Article : http://www.autoweek.nl/newsdisp.php?cache=no&ID=2704
(sorry - wasn't able to translate the text into English)

Oh no! It looks so lame! The old Focus was cool

BLEEEEHHHHH!!!!

The US focus is so much better looking and, considering this is Mazda 3 based, I bet the US car drives better, too.

Are we not getting the 3-door hatchback in North America ??

We're not getting the 3-based car in the US...our Foci are still based off the original model, with a slight styling refresh and interior update for '05. We still get 3 and 5 door hatches, as well as a wagon and a sedan.

Hmmm... I'm not impressed. They have completely ruined the back end of the car which at least gave it some character. Now it's completely uninteresting.

Ewww. I hate how the back slopes.

hmm ... so I guess North America will get this redesigned Focus in 2006 or so.

I don't think so, Paulie...why would Ford bother with a major freshening of the current model when they're just gonna replace it in a year?

The new car probably won't arrive until 2007 or 2008, if it even comes at all...and I hope it doesn't.

Found some other pictures...









I definatly like the old one better, this just doesn't look good.

Ugh, the cmax lights should stay on the cmax. Also now that I look at those pics, the front doesn't match the back style at all.

The new rear suits the 4-door car pretty well but overall the old design is better. I like the new front facia though.

Agreed.

If only they incorporated the same aggressive, flared styling to the rear 1/4 panels, I think it would look striking.

Ya, that's the problem, the front is aggressive and the rear isn't. But if they would make the rear aggressive it would actually look good. Maybe even better then the current one.

i like the ones we have in america much more as well

that thing is CRAP! im gonna hate to see the ford rallye team members be forced to drive that thing

if it drove like a 3 i woudn't care what it looks like.

The back kills it. And we won't be getting that. We didn't get the original Focus until a while after the one in Europe. And it wouldn't make sense to give the current a facelift only to remodel it completely a year later. So lets hope we don't get that one...

My car looks sooo much better
Seriously, that is so bland, borderline ugly in the first pic. Even the new Foci now are bleh because of the redesigned headlights and crap.

Wait... What?

The 2005 US-spec Ford Focus is not based on the same platform as the Mazda 3, like the euro model. It's basically a freshened '04 model, available in ZX3, ZX4, ZX5, and ZXW body styles.

i dont like it. They took away the body shape that made it look so good, and the piercing headlights.

Arrrrgh! Thats so rugged! Well the only thing that'll make me like this is when the Ford WRC Team do something with it.

Ford relly screwed up a good thing with the new Focus .

.....Burn.... Rape..... Murder.....Destroy......

What!? I'm just explainin' it the way it is

DON'T BE HATIN'!!!

I like it. A lot actually. You ask why?

http://www.rs-ford.co.uk/images/escortcos/cos2.jpg

It reminds me of that. That's why.

Oh, I'm not hatin on you but it has to be the stupidest corprate move ever in my opinion. Honestly Ford of America has absolutely no clue with it comes to small cars.

Personally, I like Ford of America in this instance...they're protecting us from the weird euro model which seems to be quite inferior to our existing model. The 2005 updates were also significant and well done.

they still have to understand what the term small means.

It looks like the Golf is going to be the hatchback of choice then! Lets just hope that the Focus makes up for its odd styling being good at everything else...

aaaaah an americanized EK civic hatchback?!!?!?!?!?!?!!

Good news for me, when the new Focus comes out and the new GTI comes out, that means prices on current models drop

The new US-spec focus is already out, Cyclone

ew!

hello Mazda 3!

Found some wallpaper sized images (click on thumbnails) :