producing . Mid-2012, Flex Fuel capability was added, except for states in the United States that adhere to partial zero-emissions vehicle regulations. The engine is a derivative of the port fuel-injected 2.0-litre engine in the previous generation Focus.http://www.insideline.com/ford/focus/2012/20-liters-is-now-a-large-engine-at-ford.html 2.0-Liters Is Now a "Large" Engine at Ford March 24, 2011 Insideline In late 2012, the range was joined by the Focus ST, with a turbocharged 2.0-litre producing and of torque (available only with a 6-speed manual transmission).
For the 2015 refresh, the EcoBoost 1.0-litre three-cylinder began to be offered in North America as an extra-cost option for SE trim level. The 2016 model added 2.3-litre EcoBoost for the new RS trim level.
Specifications
Engine Gearbox Power Torque City (mpg) Highway (mpg) Combined (mpg) Top speed (mph) 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) (seconds)1.0 L Turbocharged GDI I3 engine 6M at 6350 rpm at 5000 rpm 29 40 33 (drag limited) 9.4 6A 28 40 33 (drag limited) 10.22.0 L Ti-VCT GDI I4 5M at 6500 rpm at 4450 rpm 26 36 30 (drag limited) 7.46A 27SFE: 28 38SFE: 40 31SFE: 33 (drag limited) 7.6 2.0 L Ti-VCT GDI I4 PZEV engine (PZEV states) 5M at 6500 rpm at 4450 rpm 26 36 30 NA NA6A 27 38 31 NA NA 2.0 L Turbocharged GDI I4 engine (Focus ST) 6M at 5500 rpm at 2500 rpm 23 32 26 6.0 2.3 L Turbocharged GDI I4 engine (Focus RS) 6M at 6000 rpm at 3200 rpm 19 25 22 4.6
Running changes Colour choices were restricted during summer 2011, due to supply issues caused by the 2011 Japanese earthquake/tsunami. When black and dark blue returned they were replaced by different shades, although the phaseout of Kona Blue in favor of Sonic Blue had been planned.
In 2012, the formerly automatic-only Titanium model was offered with a manual transmission. In March 2012, Ford revised the ordering guide for the Titanium models to also have a MyFord Touch delete option, replacing it with the non-touch version of MyFord. Although MyFord Touch is a $995 option on SEL models and the PowerShift automatic a $1095 option on S and SE, no discount is applied to either manual or non-Touch Titanium models.
2013 model year changes for non-STs are; SE models gain standard SYNC and alloy wheels, the SEL trim is discontinued in favor of an "SE Appearance package" that includes most of the SEL features but with standard trim choices limited to black leather, while Titanium models also pick up standard leather upholstery and lost the auto-dimming rearview mirror and rain-sensing windshield wipers. All now come standard with the 5-speed manual leaving the SFE pack as the last remaining automatic-only Focus (apart from the direct-drive electric), and colour choices are rearranged.
Reliability issues Along with the Ford Fiesta, the Focus equipped with the Ford PowerShift transmission has received much criticism due to transmission shuddering, including several lemon law claims. The issue is due to the dry type clutches associated with petrol models. Ford's current response is to replace the clutch pack assembly (with updated parts) when shuddering exceeds 250 rpm (upon customer complaint).
Ford claims that the transmission, a dual-clutch automatic transmission, is designed to improve fuel economy and has issued several software upgrades for the transmission. To date, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not required Ford to issue a recall, nor has Ford done so voluntarily. Focus models equipped with the conventional manual transmission have not been affected by the reliability issues.
A significant amount of the new models of the first year experiences problems with rust underneath the front bonnet, partly due to issues with the seam sealer used between the structural part of the bonnet and the skin, which allowed water to seep in and create corrosion (similarly to other Ford models of the period). Other issues included rust developing on the trunk lid of the hatchback model due to vibrations of a plastic insert creating friction and wearing out the paint on the metal skin of the lid. Later models included a relocated park brake lever, redesigned adjustable front head rest and a redesigned accessory 12v plug that is more ergonomic.
European market
The UK range is available in hatchback and estate (wagon) in a large number of trim variants. Most other European countries, including the Republic of Ireland, also include the four-door saloon, unlike Britain, as previous generation sales did not sell as well in comparison with the hatchback and estate.
Engine lineup in Europe 1.0 litre EcoBoost: this three-cylinder turbocharged engine is produced in two variants, producing . It replaced the 1.6-litre Ti-VCT Duratec in 2012. 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT: this engine is an updated version of the same engine from the previous model, with improved intake and exhaust manifolds. The improvements also mean that the engine has been updated to Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions standards. The 1.6-litre Ti-VCT is available in three versions, , and . Torque figures are , , and , respectively. 1.6-litre EcoBoost: this engine came with the Durashift B6 manual transmission. It was available with , both versions produced of torque along with with the overboost function. The engine is rated for in 7.6 seconds while the completed it in 7.1 seconds. The 1.6-litre engine was replaced by the 1.5-litre engine in 2015.