Ford Vietnam celebrates first all-new Focus off-the-line

Under observation of distinguished guests and management board of Ford Vietnam, the first Ford Focus – a Highlight Silver four-door sedan and Red Fire five-door hatchback were driven off the line to mark the official start of production.

Volume production is scheduled to ramp up at the Hai Duong plant over the coming weeks, with vehicles becoming available at Ford dealerships in Vietnam from mid December 2012.

 “Today's celebration and start of production in Hai Duong marks the latest milestone in the global success story for Ford Focus," said Laurent Charpentier. “The all-new Ford Focus – which is now being built in five of Ford's global production hubs and is available on five continents – is a leading example of our One Ford plan to develop vehicles that meet the needs, wants and expectations of customers around the world.”

The all-new Focus will be built at the Hai Duong plant’s state-of-the-art assembly line – which is the first of its kind and most advanced in Vietnam, and utilises the same automotive manufacturing technology that is employed by Ford's world-class European and North American operations. Adding production of another global One Ford vehicle to our Hai Duong facility highlights the importance Ford places on the Vietnam market, as well as the confidence in our team to continue delivering vehicles with world-class safety and quality.

The debut of the newest Ford global C-segment compact in Vietnam market follows a series of global introductions that started in Europe and have progressively moved around the world.  Since its introduction, the all-new Ford Focus has been successfully received by customers and critics globally for its outstanding smart technologies, safety features, high quality and impressive capacity of fuel efficiency. In the first nine months of 2012, all-new Focus was the best selling passenger car globally, outcame its competitors in C-segment.

Similar to the previous global models such as Ford Fiesta and Ford Ranger, when developing the all-new Ford Focus, Ford conducted extensive global customer research. Findings clearly indicated the need for style topped the list of customer desires everywhere in the world.

 “The all-new Ford Focus was developed with customers, not just for them,” explained Laurent Charpentier. “Fuel economy, spirited performance and efficient use of space are universal desires, across global markets – and Focus delivers. In every world market where Focus competes, customers are looking for expressive design, affordable innovation, superior quality, responsive performance and exceptional fuel economy.”

“In Vietnam, the all-new Ford Focus presents all these elements in one outstanding package. It raises the bar in all these areas, which will not only delight our existing customers but also expand the appeal of the Focus brand to a whole new generation of Ford customers,” added Charpentier.

The all-new Focus range introduces a new-look, four-tier model line-up, comprising entry-level Ambiente, mid-series Trend, and high-tech luxury Sport+ and Titanium+ models. The Sport and Sport+ models are available in a five-door hatchback bodystyle while the Titanium and Titanium+ models are available in a four-door sedan version.

The Ambiente is a stylish introduction to the all-new Focus range, while the Focus Trend effortlessly merges stylish design with innovation and convenience. The dynamic character of the all-new Focus combines with even more smart features with the latest innovative technology and contemporary luxury in  Sport+ and Titanium+ representing the ultimate all-new Focus.

 “We will set a new standard for C-segment cars in Vietnam, with a truly fantastic car that delivers several first-in-class technologies, superior fuel economy, and an all-around fun driving experience,” said Charpentier.