Obligatory 'We Want the New Ford Focus Wagon' Post

We’ve said it before. We — especially me — like station wagons. I’m double-garaging wagons myself at home and think the body style is practical and good-looking these days. Take, for example, the all-new Ford Focus wagon. This is the third body style for the global compact car that goes on sale early next year in the U.S. But the U.S. will get only the sedan and hatchback versions; the wagon will be for other global markets.

Why? Because it seems automotive journalists and folks who comment on automotive blogs are the only people who like station wagons. Don’t tell VW Jetta buyers that, though, since nearly 15% of new Jettas purchased in January were of the SportWagen variant.

So once again, fellow wagon fans, feast your eyes on the images below of the next good-looking, practical car you won’t be able to buy.

Comments

I didn't even have to read the byline to know who the author of this post was. :-)

That's a good-looking wagon in a blindingly awful color. Ford would be wise to leave that hue on the other side of the pond.

I'd dump my 05 Matrix for this!

I agree. Whats going on with the North American car market. Why does the rest of the world get some of the best cars made? Time to listen up car makers. North Americans want to buy these cars.

Give it AWD and I'd buy one.

My guess is that ford does not want to cannibalize Escape and Edge sales. CUVS have basically become the wagon on the US. Both of those cuvs command more money than a Focus wagon would.

This would definitely be on my list, though my wife wants something bigger. What about the C-Max or S-Max?

Only men who pee sitting down would drive one.

Americans drive stationwagons on steroids i.e. SUVs. If gas prices were not extremely cheap - compared to Europe - then stationwagon would sell in much higher numbers (as would hatches).

As for the hue, it is fresh and different. Most US cars come in bland hues of some mixture of black, grey, beige, silver and white. Yawn. I've seen better hues than this one, but at least it stands out among the sea of dull colors.

I think the unpopularity of wagons, aside from the niche groups that love them (including me), is a combination of a myriad of factors. There's the need for many Americans to be in the biggest and tallest vehicles possible (here's looking at you soccer moms), there is the powerful will of carmakers to steer consumers into more profitable CUVs and SUVs, and there are also the growing numbers of the ever resilient, ever ignorant Americans like Larry, who seem to think smaller vehicles are for women (also the same people who lose their minds over $4 gas and demand we invade oil rich nations in the name of "national security")

Don't worry, boys. Obama will help you to get the small cars you want. Remember corporate gas mileage? Right.
Soon this car will be here this way or another.

I'm with Ziggy - Ford needs to develop an AWD system for the Focus. I'd buy an AWD Focus Wagon in a heartbeat.

As the owner of a 2006 Mazda 6 Sport-wagon, I love this Focus wagon! Looks like North America just turned the wagon market over to the imports. Too bad. I wonder if it'll have AWD.

Perhaps even more telling than the Jetta figure, I recall reading recently that the wagon was once 14% of U.S. Focus sales.

I don't understand why consumers don't like minivans, wagons, and hatchbacks in the U.S. market. It's interesting to see car companies would rather offer a hatchback than a wagon but not a minivan in their lineup. I understand that minivan is a tough market to break into, but why hatchbacks rather than wagons?

And on a side note (correct me if I'm worng), 40% of VW Jetta's sale is the TDI version yet again something that does not market well in the U.S. So how come VW can sell so many?

I like big cars very much and this is looking so awesome. Depending on the price of the wagon it could be a good company wagon for Australia.I will definitely buy it after sometime.

As mentioned before, the rise of the station wagon market would kill the SUV market. And that would be dreadful to the automotive and petroleum industry. And we can't have that.

I have always bought a FORD but because of your foresight, or in this case the lack of, not to bring it to North America…I will be looking elsewhere for a new car….Forrester, Jetta, might be an option. SHAME ON FORD for not including their HOME COUNTRY on this model. I have a Ford Focus, Ford Traveler Van, and a motor home with a FORD engine...no more will I feel loyal to FORD. You have lost my business.

ni hao ya ,wo xiang fabu chenggong ,keyi ma ,xiexiel

In the U.S. and Canada, the Mk 1 Focus is offered in a much revised North American version, currently only as a sedan or coupe, the hatchbacks and wagon having been dropped after the 2008 redesign.The Ford Focus is a compact car introduced to North America in 1999 for model year 2000, now in its second generation.

The North American version of Focus will be discontinued after the 2011 model year. It will be replaced by the global Mk3 model, which will be launched worldwide in May 2011