Ford Aims Upmarket with Next Focus Model

Ford Motor Co. says it will reposition the redesigned Focus small sedan upmarket when the updated car debuts in Europe next spring.

Ford has already done the same thing with its redesigned Fiesta subcompact. Analysts say the move to more features and fancier trim levels is intended to improve profitability as rising demand for SUV/crossovers erodes sales volumes for cars.

Jim Farley, Ford’s head of global markets, concedes that he expects Focus sales next year to be slightly below this year’s level. European deliveries through the first half of 2017 slipped 1% to 119,000 units.