2024 Ford Focus is one of the family cars that symbolized the company’s 1990s revival and became the byword for the fun-to-drive family car, set to be killed off in 2025, a victim of Ford’s shift towards the electric car lineup.
The news comes with Ford’s announcement that it will end production of the car in Saarlouis, Germany, the plant where the Focus is currently manufactured.
Saarlouis was in the process of producing Ford’s next generation of electric vehicles but lost out to the company’s factory in Valencia in Spain.
We don’t have in our planning cycle any additional models coming into Saarlouis, Ford Europe chairman Stuart Rowley told reporters, adding that Ford was investigating “other opportunities” for the plant that included selling them to other automakers.
2024 Ford Focus Review
That means job losses in Germany, although it is possible that some workers could be transferred to another German Ford plant in Cologne.
Which is slated to start production of a new crossover based on VW’s MEB electric architecture in 2023. Automotive News reports that 4,600 people are currently working in the area of Saarlouis.
But Ford has warned that Valencia could also expect its headcount to drop, despite winning a contract for Ford’s next-generation electric car. About 6,000 people work at the Spanish factory where the Kuga crossover, S-Max and Galaxy minivans, and Transit Connect are manufactured.
The D-segment Mondeo was also built there until recently, Ford dropping the once-popular family sedan and estate in the spring of 2022 in response to falling sales as buyers turned to crossovers.
The Mondeo badge has been a regular fixture in Ford’s European showrooms for nearly 30 years, but ford has proven time and time again that it’s not sentimental.
The company ditched the three-decade-old Escort name in 1998 when it introduced its successor, choosing Focus instead to underscore the radical change it represented over what had gone before.
Read next: 2024 Ford Bronco: The Next Generation Ford Bronco Exclusive Review
2024 Ford Focus Facelift
The Ford Focus facelift is officially launched in China, showing a mild style difference compared to the European model that debuted last year. This model is available in sedan and hatchback forms, coming with a single non-electric four-cylinder petrol engine under the hood.
The 2022 Ford Focus China leaked last February, but new press photos give us a better look at the update, with every bit of information available on the official website. In terms of style, the facelift model is more similar to the European model than before.
However, on the Chinese Focus, the grille blends in with the headlights for a more aggressive look inspired by the fighter jets, while the LED graphics are also different. Also, the black trim on the grille and intake contrasts with the body-colored wings on the front bumper.
The profile remains unchanged while the rear gets a slightly sportier diffuser with dual exhaust pipes. In terms of length, the hatchback measures 4,401 mm (173.3 inches) and the sedan measures 4,664 mm (183.6 inches) while maintaining the same wheelbase of 2,705 mm (106.5 inches).
Chinese buyers don’t get the Active crossover style variant but they do get the sporty ST-Line and a new S Edition inspired by the discontinued Focus RS.
The ST-Line is equipped with 18-inch charcoal gray alloy wheels with red brake calipers, while the S Edition features glossy black alloy wheels alongside a black rear spoiler and a set of racing stickers.
New Ford Focus 2024 Interior
Inside the cabin, we find an 8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that incorporates the SYNC + Zhi Mo infotainment developed by Ford and Baidu (different from the SYNC 4).
Equipment includes a B&O audio system and the Ford Co-Pilot360 ADAS suite that offers Level 2 autonomous driving. Depending on the model, we find black and blue seats, carbon fiber styling and trim like suede, blue seat belts, and a perforated leather steering wheel with red stitching.
Unlike the EU-spec Focus which is available with a lightly turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine, the Chinese model gets a more powerful 1.5-liter non-electric four-cylinder EcoBoost unit that produces 178 hp (132 kW / 180 PS) and up to 270 Nm of torque ( 199 lb-ft) in Overboost mode.
The manufacturer is exclusively mated to a sporty six-speed automatic gearbox that differs from the European seven-speed automatic clutch and is equipped with three driving modes – standard, economy, and sport.
Power is sent to the front axle which allows acceleration from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 7.9 seconds.
Ford says it has realigned the suspension and steering in the facelift model, while the ST-Line and S Edition variants get a sportier chassis setup with a mount 10 mm (0.4 inches) closer to the ground. Brakes are also upgraded with 308 mm (12.1 inches) front discs and 302 mm (11.9 inches) rear discs.
Read next: 2024 Ford Excursion Review: Everything We Know So Far
2024 Ford Focus Release Date
The updated Ford Focus will be produced by the Changan Ford joint venture in Chongqing, China. Note that this is the second facelift for the fourth-generation Focus in China, following the original debut in 2018 and the first facelift in 2020.
2024 Ford Focus Price
We predict the price range for the 2024 Ford Focus
- Ford Focus S Sedan $18,950
- Ford Focus Titanium Sedan $25,270
- Ford Focus Titanium Hatch $25,470
- Ford Focus ST $26,170
- Ford Focus RS $42,120
People also ask about Ford Focus 2024
Q: Is Ford coming out with a new Focus?
A: Ford is expanding its family car appeal with the new and updated Focus. The 2022 Focus will go on sale in the summer and be available as a hatchback, estate, or hot hatch ST. The 2022 Ford Focus has launched with a new hybrid engine, improved touchscreen infotainment, and higher standard equipment.
Q: What is Ford Replacing the Focus with?
A: The Focus WRC was used until the 2010 season when it was announced that the new Fiesta would replace the Focus from 2011 onwards. All rally cars are built, prepared, and run for Ford by M-Sport, a motorsport team based in Cockermouth, Cumbria in Northern England.
Q: Is 2014 a good year for Ford Focus?
A: The 2014 Ford Focus received a reliability rating of two out of five from JD Power and Associates. That’s the lowest rating available.2
Q: Will there be a 2022 Ford Focus?
A: Americans can only watch from a distance as we witness the impressive performance of this small hatchback. The 2022 Ford Focus ST is powered by a 2.3-liter inline-4 turbocharged engine that produces 280 hp (208 Kilowatts) and 310 lb-ft (420 Newton Meters) of torque.
