Ford of Europe fans, rejoice: it looks like when the next generation debuts in 2010 or 2011, a new version of the stylish Euro-Focus compact you've been dreaming of since 2005 may finally be available at dealers here in the U.S.
With all the excitement over spy shots of the possible 2010 Taurus, it's clear that Ford CEO Alan Mulally's idea to build cars with a more consistent, worldwide design is a hit with enthusiasts. And now it looks like the car that has long served as the poster child for superior blue oval products offered across the Atlantic, the Focus, will soon go global as well. During a presentation at the SAE 2008 World Congress in Detroit, Ford Product Chief Derrick Kuzak announced that 87 percent of the upcoming Focus will be sourced from the global parts bin, and that much of the car will be engineered in Europe. Even better, the car will use the highly-regarded C1 platform of the current European Focus, which at present is only available in the states on the Volvo S40 and Mazda 3.Kuzak cited the 87 percent as an example of the automaker's new global product-development strategy, which cuts costs and speeds development time, and also mentioned the Ford Fiesta, which has 66 percent of its parts sourced globally, though it didn't use the same worldwide plans the Focus did. Of course beyond the global parts sharing and use of the C1 platform, little is known about the next-generation Focus -- especially whether European and U.S. versions of the car will have similar styling. But considering how long American Ford fans have dreamed of the C1-based Focus finally reaching our shores, this is good news indeed. Let's just hope Ford remembers to send the RS over, too.
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