Around two months remain before the production line for the current-generation Ford Focus is due to be shut down for good - at least, that was the original timetable. However, according to Autocar, plans are already being drawn up to keep the Ford Focus in the brand’s line-up.
Next Ford Focus: move to an SUV body and broader powertrains
Any thoughts of another compact estate-style model can be set aside. For its next generation, the Ford Focus is expected to switch to an SUV-style body, aiming at a class above today’s Ford Puma - the space currently occupied by the Kuga.
When it comes to engines, the focus is expected to be on hybrid petrol units and plug-in hybrids, while fully electric versions are also on the table.
Which platform will be chosen?
In this case, all signs suggest Ford will lean on a "home-grown solution". Several elements, including the C2 platform, are expected to be taken from the current Ford Kuga, which is built at the Valencia plant in Spain.
That is also the site where this new model is expected to be assembled, with an annual production capacity of close to 300,000 units.
The Spanish factory’s output potential, combined with the use of existing components and multiple powertrain routes, could turn this new Ford Focus into one of the key pillars of the American brand’s push in the European market.
Design cues, pricing intentions and likely rivals
Visually, it is reasonable to expect some styling cues to be carried over from the new all-electric Ford Explorer, reworked to suit a more compact body.
At the same time, Ford also wants to launch this new Focus with a more competitive entry price than the Explorer, whose higher cost has restricted its market reach. As for rivals, targets may include models such as the new Volkswagen T-Roc, Hyundai Kauai or Renault Symbioz.
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