Ford Finds Its Global Focus

Automotive Industries, Oct 1, 1998 by Marjorie Sorge

The first vehicle born under Ford 2000 shows how much bang Jac Nasser's getting out of his buck - plenty.

Marjorie Sorge

JAC NASSER LOOKED LIKE THE FATHER OF THE PROM QUEEN as he circled the decked-out Ford Focus sitting on the display stand at a press preview before the Paris Auto Show. Like any caring parent, the Ford president wanted to make sure this vehicle was 'dressed' just right for the dance. This is the first time his child - the first product of Ford 2000 - has gone out into the world.

How the Focus, which will be sold in 60 countries, does in the global marketplace is the litmus test for Ford's global strategy launched almost four years ago. That plan aims to cut costs, improve quality, get products to market quicker and boost profits. Never again will Ford have an overblown $6 billion new car program like the Mondeo/Contour/Mystique, Nasser promised two years ago. He kept is word. Ford took more than $1,000 out of the cost of creating each Focus, which will be the platform for many future vehicles.

'The Focus is the linchpin to Ford's compact and midsize car strategies,' says William Pochiluk, a partner at the automotive consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. The Focus, which gradually replaces the aging Escort, will be a one-million-units-per-year program shortly after the turn of the century. It's a midsize vehicle in all markets but North America, where it will be rated a compact.

'The platform is a major investment and has great longevity,' notes Richard Parry-Jones, group vice president, Ford Automotive Operations. 'We have a lot of safety, stiffness and reparability features that we believe will position it very well to last a long time.' The question is how long? Vehicle product cycles are shortening, which means platforms will have to be significantly refreshed more often to take advantage of cost-saving components and systems.

'We are not finished,' says Nasser. 'We are now working on additional possibilities that will reinforce that Focus is the future at Ford.'

Focus eventually will be the basis for 10 to 12 variants. It will initially be offered as a four-door, three-door, five-door and wagon in Europe when it bows this year. When it comes to North America for the 2000 model year, it will be available as a four-door and wagon, and will spawn a multi-activity vehicle (MAV). The flexible platform may someday be used for the Mondeo, and perhaps a pickup version for South America. It will initially be built in North America, Germany and Spain, and them is a strong possibility it will later be produced in Argentina, Brazil and Eastern Europe. And, the car may eventually show up in India and China.

Production began in Saarlouis, Germany, in August. That plant introduced a unique, cost-saving manufacturing system where parts and modules are shipped into the plant in sequence on a conveyor from an adjacent industrial park (see Global Content p. 28).

The Focus has 15 modules and is Ford's next step toward building more modular vehicles.

The Program

How engineering design, manufacturing, marketing finance and suppliers approach a new product changed dramatically under Ford 2000's new product development system, which more closely integrated those areas. They were organized in cross-functional, transnational teams that were involved early on in getting input from customers.

'We went to great lengths to involve the engineering and design teams in the process of understanding and being with the customer,' says Parry-Jones. He explains that those teams were more tightly integrated than in the past and included sales and marketing.

The cost of developing the Focus was also slashed. Its pricetag was 25% less than other programs of the same magnitude, Nasser claims, although he wont reveal the exact numbers. However, outside experts put the cost somewhere between $2 and $3 billion. That allowed Ford to add features, such as its multi-link rear suspension, not normally available in midsize C-class vehicles in Europe.

'The biggest single benefit we got from the integration was the ability to pack more stuff into the vehicle,' says Parry-Jones.

It took six months for the Focus team to develop customers' needs before the engineers and designers began their CAD work Program approval to Job One took 36 months.

Ford's C3P CAD/CAM/CAE tools reduced the number of prototypes 25% beyond those required under Ford 2000. Plus, Ford took additional cost out by testing different subsystems simultaneously on the prototypes.

Design and Interior

The Focus continues Ford's sharply creased New Edge design, first shown in the 1996 Ka. Penned by Ford studios in England and Germany, the car has a very non-traditional look for this market class, with its radically sloped front end, raised roofline, and dramatic Kammback tail on three and five-door models.

'Making this a world car changed the rules,' says John Doughty, Focus chief designer. 'One thing they made clear was that there would be no unique components, expect for legal reasons.' Knee bolsters, for example, are used on all vehicles in order to meet U.S. standards.