Ford produces one millionth 1.0 litre EcoBoost Focus

• Ford recently produced the one-millionth current generation Focus in Europe; Ford builds a new Focus every 90 seconds on average in Europe
• The one millionth Focus – a Candy Red five-door equipped with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine – rolled off the production line in Saarlouis, Germany.
• Since the first generation Focus was introduced in 1998, Ford has sold 1.63 million of the popular family cars in the UK, 6.9 million in Europe and more than 12 million worldwide.

Ford has recently produced the one-millionth current generation Ford Focus – the popular family-size car that has become the world’s best-selling vehicle – for the European market. The one-millionth Focus, a 1.0-litre EcoBoost hatchback, was manufactured in Saarlouis, Germany.

Ford has sold 1,632,700 Focus models in Britain since the first generation was introduced in 1998. It was the best-selling vehicle in the UK from 1999 to 2008, when it was superseded by the new Ford Fiesta, which has been the best-selling car since, with Focus in second place.

“The Focus is a great-to-drive family car with the versatility to suit the needs of a huge range of customers,” said Barb Samardzich, chief operating officer, Ford of Europe. “Last year, we launched the zero-emission Focus Electric to complete a full line-up that includes the 250PS Focus ST.”

Launched in Europe in 2010, the new Ford Focus is the best-selling nameplate globally, based on a Ford analysis of the latest Polk global vehicle registration data for the first half of 2013.

Ford is set to introduce a new version of the Focus this month, powered by the 2012 and 2013 International Engine of the Year, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. This new Ford Focus model will be the first petrol-powered family car in Europe to offer just 99g/km CO2 emissions.*

The Focus is available with technologies including Active Park Assist that uses ultra-sonic sensors to identify suitable parking spots and automatically steers the vehicle while the driver controls the gears, throttle and clutch; and Active City Stop, which scans the road ahead 50 times per second to help prevent collisions at speeds up to 15km/h, and helps reduce the severity of impacts at speeds at speeds of up to 30km/h.

If the vehicle is involved in an accident, Ford SYNC with Emergency Assistance will directly connect the occupants to local emergency services. “Focus customers tell us they really value Ford’s smart technologies and appreciate the car’s safety, sportiness, styling, and comfort,” Samardzich said.

Ford introduced the Focus in 1998, since when the company has in total sold almost 6.9 million cars in Europe and 12 million worldwide.