New 276hp Ford Focus ST Sets Sights on Hot Hatch Crown

[Safoo]

I agree with you there (Canada)

Apparently Ford knows what's best for us...

 

[Joey D]

I get why Ford dropped cars out of the North American lineup, but it's still disappointing we miss out on things like this. With a 7-speed auto that's, presumably, a double clutch I'd actually be interested in an ST.

 

[WheelmanSteve]

Dear Ford,
I will put my money where my mouth is. Offer this car in the US, and I will give you a deposit tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Wheelmansteve, roiling with venomous hate for all things slow and tippy.

 

[phillgt2002]

Very nice, but Ford knows that any wagon besides a Subaru is going to die in the US. That's why they are switching to crossovers in the US market.

There's just more demand.

Regardless of that, I would love to see and drive one.

 

[XJ40]

That is a nice looking car, especially in that colour. I'm not a Ford man, but I reckon I'll be keeping an eye out in a few years 👍

 

[kikie]

An AWD version could be nice.

 

[05XR8]

An AWD version could be nice.

And expensive, but would make a sweet RS version. 👍

 

[Rinsky]

I get why Ford dropped cars out of the North American lineup, but it's still disappointing we miss out on things like this. With a 7-speed auto that's, presumably, a double clutch I'd actually be interested in an ST.

Ford hasn't completely dropped cars from North America they just don't build them in North America anymore and all Ford cars will be imported into the US now. Except the Mustang.

I work for Ford at the Kentucky Truck Plant where we build the F-250 thru F-550 Super Duty Trucks along with the Expedition & Navigator. Our order bank sits at 101,669 for the Trucks 16,550 Expeditions 4,786 Navigator's (at 90 to 100 thousand dollars per Navigator)

We are Fords most profitable Assembly Plant in North America and with our order bank numbers I posted above I can see why Ford dropped all but one car production plant in the US.

 

[Joey D]

Ford hasn't completely dropped cars from North America they just don't build them in North America anymore and all Ford cars will be imported into the US now. Except the Mustang.

I work for Ford at the Kentucky Truck Plant where we build the F-250 thru F-550 Super Duty Trucks along with the Expedition & Navigator. Our order bank sits at 101,669 for the Trucks 16,550 Expeditions 4,786 Navigator's (at 90 to 100 thousand dollars per Navigator)

We are Fords most profitable Assembly Plant in North America and with our order bank numbers I posted above I can see why Ford dropped all but one car production plant in the US.

The only cars the will sell are the Mustang and Focus Active (and that's only if you count the Focus as a car and not a crossover). Ford isn't going to import any cars to the US, its just not going to sell them at all. Trucks, crossovers, and SUVs are another story.

I fully expect Ford to file for bankruptcy once we go to war with Iran and gas prices hit $5 a gallon.

 

[Rinsky]

The only cars the will sell are the Mustang and Focus Active (and that's only if you count the Focus as a car and not a crossover). Ford isn't going to import any cars to the US, its just not going to sell them at all. Trucks, crossovers, and SUVs are another story.

I fully expect Ford to file for bankruptcy once we go to war with Iran and gas prices hit $5 a gallon.

Go to any Ford dealership right now and find me any 2019 Focus that's made in the USA. You won't because Ford is importing them all in from Mexico as all Focus production in the US ended in 2018.

Its also going to take a lot more than rising gas prices in this incredibly strong US economy to make Ford go belly up. Just remember that Ford was the only US automaker that didn't need or take a government bailout during the last recession. So to think that $5.00 a gallon fuel prices will put Ford under is so laughable.

With Diesel sitting at $4.00 a gallon now we still can't keep up with the demand for these Trucks. Currently our plant produces 7800 trucks a week. That's 31,000 Trucks a month with an order bank that stays at or above 100,000 every month. These numbers do not even include the F-150 but when you add them together its very easy to see why Ford is #1 in the world when it comes to trucks. So It's a very smart decision by Ford to stop selling Sedans in the US as they or any other automaker can't give the damn things away anymore.

Cars as we have know them are becoming a thing of the past like it or not. But Ford has no plans on stopping car sales forever in the US. This is only a temporary slow down as Ford gets ready for the future and the next generation of cars that will make their way to showrooms in the coming years maybe even as soon as 2021.

 

[Joey D]

Go to any Ford dealership right now and find me any 2019 Focus that's made in the USA. You won't because Ford is importing them all in from Mexico as all Focus production in the US ended in 2018.

