Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • FCA.UAW-MAIN.jpg
      Fiat Chrysler to pay $30M fine to resolve U.S. criminal labor probe
      Jaguar Land Rover Logo 2 web.jpg
      Jaguar Land Rover appoints creative chief to board as it redefines strategy
      Webasto CEO reflects 1 year after COVID-19 rattled the supplier
      VW, as it seeks to catch Tesla, names new bosses for development, quality assurance
    • FCA.UAW-MAIN.jpg
      Fiat Chrysler to pay $30M fine to resolve U.S. criminal labor probe
      Jaguar Land Rover Logo 2 web.jpg
      Jaguar Land Rover appoints creative chief to board as it redefines strategy
      VW brand chief says Trinity flagship electric sedan will be 'affordable'
      VW logo distorted.jpg
      VW seeks U.S. Supreme Court review of ruling on emissions updates
    • Webasto CEO reflects 1 year after COVID-19 rattled the supplier
      Taiwan says chipmakers will prioritize auto chips amid global shortage
      qualcomm.jpg
      GM to get 'cockpit' chips for next-generation vehicles from Qualcomm
      VEONEER-MAIN_i.jpg
      Veoneer, Qualcomm complete deal to develop self-driving tech
    • VW brand chief says Trinity flagship electric sedan will be 'affordable'
      3KIAS-MAIN_i.jpg
      Kia's new electric crossover could become brand's top-selling EV in Europe
      RTX2XFZQ.jpg
      Faraday Future moves forward with EV project, will enlist Geely's help, report says
      VW brand's Trinity EV flagship will have 3 key innovations
    • VW will appeal $20M Spanish diesel compensation ruling
      Death of diesel looms as automakers accelerate to electric future
      VW faces EU fine for missing 2020 emissions targets
      UK's plan to ban combustion cars threatens Astra factory
    • German market to grow 8% this year, VDA predicts
      Europe sales fell 4% in December; 2020 worst year on record
      Stellantis seeks new joint venture in China, reports say
      Russia car sales forecast to rise 2.1% in 2021
    • Jaguar Land Rover Logo 2 web.jpg
      Jaguar Land Rover appoints creative chief to board as it redefines strategy
      VW, as it seeks to catch Tesla, names new bosses for development, quality assurance
      MorayCallum-MAIN_i.jpg
      Ford design boss Callum to retire; Renault veteran Lo named to replace him
      Peugeot brand names Micheron as product director
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Frankfurt Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Mobility
    • Segment Analysis
    • Latest Launches
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
    • Analyst's View
    • EV-only future looks closer than ever in Europe
      European car retailing poised for shake-up as 'agency' model gains support
      How Europe will become an EV battery powerhouse
      VW, Ford stumbles force rethink of how to best use social media
    • Nvidia CEO says software will soon define the car, drive profit
      Tavares: Keeping PSA, FCA merger on track an 'incredible' achievement
      Renault CEO outlines ambitious revival plan
      Why Rolls-Royce boss expects to be profitable despite COVID
    • VW, as it seeks to catch Tesla, names new bosses for development, quality assurance
      Nissan says all new models in key markets to be electrified by early 2030s
      VW brand chief says Trinity flagship electric sedan will be 'affordable'
      3KIAS-MAIN_i.jpg
      Kia's new electric crossover could become brand's top-selling EV in Europe
    • Autonomous-Carb.jpg
      Pandemic stalls autonomous cars but boosts controversial driver-assist level
      john-krafcik.jpg
      Why Waymo boss says 'self-driving' needs to go
      Nio ET7-MAIN.jpg
      Nio to use Nvidia supercomputers
      Sony taps Hungarian tech firm to help with Vision-S
    • Wagons hold market share, but costly EV shift looms
      Electrification gains speed in Europe's key compact segment
      Hybrids beat the market; sales expected to top 1 million in 2022
      Plug-in hybrids set for rapid rise but trouble looms
    • Citroen turns to SUV cues for new C4 compact
      Fiat aims high-riding Tipo Cross at frugal adventure lovers
      BENTAYGAHYBRID-MAIN_i.jpg
      Bentley freshens Bentayga Hybrid
      Dacia turns to familiar playbook for all-new Sandero
    • Marelli CEO expects e-powertrains to provide long-term boost
      Veoneer boss expects to reach key milestone this quarter
      How Faurecia aims to become a hydrogen leader
      How Yanfeng gave the car interior a brain
    • Europe sales fell 4% in December; 2020 worst year on record
      Russia car sales forecast to rise 2.1% in 2021
      France overtakes UK as Europe's No. 2 market
      Europe sales by model, Nov. and 11 months: Audi A3, Jeep Compass rise; Toyota Yaris surprises
    • Pandemic forces automakers to focus on brand, conserve cash
      Why prospects for dealer mergers have improved
      Dacia-level price discipline needed to end margin slump in Europe, expert says
      How infotainment systems are taking over the vehicle cockpit
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
    • UK, not Nissan, gains most from Brexit deal
      Renault, Ford, Honda look to the past for EV inspiration
      Polestar 2's performance, convenience offset range anxiety
      Bosch, Continental battle to supply the brain of the connected car
    • Understanding the impact of design on marketing, brand and user experience
      Ex-Aston Martin CEO Palmer calls on UK to intensify battery commitment
      Why Apple must target the $230B luxury car market
      Apple car: Who will build it? Magna Steyr possible candidate
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • view gallery
      15 photos
      Mercedes-Benz EQA compact crossover
      view gallery
      8 photos
      Dacia Bigster
      view gallery
      8 photos
      Renault 5 concept
      view gallery
      15 photos
      Toyota Mirai 2021
    • koenigsegg-gemera-front-quarter-passenger-01.jpg
      view gallery
      14 photos
      Koenigsegg Gemera
      view gallery
      21 photos
      Fiat New 500
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Aston Martin V12 Speedster
      view gallery
      13 photos
      Audi A3 Sportback 2020
    • At the Beijing show, sales rebound and EV boom mix with murky outlook
      3BEIJING-MAIN_i.jpg
      Beijing show to highlight competition for local EV makers
      Beijing auto show delayed due to coronavirus
      Maserati will unveil Ghibli hybrid at Beijing show
    • view gallery
      11 photos
      Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Renault Captur
      view gallery
      5 photos
      Mercedes-Benz AMG GLB 53
      view gallery
      10 photos
      Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe
    • view gallery
      8 photos
      VinFast Lux A2.0 sedan
      view gallery
      8 photos
      VinFast Lux SA2.0 SUV
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Seat Tarraco
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Toyota Corolla station wagon
    • view gallery
      4 photos
      Nio ET Preview
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept
      view gallery
      5 photos
      BMW 3-series LWB
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Mini Clubman
  • Maps
    • E-Car & Component Map of Europe
    • Powertrain Map of Europe
    • Assembly Plant Map of Europe
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress Conversations
    • ANE Shift
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
    • ANE Leading Women
    • Watch Again
      • July 9: EU green deal in the COVID-19 new normal
      • July 16: Assisted or Autonomous Driving
      • July 23: Challenges in Electrification
      • July 30: The Road Ahead for Europe
    • Meet the 2020 winners
    • Watch the 2020 Rising Stars awards again
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automotive News Europe
April 18, 2018 01:00 AM

