Ford really seems to be turning things around lately. They’ve just announced that they will redesign the Focus Coupe for the 2009 model year, giving it a more sporty appeal. Although not a huge change in design, it does look good:
They’ll be debuting the car on the popular TV show American Idol tomorrow (Wednesday, May 14th,) of which Ford happens to be a huge sponsor. The changes are typical for a significant facelift:
- New Front Grill & Fascia.
- Side Vents are gone.
- 17″ (SVT Style) Sport Wheels.
- Power increase to 143 horsepower.
- New rear diffuser.
- New rear high mounted spoiler.
- New rear lights.
- Revised front lights
- Free flowing exhaust system.
- 4.2 final drive ratio for automatic transmissions.
- New optional electronic stability control (ESC).
Continue reading for more information, photos, and a 2008/2009 comparison…
The redesign comes from customer feedback, which is the type of thing that attributed to Ford’s 88% increase in sales last month compared to April 2007. The Focus had a lot to do with that; attracting a younger crowd to Ford, booming in late 2007 with the release of the new generation Focus.
The new sport-tuned exhaust gives the Ford Focus SES Coupe slightly more horsepower and a “throatier” sound, while continuing to get the excellent 35 mpg (hwy) fuel efficiency rating. The automatic transmission also gets a 4.2 final drive ratio, giving it a slightly better off-the-line acceleration.
Altogether, the new look is nice. I could see it attracting a lot of younger buyers that would otherwise steer clear of anything that isn’t an import. Take a look at the direct comparison below:
2008 Focus Coupe:
2009 Focus Coupe:
I do like the overall change. I think the wheels are a bit much, but speak of the car in the right fashion. The redesigned front-end looks good overall, but I really wish they wouldn’t have gotten rid of the side vents; I thought that gave the car a higher-end feel, which it needed. The rear high-mounted spoiler, just like every other high-mounted spoiler in the world, looks silly. That’s objective, of course, as it seems there are plenty of people who like it. The performance enhancements are always welcome, especially when you can continue to get the excellent fuel economy the Focus does, and the addition of the optional Stability Control is great.
You may also enjoy:
