Auto News 5

Ford's Focus-based C-Max MPV is now in its second generation, and the good news is that it will join the Focus sedan and hatchback in showrooms in the United States for the first time. Ford has admittedly acted the part of dilettante in offering the unremarkable Windstar and Freestar over the past decade, but looks to become a player by introducing the C-Max.

At the Paris Motor Show, Ford will display its entire range of 2012 Focus models as the first fruits borne of the "One Ford" global vehicle strategy. One Ford means we should no longer hear the mantra repeated too frequently by American car magazines, "not destined for the United States," as it synergizes Ford's worldwide divisions' resources to produce a true global car. The Paris moment will be significant for Ford, which will showcase its entire range of 2012 Focus models and variants in one venue for the first time. Ford claims that 80 percent of the parts that comprise the Focus platform will be shared around the world, ending the somewhat dubious strategy of regional models to suit regional tastes.

Ford has smartly sharpened its product portfolio in the past three years, yet the same can’t be said for the Blue Oval’s supporting brands. Just this June, it was announced that Mercury would be put out to pasture after decades of carbon-copy engineering, and Lincoln’s lineup suffers from virtually the same indifference. However, Ford tells us that the 2011 Lincoln MKX is the first vehicle in a product revolution that is planned for the luxury brand’s lineup.

With so much buzz about the Fiesta over the past year and a half, you'd almost forget that the car is actually a typical small hatchback. The engine isn't terribly powerful, although it has a 20-hp advantage over Mazda's mechanically similar Mazda 2. I'm looking forward to sampling the dual-clutch transmission on another Fiesta later this year, but I suspect that the manual transmission will still be the enthusiast's choice for the Fiesta.