Ford Focus (third generation)

The Ford Focus (third generation), also known as the Focus Mk III, (Code name: C346) debuted at the 2010 North American International Auto Show as a 2012 model. The cars shown were a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback, also debuting a new 2.0-litre direct injection I4 engine. A 5-door estate (wagon) was previewed at the Geneva Motor Show a month later.

This generation of Focus would be the first Ford vehicle designed under the tenure of CEO Alan Mulally and his "One Ford" plan, which aimed to leverage Ford's global resources into creating more competitive vehicles that could be sold globally in each segment with minimal changes.

The "One Ford" plan would reunite the North American and global Focus line. The previous North American version was thus discontinued, and the new model was launched simultaneously in North America and Europe on March 2, 2011, both having started production near the end of 2010. Production in Asia, Africa, and South America followed later.

Ford debuted the all-electric Ford Focus Electric at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 to compete with the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt and announced the hot hatch ST model at the Paris Motor Show in September 2010.

The Ford Focus was the best-selling car in the world for 2012.

The third generation Focus originally was intended to spawn a compact sedan that was to be sold by the Mercury division, following Ford confirming its 2012 lineups with its dealers. While not officially confirmed by Ford, two Mercury dealers stated that the car would be sold as the Mercury Tracer. It would've given Mercury two sedans again following the discontinuation of the Grand Marquis after the 2011 model year, and would've slotted below the larger Milan. It was to go on sale in 2011 for the 2012 model year. The plans for the new Tracer, however, were scrapped after Ford announced the closure of the Mercury division in the summer of 2010.

The design was built on Ford's Kinetic Design. The lights at the front have a different shape. The trapezoidal grille has triangular features. At the rear, the hatchback tail lights are positioned lower, similar to the Ford Fiesta. The interior has been changed from the second generation in the NA and International versions. Ford wanted to make the Focus more upmarket so it offers two types of central consoles: the basic is associated with smaller engines and the premium is available to more powerful engines.

This generation of Focus incorporated a redesigned cabin, changed materials, and a new "infotainment" system. Following the industry trend towards contending, and in keeping with the sedan's downmarket "economy car" image vs. the "premium" hatchback, the earlier sedan's space-saving gas strut trunk hinges are replaced with cheaper, intrusive gooseneck hinges. The Focus also has Ford's patented capless fuel tank, which doesn't require a cap to prevent siphoning.