New Ford Focus launched in Malaysia - Filled to the brim with technology
Thursday, March 10, 2016
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Ford just launched the new Ford Focus here in Malaysia. This is essentially a facelift of the current Mk3 Focus but it features quite a number of major changes compared to the earlier car. The changes include slimmer headlights, a new trapezoidal grille, more prominent character lines in the front fender and bumper making it similar to that of the Mondeo and keeping things in line with the current Ford design identity. But inside and underneath, Ford has really upgraded the Focus. This car has tons of new features and even a total engine and transmission change! Call it the Mk3.5 as it truly is a major facelift.
Malaysia gets three variants (TREND, TITANIUM + & SPORT+) and all are powered by Ford's new 1.5liter Ecoboost engine coupled to a 6 speed automatic (with a traditional torque convertor and not a dual clutch like before - making this front wheel driven Focus a smooth and more reliable than before). The 1.5liter engine may be small but makes 180ps and 240Nm torque.
Inside, there are less buttons and stuff on the dashboard. Less clutter than befor making it mroe ergonomic and cleaner to look at. The small screen has been replaced by an all-new eight inch TFT touchscreen in the two more expensive variants (a small LCD 3.5inch screen in the base TREND model) . The quality of plastics have improved, and the steering wheel is a new three-spoke item that looks like it came from the larger and more expensive Mondeo (the lower specced car gets a plastic wheel whereas the two higher specced cars get a leather wrapped wheel - as are the seats, which are fabric in the lower specced car).
The variants are as follows:
Ford Focus Trend (5 door): RM118,888 in Peninsular Malaysia / RM123,388 in East Malaysia
Ford Focus Titanium+ (4 door - pictured above); and
Ford Focus Sport+ (5 door) - both selling for RM139,888 in Peninsular Malaysia / 144,588 in East Malaysia.
All the prices are on the road without insurance.
The cars are stuffed full of tech. Especially the two higher prices models. You get:
Active Braking ,
Active City Stop
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Distance Indication/Distance Alert
Auto High Beam
Auto Start-Stop
Blind Spot Information System
Driver Alert
Forward Alert
Lane Keeping Aid + Lane Keeping Alert
Pre-Collision Assist
Hill Start Assist
.....to name a few in the two higher priced cars.
This new Ford Focus is impressive. All of the features mentioned make this the most powerful small car on sale in Malaysia and the most feature packed small car on sale in Malaysia too. I mean, RM139,000+ for a car with blind spot detection, active braking and self parking is impressive to say the least. The only car that has all of the tech mentioned above that is priced close to this would be the Volvo V40 T5. Which costs about RM190,000+. If you are into gadgets and tech, this is the car for you.
If you are into driving for pleasure, the Focus also works tremendously well too. I managed to have a go in the 4door Titanium + sedan with two other journalists after the launch and it was impressive to say the least. The car drove extremely well. Ride and handling was exemplary. Some of the tech are so convenient and the amount of tech included at the price asked by Ford is truly amazing. The driving position is great but space for the passenger up front was a little tight (people at the back are fine though). Stay tuned for a short drive write up very soon.
Focus Trend - 17inch wheels, fabric seats, PU steering wheel, standard suspension less tech.
This red car is the Focus Sport+ - 17inch wheels, full leather interior, sports suspension
Focus Titanium+ - 16inch wheels, two tone leather interior, fully electric drivers seats (only one with this feature among the three), standard suspension
New Ford Focus Leaps Forward with More Power, More Smart and Safe Technologies, More Fun to Drive
From (L-R): Veemala Rethinasamy, sales and marketing director, Malaysia, Ford Motor Company, David Westerman, managing director, Malaysia and Asia Pacific Emerging Markets, Ford Motor Company, Ms Adeline Lew, head of sales, Sime Darby Auto Connexion and Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, managing director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion
New Focus is the perfect blend of style, comfort, performance, fuel efficiency and
safety, all powered by an exhilarating 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine
Latest smart technology, such as SYNC™ 2, Perpendicular Park Assist, MyKey, Cross
Traffic Alert and enhanced Active City Stop make the new Focus one of the most
connected and smartest cars in its class
Now available in Ford dealerships nationwide, new Focus is priced from RM118,888
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 10 Mar. 2016 – Ford and its local distributor Sime Darby Auto
Connexion (SDAC) today officially launched the new Focus in Malaysia. Stylish, packed with
an array of smart technologies and powered by an exhilarating 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol
engine, it is the most powerful small car in Malaysia.
The new Focus is priced from RM118,888 on the road without insurance in Peninsular
Malaysia and RM123,388 in East Malaysia for the Trend variant, and is available in six
exciting colours: Frozen White, Panther Black, Ingot Silver, Candy Red, Magnetic and
Winning Blue.
“The new Ford Focus combines smart and safe technologies with the unmatched
performance and fuel efficiency of our 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine, which delivers an
exhilarating fun-to-drive experience,” said David Westerman, managing director, Malaysia
and Asia Pacific Emerging Markets, Ford Motor Company.
