Recently, the fourth-generation Fox mid-term redesign model (hereinafter referred to as the new Focus) appeared in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's new car declaration directory, and is expected to be officially listed at the end of Q2 this year. In addition to the design changes in the new car, the biggest surprise is that the three-cylinder engine of the current model on sale has been replaced by a four-cylinder engine.
According to the information provided in the catalog of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the 1.5T four-cylinder engine equipped with the new Focus is codenamed CAF479WQ6, with a maximum power of 130 kilowatts, about 177 horsepower, and the 1.5T engine on the previous Mondeo and Wing Tiger belongs to the CAF479 series, which is an optimized version, and the peak torque is expected to be around 250 Nm.
To tell the truth, from a technical point of view alone, the abandoned three-cylinder engine is actually more advanced, but advanced technology does not equal market performance. The fundamental reason why the new Focus will switch back to a four-cylinder engine is that Ford has finally compromised with the market.
You know, Fox was the top card of the joint venture compact family car. The second-generation Fox market, which was first introduced into China, performed extremely well. In its most brilliant period, 2012-2014, it sold more than 30,000 units a month. Even the third-generation Focus, which is plagued by the quality of the dual-clutch transmission, can maintain monthly sales of about 20,000 units.
However, as more stringent emissions regulations were issued in all regions of the world, the Japanese lifted the HEV, the Europeans chose the 48V, and the Americans bet on the three-cylinder engine.
The Americans' thinking is actually very simple. With the support of existing engine technology, the three-cylinder engine is indeed lightweight, small in size, low in loss, and easier to optimize emission levels. But they overestimate the acceptance of the market. Especially in the Chinese market, due to the inevitable first-order vibration problem of the three-cylinder engine, coupled with the three-cylinder engine of the early Xiali generation, it has left an indelible impression on consumers. Therefore, not only did GM, the stud three-cylinder engine, pay a terrible price for this, But also suffered a heavy blow.
After the fourth-generation Focus was installed with a three-cylinder engine launched in 2018, sales plummeted, from the level of 20,000 to 30,000 units sold in the past month to about 2,000 or 3,000 units sold every month today. According to data, Fox sold 22,800 units in 2021. If I remember correctly, Fox's highest monthly sales in China were 38,300 units, and the gap was clear.
Therefore, the experience is eaten at a loss, learned to follow the local Customs of Ford, after shouting out the slogan of "more Ford and more China", finally understand the importance of catering to Chinese consumers, after all, the rules here are the rules. From the stunning EVOS to the upcoming new generation of Mondeo, coupled with the fact that the new Fox in this article has decisively derailed the powertrain and the overseas version of the model with a four-cylinder engine, it is a very typical "more Chinese" approach.
So back to the question posed by the title, after changing the four-cylinder engine, can Fox stand up? We believe that opportunities and difficulties coexist.
The chance is that There's only one reason for Fox's problem: Consumers don't accept three-cylinder engines. In addition, whether it is styling design, power control, or space performance, configuration level, etc., its product strength is not lagging behind other models in the same period. Moreover, it has also launched two subdivided models, ST-Line and ACTIVE, to meet the more personalized needs of consumers.
Last year's sales figure of 22,800 units was achieved by relying on Fox's not weak product strength and the popularity accumulated over the past 17 years, otherwise the data would be even worse. I don't believe you to ask the people around you about the perception of Fox, basically the negative is concentrated on the three-cylinder engine, and other aspects really can't find any hard injuries.
Therefore, if it is not a three-cylinder engine, with the product strength of Fox, it will not be so bad. Because of this, the shape of the mid-term redesign has become more sporty and younger, the level of intelligence is above the average of the same level, and the new Fox, which is equipped with a four-cylinder engine, does have the possibility of carp turning over and bottoming out.
Of course, difficulties are also in front of us. You know, since Fox entered the Chinese market, it has always been the main sports car market, excellent control plus balanced product force, in the past as a handle-like existence, competitors are only Civic, Mazda 3, Golf, like corolla, Xuanyi, Sagittarius and other main family models, strictly speaking, it is not a counterpoint competition.
In contrast, now, the consumption of young people has led to a significant rolling up of the entire compact car market. In addition to several old competitors in the market, many joint venture cars that used to be mainly used for families have also begun to take the sporty and youthful route. Like Toyota, through the TNGA architecture, the Corolla has become a driving pleasure. In addition, the strength of domestic sports cars should not be underestimated, such as Lynk & Co 03, Shadow Leopard, MG 6 and the upcoming UNI-V, etc., are strong competitors of the new Fox.
However, if Fox wants to really turn over, it may be difficult to change a four-cylinder engine alone. On the one hand, Ford's brand influence is in the revitalization stage, from 2017 all the way down led to a sharp decline in market share, coupled with the previous product change cycle is too slow, so that many new generation consumers feel strange to the Ford brand, not to mention Fox, which is already marginalized in the market, Ford needs to further strengthen the brand and Fox's exposure and influence.
On the other hand, from the currently exposed data, the newly equipped 1.5T four-cylinder engine has not yet reached a point of invincibility of the same level, and it is not easy to achieve excellence in the current situation where the power system of the sports car is so fierce. This requires Ford to think about what is the selling point of the new Focus's greater advantage over the competition, the track gene, the modification culture, anyway, do not fall into the proposition of the four-cylinder engine, otherwise it will move the stone and drop it on its own feet.
Finally, to borrow the words of a fourth-generation Fox ST-Line owner friend to summarize, "The new Fox is good, depending on how the price will be." ”