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Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is an
automobile made by the Ford Motor Company
and sold in most Ford markets worldwide. It
was launched in 1998 in Europe, and in 2000
in North America. Since then, it has become
the most popular car in the United Kingdom,
following in the success of the Escort, its
predecessor. A new version of the Focus was
launched in Europe in January 2005, while
the United States received an updated version
of the old model. Unlike
previous Fords in the North American market,
the Pinto and the Escort, no luxury Mercury
version is available.
The Focus, like the
Mondeo Mk I, was a "world car",
which saw Ford coordinate and pool its resources
from all over the globe. Like the Mondeo,
most of the design and engineering work took
place in Europe. The Focus is arguably the
biggest indication of the change in Ford's
design and engineering philosophy. After the
Escort Mk IV was criticised by the motoring
press as being designed by the "bean
counters" and for its mediocre ride,
handling and quality, Ford decided to take
more risks in its replacement. As a result,
the Focus had bold styling, increased quality
and critically-acclaimed handling and refinement.
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