The new Focus 1.5-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost engine is the most powerful in its class -
pumping out an impressive 180PS of power and 240Nm of torque. Helping drivers harness
this power is a new, lightweight and efficient six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission,
and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for the ultimate sporty drive.
Equipped with up to six airbags, the new Focus gives drivers extra confidence with the latest
driver assist technologies like Enhanced Transitional Stability, which can predict a skid and
step in early to potentially prevent a loss of control and enhanced Active City Stop. It is also
Malaysia’s only small car to feature an enhanced Active Park Assist system, Blind Spot
Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert.
“The new Focus has evolved in nearly in every aspect – design, smart technology, driving
dynamics, powertrain and refinement. We’re confident this will further strengthen its appeal
with Malaysian customers,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, managing director, Sime
Darby Auto Connexion.
Cutting edge technology
and in control.
Chief among these is SYNC™ 2, the latest generation of Ford’s in-car connectivity system
that boasts an eight-inch colour touchscreen to operate phone, entertainment and climate
control using a simple voice command system.
The new Focus is available with a smart, hands-free parking system called Enhanced Active
Park Assist, which builds on Ford’s popular Parallel Park Assist with the addition of
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com
Follow at www.facebook.com/FordMalaysia or www.youtube.com/FordMsia
Perpendicular Park Assist. Once activated, the system scans for available parking spaces
alongside other cars. When it finds one, the system takes control of the car’s steering to
guide the vehicle into the space while the driver controls the shifting, braking and
acceleration.
Perpendicular Park Assist uses two new ultrasonic sensors on the rear of the car, which also
enables Park-Out Assist. Park-Out Assist takes the stress out of exiting a parallel parking
space by taking control of the steering while the driver operates the brake and accelerator.
When reversing from a perpendicular parking space, Cross Traffic Alert uses three distinct
warnings to alert drivers if the system detects a vehicle approaching either from the left or
the right side, up to a range of 40 metres.
The new Focus helps drivers to maintain awareness of their surroundings with Blind Spot
Information System (BLIS). Using radar technology, BLIS alerts the driver when another
motorist is in the driver’s blind spot by illuminating warning LEDs in the external mirrors.
In urban driving up to 50 km/h, an enhanced Active City Stop system can help to mitigate
low-speed collisions. Using a windshield-mounted sensor to detect braking, slower-moving
or stationary vehicles in front, the system pre-charges the brakes if the car is approaching a
vehicle in front too quickly. If the driver fails to take action, the system reduces engine torque
and automatically applies the brakes to reduce the impact of a collision.
The new Focus even allows owners to encourage safe driving when they are not behind the
wheel, with Ford MyKey. Owners can programme a spare key to reduce the maximum
speed of the vehicle, give an earlier low-fuel warning, limit the volume of the in-car
entertainment or even disable it completely if the seatbelt is not fastened. The technology
can provide reassurance to owners when lending their car to less experienced drivers.
Efficient, powerful and fun-to-drive
The Focus 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine is paired to a new modern, lightweight and efficient six-
speed SelectShift automatic transmission, delivering refinement together with excellent
performance and fuel economy. Paddle shift controls enable drivers to change gears without
taking their hands from the steering wheel for an enhanced feeling of performance.
The engine uses the core EcoBoost technologies of turbocharging, high-pressure direct fuel-
injection and Twin-independent Variable Cam Timing to ensure optimum performance.
On the go, the new Focus takes the nameplate’s class-leading driving dynamics and fun-to-
drive DNA to a new level with enhanced handling thanks to carefully tuned suspension and
shock absorbers that make the vehicle more solid and responsive.
A more refined Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) system further improves the driving
experience with more precise steering and lower effort, while reducing unwanted damping
and providing excellent feedback to the driver.
Sophisticated design
The stylish new exterior design displays a new level of sophistication, and is complemented
by a modern new interior. Paying particular attention to customer feedback on the current
generation Focus, Ford designers created a simpler, more intuitive interior that allows drivers
to effortlessly control the vehicle’s features.
The simplified interior offers more space with a variety of new convenient storage options for
a more comfortable driving experience. An adjustable console fits a variety of bottles and
cups, and can simultaneously hold a 1-litre water bottle and a 400 ml cup.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com
Follow at www.facebook.com/FordMalaysia or www.youtube.com/FordMsia
The new Focus also offers impressive levels of cabin quietness, with sound deadening
materials – including sound-insulating windshield glass, thicker side-window glass, thicker
carpets, increased insulation in the door trims, and improved engine insulation – for
increased refinement.
Pricing for the new Focus, on the road without insurance, is:
Focus Trend (5 door): RM118,888 in Peninsular Malaysia / RM123,388 in East
Malaysia
Focus Titanium+ (4 door) and Sport+ (5 door): RM139,888 in Peninsular Malaysia /
144,588 in East Malaysia
Additionally, all current/existing Ford Focus owners can enjoy a cash rebate of RM3,000 when purchasing
the new Ford Focus from now until 30 April 2016.
For more information, please visit www.ford.com.my.
# # #
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With
about 199,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing,
manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified
vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging
opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility,
autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics. For more information
regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com.
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