North America to Receive European Ford Focus in 2010

You can stop balking about how the "new" 2008 Ford Focus still isn't what the Europeans have. Ford officially announced today that by 2010, we'll have not only the Fiesta in North America, we'll finally get the acclaimed Euro-spec Focus.

Headlining an announcement surrounding production changes, Ford let slip that in 2010, the next-generation Focus - shared with Europe, South America, and Asia - will be built in North America for our consumption.

Little else is known about the new car, aside from the facts that it'll be offered in North America with direct-injection engines and what Ford deems an "advanced" six-speed transmission. Ford plans to bring a sedan and a four-door hatchback to the States, but there's no word on the other variants - including a two-door hatch, a station wagon, and a coupe/cabriolet.

Until the new car does arrive, expect to see more of the current Focus. As demand for Ford's smallest model continues to grow in the face of $4 per gallon gasoline, the company is adding shifts and increasing assembly-line speed at its Wayne, Michigan, factory to crank out more examples.