Ford's 'holy grail' platform coming into Focus

Nick Gibbs
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    2019 Ford Focus

    LONDON — Joe Bakaj, Ford of Europe's head of engineering, calls it nothing less than the holy grail.

    The new Focus compact, which rolled out here and in the central Chinese city of Chongqing last week, debuts Ford's global version of Volkswagen's much acclaimed MQB modular architecture, a central element of Ford's aim to achieve $4 billion in engineering efficiencies over the next five years.

    The unibody front-wheel-drive architecture (it has no snappy name, yet) is the first of Ford's five new global platforms — and arguably the most important after the body-on-frame truck architecture. Ford is developing them to enable savings and cut development time for new models by up to 20 percent, the company announced in March.

    Bakaj: "It's very scalable."

    The new architecture underpinning the Focus is flexible enough to encompass subcompacts such as the Fiesta as well as midsize models and crossovers such as the Edge and Escape, Bakaj told Automotive News at the global launch of the Focus here. "It's very scalable," said Bakaj.

    The U.S. version of the next- generation Focus will be sourced from China in the second half of 2019, Ford said. It's unclear what body styles will be sold in the U.S. Ford is ending U.S. production of the car this year at its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan.

    European models will continue to be built at Ford's factory in Saarlouis, Germany. The car goes on sale in Europe and China this year.