Its also going to take a lot more than rising gas prices in this incredibly strong US economy to make Ford go belly up. Just remember that Ford was the only US automaker that didn't need or take a government bailout during the last recession. So to think that $5.00 a gallon fuel prices will put Ford under is so laughable.

With Diesel sitting at $4.00 a gallon now we still can't keep up with the demand for these Trucks. Currently our plant produces 7800 trucks a week. That's 31,000 Trucks a month with an order bank that stays at or above 100,000 every month. These numbers do not even include the F-150 but when you add them together its very easy to see why Ford is #1 in the world when it comes to trucks. So It's a very smart decision by Ford to stop selling Sedans in the US as they or any other automaker can't give the damn things away anymore.

Cars as we have know them are becoming a thing of the past like it or not. But Ford has no plans on stopping car sales forever in the US. This is only a temporary slow down as Ford gets ready for the future and the next generation of cars that will make their way to showrooms in the coming years maybe even as soon as 2021.

I can't find you a 2019 Focus at a Ford dealer because the 2019 Focus doesn't exist anywhere in the US. It's not even on Ford's website: https://shop.ford.com/showroom/?gnav=header-all-vehicles#/

Yes, they still build the Focus in other parts of the world. However, it's not built in Mexico and hasn't been built there since the first gen Focus. The fourth-gen is built in Saarlouis, Germany and Chongqing, China for those respective markets. The Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, where the Focus was built, now builds the Ford Ranger and should build the Bronco later this year/early next year.

Also, Ford did take a bailout. It didn't take TARP money, but it did take heavily subsidized government loans that equated to $9 billion. It still hasn't paid them back either and won't do so until 2022. So it wasn't immune to the shaky economy.

As for the fuel prices, do you remember what happened last time fuel prices shot up? People abandoned their trucks and SUVs in droves to get fuel efficient, small cars. Without those available and without any real EV model, Ford is setting itself up to lose. At least GM understands this and is investing heavily in EVs right now.

Ford stopping the sale of cars in the North American market makes sense right now. But a few years down the road it probably won't. The company is incredibly short-sighted.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

With Diesel sitting at $4.00 a gallon now we still can't keep up with the demand for these Trucks. Currently our plant produces 7800 trucks a week. That's 31,000 Trucks a month with an order bank that stays at or above 100,000 every month. These numbers do not even include the F-150 but when you add them together its very easy to see why Ford is #1 in the world when it comes to trucks. So It's a very smart decision by Ford to stop selling Sedans in the US as they or any other automaker can't give the damn things away anymore.

Cars as we have know them are becoming a thing of the past like it or not. But Ford has no plans on stopping car sales forever in the US. This is only a temporary slow down as Ford gets ready for the future and the next generation of cars that will make their way to showrooms in the coming years maybe even as soon as 2021.

The F-150 is hardly a relevant comparison though, since I'm betting a huge chunk of those sales figures go to fleets. The Escape has the bigger impact on Focus/Fusion sales, IMO.

Though it's also worth noting some industry pros think things will change soon. Nissan believes Gen Z will return to sedans simply because they don't want to buy what their parents did.

Ford stopping the sale of cars in the North American market makes sense right now. But a few years down the road it probably won't. The company is incredibly short-sighted.

It is, but admittedly in Ford's defence, one of the benefits of being its size and having its world reach is that, if need be, it would be able to pull from other markets relatively easily if needed. I have no idea if the new Fiesta is technically US-compliant since it won't be sold over here, but I'm betting it is, or needs very little to become so. The Focus obviously already works. There's no word on if another generation Mondeo is in the pipeline, with the last rumors suggesting if it does happen, it'd be on a stretched Focus platform, which would theoretically also make it viable here.

 

[Wolfe]

It's a very smart decision by Ford to stop selling Sedans in the US as they or any other automaker can't give the damn things away anymore.

I'm pretty sure what we're witnessing is not the death of sedans entirely, but Detroit waving the white flag to the Germans, Japanese, and Koreans in that market segment.

Other automakers are riding the crossover wave too, but you can't tell me no one is buying Korean or Japanese sedans, or hatchbacks. They remain everywhere.

 

[WheelmanSteve]

Sadly in the US, it is 1975 all over again in terms of vehicle dynamics and relative efficiency. American buyers have embraced waste. Please note I say "relative"- while today's large SUV, CUV's, and trucks do get better fuel mileage than past models, they are still eclipsed by "regular" cars. As others have noted, if/when oil starts to climb and gas/diesel go up above $4-5USD/gallon, a lot of drivers are going to rethink their choices.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Nissan believes Gen Z will return to sedans simply because they don't want to buy what their parents did.

Oh how I want Nissan to be right! I really do.