As the earliest A-class car in China that focuses on sports control, fox's status in the eyes of the Chinese people can be said to be very high. Especially the first domestically produced second-generation model, the shape of the hatchback can be described as deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The third-generation model launched later, although the dual-clutch transmission equipped with the early 1.6L model lost some reputation, but thanks to the support of st-line and RS high-performance versions, the third-generation Focus is still very recognized in terms of handling.
However, with the launch of the fourth generation of Fox in 2018, Fox has also been pushed to the cusp. And the initiator is the three-cylinder machine of the Book of Ten Thousand Blood. But Lao Wang believes that if you have driven a three-cylinder 1.5T Fox, especially the ST-Line version, then you will not spit on the Fox three-cylinder. On the contrary, this 1.5T Ecoboost three-cylinder engine, whether it is low torque reserve or jitter control can surpass many four-cylinder machines, and in terms of handling feeling, the fourth-generation Focus is also the best in history, its steering feel and chassis support, and even the oversteered rear, are very obsessive.
But what is in front of Ford is that people are extremely disapproval of the three-cylinder, especially in this generation of Fox listing in 2018-2019, the market's rejection of the three-cylinder has reached the highest in history. This also allowed GM, which was equipped with a three-cylinder engine at the same time, to replace the old 1.5-liter four-cylinder self-priming engine in exchange for sales.
With the operation of major car companies "abandoning three from four", the call for Fox to return to the four cylinders is also getting higher and higher. Just about a year ago, there was news that Fox would use Chang'an's Blue Whale four-cylinder engine, but the news was quickly dispelled. With the overseas launch of the new Focus and the promotion of Ford's China 2.0 strategy, the true appearance of the four-cylinder Focus has gradually surfaced.
Not long ago, Changan Ford announced the new car plan for 2022, in which in addition to the new generation of Mondeo and Explorers, the most concerned is the new Focus equipped with a 1.6L Dragon series engine. The new 1.6L powertrain, which includes both naturally aspirated and turbocharged models, is Ford's latest generation of small-displacement engines worldwide. Although we have not obtained the parameters of this engine at present, from the increased displacement and Ford's consistent operation of relatively high parameters, I believe that the power of the four-cylinder version of the Focus should be improved. In addition, in terms of gearbox, new cars will still be equipped with Ford's own 8AT gearbox.
Aside from the powertrain, the new Focus shouldn't be much of a change. After all, the current model has a relatively balanced performance in both intelligent interaction and assisted driving dimensions, and I believe that Ford will not make too many adjustments to it. Therefore, in 2022, Fox's biggest attraction is still the powertrain part.
Although the replacement of a new engine is a welcome thing for consumers. But it also needs to be proposed here that due to the increase in the base displacement of 0.1 liters, this will also make the future Fox's consumption tax (displacement tax) increase from the previous 3% to 5%, which may make the price of the new car increase compared with the cash. At present, in the sports A-class market where Fox is located, in addition to the old rivals Golf, Unxella, Civic, the addition of models such as Model, Veyron Pro and Lynk & Co 03 also makes Fox face stronger competition. So if the price of the four-cylinder Focus increases, either Ford officially controls the official guide price, on the other hand, it can give certain discounts at the terminal, so that the Focus can have the possibility of returning to the peak.
Write at the end
Since the release of Ford's China 2.0 strategy, we can see that with the launch of a series of models such as Ruiji and Explorer, Ford's performance in the Chinese market has also improved greatly. As the most important part of this strategy, The Focus's return to the four cylinder will not only meet the needs of consumers, but also play a crucial role in Ford's sales increase in the next phase. Therefore, in any case, the four-cylinder Fox is already coming, and at this point in time, Lao Wang advises everyone who is now holding coins and preparing to buy three cylinders.