Ford Focus gets New 1.0-liter Turbo EcoBoost with up to 123HP in Europe, Replaces 1.6-liter Units

Ford continues to downsize its engines in order to reduce consumption and lower CO2 emissions with the presentation of a brand-new 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol unit on its Focus family car range in Europe.

The new turbocharged engine replaces the naturally aspirated 1.6-liter petrol and is available with two power levels, the first of which produces 99HP (100PS) and delivers 58.9mpg UK (4.8lt/100km or 49mpg US) with 109g/km of CO2 emissions in the five door Focus.

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Ford Focus ST-R to Make its Racing Debut at Daytona Grand-Am 200

After a year in development and nearly five months after its public debut at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford’s Focus ST-R will make its racing debut this Friday at the Grand-Am 200 that takes place at the Daytona Motor Speedway.

Competing in the Continental Tire Sport Car Challenge ST class, the racing version of the production Focus ST is a fully prepared competition car. It sports a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, a new suspension specially tuned for track use, updated brakes and an FIA-approved roll cage.

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And the North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists are…

For the past 18 years, a committee of journalists from U.S. and Canadian magazines, radio and TV stations, websites and newspapers meet once a year and vote for the North American Car and Truck of the Year [NACTOY].

You'll have to wait until January to find the winners for the 2012 edition of the North American Car and Truck of the Year, but the three finalists for each category were announced on Thursday in Detroit.

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Ford Begins Production of 2012 Focus Electric, Promises to be Better than Nissan’s Leaf

Having already launched its first all-electric vehicle, the Transit Connect Electric in December 2010, Ford announced today that it is beginning production of its first plug-in passenger car, the Focus Electric.

The all-electric, zero-emissions version of the Focus will be manufactured at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant from this month – and the Blue Oval is making some really bold statements about its EV.

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New Sporty-Flavored Ford Focus Zetec S Introduced in Britain

With the 250-horsepower Focus ST not due to land in British showrooms until the summer of 2012, Ford decided to warm up enthusiasts with a somewhat sportier flavored series of its five-door hatchback model bearing the "Zetec S" nameplate.

While there are no engine upgrades, the Focus Zetec S offers a sportier exterior appearance through a body kit that includes front and rear spoilers with lower sill extensions along with rear LED tail lamps and new 17in alloy wheels.

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New Ford Focus ST to Star in the 2012 Remake of 'The Sweeney' [with Video]

The new 2012 Focus ST hasn’t even hit the road yet, but Ford's first global performance model has already secured a position as the star car of the upcoming British blockbuster film, The Sweeney, which is based on the original TV series that aired in the UK between 1975 and 1978.

Ford was strongly connected to the 1970s Sweeney TV series as the stars of the police drama used Ford Granadas, Consuls and Cortinas to tackle violent crime in London.

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Ford Fiesta ST 5-Door Concept to Receive World Premiere at LA Auto Show

At the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Ford previewed its upcoming Fiesta ST with a thinly disguised concept based on the three-door hatchback model.

Now, the Detroit-based carmaker is heading to this month's Los Angeles Auto Show with a five-door hatchback variant of the Fiesta ST that should give us a taste of the North American model.

“With the Fiesta ST Concept, we are demonstrating that our global performance plan has legs," says Jost Capito, Ford director of Global Performance Vehicles

"The Fiesta ST Concept shows in the most dramatic way possible that the qualities that define an ST are not limited to one model [the Focus ST]. The potential for delivering the ST experience to an even wider audience is laid bare by this exciting new concept," he added.

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Shocker: Ford Slaps a $39,995* Sticker on Pure-Electric 2012 Focus EV

Ask any owner of a Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt, and they'll tell you that going green comes at a cost – not necessarily at the electric outlet, but at the dealership.

Same goes for Ford's foray into the electric-car market, the all-new 2012 Focus EV that carries an MSRP of $39,200 plus a $795 delivery and handling fee* that brings the total to $39,975. That's more than double the cost of the entry-level Focus SE 5-door hatchback.

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Ford to Invade SEMA Show with New Focus and Fiesta Tunes

We're a little less than two weeks away from this year's edition of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, which means it's time for major carmakers to begin teasing their bespoke creations.

Ford promises to have a little something for everyone at the show, from "mild to wild" and "old to new" though the company will pay a whole lot of attention to its compact Fiesta and Focus models.

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Tanner Foust Takes 350HP Ford Focus RS500 for a Spin Around the 'Ring [Video]

Professional race car driver and American Top Gear host Tanner Foust was invited to Germany by Ford of Europe to try out the limited production Focus RS500 hot hatch on the famous Nordschleife circuit.

The refresh your memory, the RS500 was a special edition version of the standard Focus RS equipped with a modified 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five delivering 350-horses to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Ford only made 500 examples of the car available to the public and 12 units for its own use.

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Woman Designs a Unique Necklace Piece out of…Ford Focus Parts

Chevrolet isn't the only company to have its centennial this year; so is Ford, or to be more precise, the Blue Oval is celebrating 100 years of Ford in Britain as the company itself was founded in 1903.

As part of the company’s Centenary Tour, which is a month-long event, Ford of Britain commissioned Cornish designer, Katherine Hawkins, to craft a unique piece of jewelry made out of select Ford Focus parts.

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Project Kahn Turns its Focus on the RS

Aftermarket British tuner Project Kahn has released a mild upgrade package for the now obsolete Ford Focus RS. The company left the hot hatch's 305HP-strong 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five intact, and concentrated on the styling aspect of the tune. Read more »