'Four-cylinder' Fox back on track

In 1985, the Coca-Cola Company once did one thing, which was to change the old formula for many years.As a result, it was almost a bad thing after the trial, and finally the production of the old formula was resumed.

Twenty years later, in 2005, the second-generation Ford Focus officially entered China. So far, this car has 2.7 million Chinese fans. It has also won the CTCC China Touring Car Championship 9 times in 13 years.This is an amazing, landmark car.But again, in 2019, Ford, like Coca-Cola, did a "reform" thing.The result is clear to everyone.

Therefore, on June 6, 2022, the all-new Ford Focus will be officially unveiled, and the meaning behind it is very clear. Ford has changed back to the "old formula" four-cylinder engine.There is nothing to hide in this detour. The "pit" of the three-cylinder engine has been stepped on and painful. Now it is just a matter of knowing the mistake and changing it.

There are also friends who like Fox who asked me, "Will there be a hunting version of Fox this time?" For the friends who know cars, Fox and Civic have completely different textures when driving.If you want to buy the hunting version of "Little Steel Cannon" Fox, it is also an itchy choice.

A tribute to the classic "Ambition"

So, what about the all-new Focus that's changed back to four-cylinder?This can only be said, a matter of opinion.At least, Ford's century-old skills will not disappoint fans who like fuel vehicles.

What is different from before is that the design of the new Ford Focus has been dominated by the Ford China Design Center, in other words, it has truly changed from a Chinese special car to a Chinese global car.This is a huge step forward in localization, but it comes relatively late.

Based on the design concept of "potential energy aesthetics", which includes the three basic expression principles of "movement·smart shape", "creation·intelligent response", and "force·strong aura", and draws from aerospace vehicles and pioneering industrial design Inspired, the new Fox conveys a combat-like "air and space fighter"-like design.

"Potential energy aesthetics" has been introduced a lot before. This design concept runs through every detail of the new Focus, such as the more sculptural hood, the horizontal eyebrow line that highlights the visual width of the front face, and the powerful horizontal eyebrow line, which is more slender in proportion The brand new LED headlights, dynamic and sharp wingspan light strips, etc.

"Potential energy" is also reflected in the lines.For example, a very tense line extends from the front face to the muscular shoulder line, and then rises again at the door and runs through to the rear of the car, depicting a ready-to-go attitude.The smooth and smooth roof line integration can open the large panoramic sunroof, which is more concise and neat.

As usual, the new Focus has two variants: sedan and hatchback.At the same time, in terms of color, three classic performance car colors are also engraved, such as the exclusive color of Ford's iconic high-performance models, the star blue, which reflects the latest color trend of Ford, the flaming orange that was launched in China, and the popular trend that highlights the trend. Color mecha gray, etc.

The 2705mm wheelbase is "just right" in the compact class, that is, the A-class car.In addition, it is equipped with an 8-inch LCD instrument + 12.3-inch large-size touch center control screen, which is a lot better than the previous generation.The sound is B&O, you can feel the theater-like sound experience.In addition, it is equipped with Ford Pass remote interconnection, which can locate the vehicle and check the vehicle status, which is also a manifestation of advancing with the times.

The high-strength andlightweightbody structure is the basis for sports performance.The use of the new Fox boron steel is as high as 33%, and the ACCRA gas thermoforming process is used to create an integrally formed A-pillar to the roof rail, which reduces the weight and enhances the torsional rigidity of the body to create a reinforced iron body structure.

In terms of power, the new Focus series comes standard with a four-cylinder 1.5T EcoBoost®180 turbocharged direct-injection engine, paired with a sports-tuned 6AT gearbox (the maximum torque can reach 425N m), and the zero-hundred-time acceleration is 7.9 seconds (compared to the previous one). generation improved by a full 1 second).There are three driving modes, which are enough to deal with various driving scenarios.After all, Fox has won 2 annual championships and 44 championships in the WRC World Rally Championship, and his strength is definitely there.

Although this four-cylinder engine is not the latest, it integrates a number of mature advanced engine technologies such as turbocharging, in-cylinder direct injection, and dual independent variable timing systems. The maximum rated power is 130kW/6000rpm and the maximum torque is 243N m/ At 1750-4500rpm, it is also equipped with super-supercharged Overboost mode, which instantly increases the torque to 270N m, with faster power response and stronger acceleration performance.In addition, high-grade gasoline can be added, and the power output is stronger.

As a "small steel gun", only the basic model is obviously not enough.Therefore, Changan Ford also launched the new Ford Focus S version for the first time. The exclusive S logo pays tribute to the classic performance model Focus RS (because it said that the RS model will no longer be launched).This also provides personalized options for young consumers who are keen on extreme performance and individual expression.

The special kit of the Focus S version includes, blue + black contrasting color racing element pull flowers and black rear spoiler, 18-inch high-gloss blackened sports wheels, red calipers, the interior continues the blue + black color tone, embellished with sports technology Blue design elements, high-end suede-like interior materials, blue seat belts with a very sporty trend, blue stitching and exclusive S-Edition embroidered LOGO.

