2012 Ford Focus

Description of Australia in the third quarter, its engineer James Hughes, a "paradigm shift: night and day," according to Los Angeles that began last week. Candidate for the slow-selling Focus, but now the model has been run, compared with a sweet ride out of South Africa.

Much of the tech story is in the interactive overload that is the My Ford Touch/SYNC system. This in-car connectivity system runs through LCD screens and an eight-inch video screen. It's capable of understanding 10,000 voice commands; say "I'm hungry" and the nav system will guide you to any number of local restaurants. And it'll allow you to order takeaway via Bluetooth and direct you to the joint while it cooks. Then there's its myriad music and entertainment functions. If that's not enough, the system makes the car a WiFi hotspot.

Intent on both broadening the car's appeal to its current buyer base and reaching a new breed of potential customer looking for something more, the new Focus retains its existing S, SE, SEL trims while adding a premium-grade Titanium variant that Ford hopes also will find favor with customers considering a step down from larger traditional luxury vehicles. Beyond squaring off against the new Chevrolet Cruze, the 2012 Ford Focus faces stiff competition in this ultra-competitive segment from perennial rivals like the Honda Civic -- also due for its own mid-year remake -- Mazda MAZDA3, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla as well as the newly redesigned and very well turned out Hyundai Elantra and its Kia Forte cousin.

2012 Ford Focus Release Date

2012 Ford Focus will take place in mid-2011 looks like.