Ford tries to give Focus wider vision

0 Comments | USA TODAY, October, 2007 | by James R. Healey

SEATTLE -- Ford didn't start from scratch to come up with the 2008 Focus, but it did thoroughly modify the small car.

Key dimensions are unchanged, wheelbase length and track width. But the body panels and interior are different. The engine is different. Features and accessories are different. Model lineup is different.

On the other hand, the 2008 Focus, at dealerships this month, reeks of lame duck. There are just two body styles, not three or four as in past years. There's only one engine, not a choice between two. No money was spent providing a manual-shift mode for the automatic transmission, nor giving the back-seat passengers head restraints to improve safety in rear-end crashes, nor to furnish reading lights in the rear, nor to make stability control...