Of course, the ST-Line version will also be unveiled this time, equipped with 18-inch carbon gray sports wheels, red calipers, a very sporty black interior with red three-dimensional stitching, ST-Line embroidered Logo and other exclusive designs, flat bottom punching The leather steering wheel and carbon fiber style trim strips exude a unique and attractive sporty style, injecting a stronger sports aura.

In terms of adjustment, the new Fox S version and ST-Line version have made exclusive performance-oriented adjustments to the chassis, tailor-made springs, shock absorbers and stabilizer bars, and lowered the chassis height by 10mm.In addition, it is equipped with 18-inch Michelin PS4 sports tires, which provide better grip, increase cornering speed and reduce braking distance.The steering wheel has paddle shifters for more precise and aggressive handling.

According to Changan Ford, this new Focus, which "pays tribute to classics with performance and evokes excitement with love", will work with its drivers to provide more enthusiastic handling performance, more dynamic design, and more pleasant intelligent technology. , return to the original intention, and transform into a "little steel cannon" that makes the corners of the driver's mouth rise at all times.

Fox's "Hard Blood"

In fact, Focus has a very high starting point in the Chinese sedan market. From 2007 to 2014, Focus even accounted for more than half of Changan Ford's total sales. Among them, the third-generation Focus reached its peak sales in 2013-2014. At that time, the monthly sales more than 30,000 vehicles.Therefore, as a once-milestone model, the mental process of the new Fox's "rising" again is very clear.

Of course, if it is only limited to the sporty and younger vehicle design, it cannot meet the needs of Generation Z.Therefore, this trendy sports mid-size car, created by combining the sports handling performance blessed by the track genes and the intelligent technology of real-time interaction, is eager to ignite the driving enthusiasm of the Z generation consumers, experience the wonderful driving fun that belongs to them, and win the market again. Approved.

We know that control is the DNA engraved in Fox's bones, and it is also the core competitiveness.From the first generation of Fox, the genes of handling and sportiness have flowed in the blood of the Fox family.This new Focus is not only intended to redefine the trend of new benchmarks, but also to reshape the new standard of fun and control.The confidence of the confidence, of course, lies in its sports chassis adjustment.

Through fine adjustment in the four dimensions of precision, responsiveness, comfort and stability, with a lower friction coefficient of the steering system and a higher transmission ratio of the steering motor, as well as matching the EPAS electronic power assisted steering system and TVC cornering With the intelligent torque distribution system, the new Focus achieves linear and sensitive response, delicate and stable feedback, and excellent body roll control.

The steering of "where to hit" can be described as the soul of driving pleasure.After fine adjustment, the performance with small virtual position brings clear and smooth steering linear performance, brings more precise control performance, enhances the driver's confidence when cornering, and everyone becomes a "cornering warrior" and enjoys driving fun.The purpose of tuning the new Focus is of course to achieve real full interaction with the driver and "integration of human and vehicle".

The new Focus is also equipped with an iteratively optimized SLA long and short arm blade rear independent suspension system, which improves the stability of the body under impact loads, reduces overall road noise, and improves vehicle comfort.Under high-speed driving conditions, the body stability and anti-interference performance are also effectively improved.

In addition, the overall stiffness performance is improved, the handling is more precise and stable, and the tire performance can be maximized.At the same time, the new Focus has a better braking distance of 34.04 meters per 100 kilometers.This is due to the EBB electronic power brake module, large-sized brake discs of 308mm in the front and 302mm in the rear, and 18-inch Michelin PS4 sports tires.

Zhang Pengfei, the project chief engineer of Ford Focus, said, "At the main level, we hope to show consumers the mechanical beauty of this product through precise control and abundant driving pleasure." According to the demands of the model, the new Focus has improved the intelligent technology configuration in the cockpit.

With the help of artificial intelligence technology, the SYNC®+ Zhixing infotainment system jointly developed by Ford and Baidu can support up to dozens of fuzzy semantic intelligent recognition and multi-round interaction.You can use voice to make calls, play music, set up intelligent navigation and air conditioning, and understand what you need in seconds; support OTA, often used often.

Equipped with Ford Co-Pilot360™ intelligent driving assistance system, supporting L2 advanced driving assistance level, integrating ACC full-speed intelligent adaptive cruise control and LC intelligent pilot assistance system, AEB intelligent induction braking protection system (with pedestrian recognition function), TSR Intelligent traffic sign recognition, ESA emergency steering assist system and other configurations are quite complete.

Of course, as a compact sedan, the market performance of the new Focus has been amazing for a long time.The question facing the new Focus now is, can it once again leverage the A-class car market?After all, the current rivals are not what they used to be. With the strong rise of independent brands, more and more car companies have noticed the importance of the sports compact car segment, creating many powerful rivals.

Especially in recent years, the old rivals Honda Civic and Corolla in the price range of 100,000 to 150,000 yuan have continued to evolve, while Changan UNI-V, MG 5, GAC Trumpchi Shadow Leopard, Geely Binrui COOL and other joint venture and independent brand models They all regard sportiness as their main competitiveness, and their strength should not be underestimated. The pressure that Fox faces can be imagined.Therefore, whether it can stand out from the competition among the sports compact cars will be the biggest challenge after the launch of the new Focus.