    Ford's "MQB"

    Front-wheel-drive unibody architecture will underpin future:

    • Subcompacts (Fiesta)
    • Compacts (Focus)
    • Midsize (Fusion)
    • Minivans (if continued)
    • Crossovers (EcoSport, Escape, Edge)
    • Will feature:
    • Increased use of lightweight ultra high-strength and boron steel (for example, 33% in new Focus vs. 11% in outgoing car)
    • Engineered for:
    • Fuel-saving 48v micro-hybrid technology
    • New, three-cylinder 1.5-liter engines up to 180hp
    • 8-speed automatic "slushbox" torque converter gearbox
    • Parts sharing includes:
    • Seat structures, air conditioning units, electric handbrakes, gearboxes, electrical modules, infotainment screens, modems, suspension modules

    VW Group's fwd modular transverse toolkit (aka MQB) was launched in 2011 and now underpins around 40 percent of the cars the VW brand sells globally. It predicts that by 2020, that figure will rise to 80 percent. The architecture is also used by Audi, Skoda and Seat, creating savings across the group.

    Ford's embrace of a similar modular system makes sense for the company, said Tim Urquhart, principal analyst for IHS Markit.

    "It's the only way forward to drive proper value and economies of scale, especially for a mass-market player like Ford," he said.

    Like the MQB, the Ford unibody platform will fix certain hard points, such as the distance between the ball of the driver's foot and the front axle, Bakaj said. That would allow the fitting of common modules across a range of vehicles, such as seat structures, electric handbrakes and air-conditioning units. "You won't use every module from the bottom to the top, but you'd try and reuse as many modules as possible," Bakaj said.

    This strategy looks much further ahead than Ford managed with vehicles on the C1 platform underpinning vehicles such as the current Focus, Escape and Transit Connect van, which used different air-conditioning systems, for example. "When we ran those car lines, we didn't have a clearer long-term plan over time, and we had to make changes," Bakaj said. "If you can plan out a suite of vehicles over a period of time, you get a scale globally."

    Architectural digest

    The other four new architectures Ford is working on:

    • Body-on-frame truck/SUV
    • Unibody van
    • Unibody rear-wheel-drive passenger car
    • Electric car

    Vehicles built using Ford's new architecture even have their own design chief. Joel Piaskowski was appointed Ford's head of cars and crossovers globally in August last year.

    Increasing the number of model ranges on a single architecture can bring problems. VW initially struggled to adapt the MQB across different vehicles and brands, pushing up costs. The greater number of common parts can reduce supplier costs because of scale savings, but the strategy can also disrupt production and drive up recall costs in the event of a part failure.

    The scale will be key to ensuring the Focus is cheap enough to compete in China, yet sophisticated enough to attract buyers in the U.S. "We'd use the same technology but aim to source locally in China. That's how we'd get cost and scale," Bakaj said.

    Ford said it has reduced the number of orderable configurations on the U.S. Focus from 360 to 26, as well as cut engineering costs for the global car.

    Farley: "Good complexity"

    "For example, in many markets, we won't have a price leader where we would have in the past," Jim Farley, head of global markets, said at the event. That would cut the need to make cheap wheel trims, for example.

    "The reduction of complexity is around the vehicles and the content that doesn't add a lot of value," he said. At the same time, Ford has added "good complexity"; one example is increasing the num-ber of higher-end trim levels to push up the average purchase price. In Europe, Ford added a crossover-inspired Active version with greater ride height, different bumpers and plastic protective strips.

    Said Bakaj: "We've reduced the number of parts we've engineered; we've reduced the cost of engineering, but we've offered more derivatives to suit different personalities, and that's the holy grail."

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    2020 Eurostar winner Frank Bekemeier
    Related Articles
    2019 Ford Focus
    Recommended for You
    2020 Eurostar winner Frank Bekemeier
    2020 Eurostar winner Frank Bekemeier
    2020 Eurostar winner Jürgen Weissinger
    2020 Eurostar winner Jürgen Weissinger
    2020 Eurostar winner Nicolas Racquet
    2020 Eurostar winner Nicolas Racquet
    Sponsored Content: 6 ways Dana is leading the charge in electrifying the high-performance vehicle market
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • 2020 Media Kit
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Frankfurt Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Mobility
      • Segment Analysis
      • Latest Launches
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
      • Analyst's View
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Maps
      • E-Car & Component Map of Europe
      • Powertrain Map of Europe
      • Assembly Plant Map of Europe
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress Conversations
        • Watch Again
          • July 9: EU green deal in the COVID-19 new normal
          • July 16: Assisted or Autonomous Driving
          • July 23: Challenges in Electrification
          • July 30: The Road Ahead for Europe
      • ANE Shift
      • ANE Rising Stars
        • Meet the 2020 winners
        • Watch the 2020 Rising Stars awards again
      • ANE Eurostars
      • ANE Leading Women
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us