Although automakers are prepared for a gloomy year in terms of vehicle sales, there was one bright spot for the Ford Motor Company.
The 2008 Ford Focus proved to be the best-selling model last month. The redesigned small car has Ford’s exclusive SYNC system, to which officials attribute most of its sales success.

According to Ford sales analyst George Pipas, the company’s “retail sales are on track to rise more than 30 percent in February while the year-to-date small-car market share will be up to about 7.5 percent from six percent.”

Sales for the Ford Focus rose about 33 percent in January of this year. And that’s not including sales of Ford vehicles to rental car companies and other fleet sales. But the 33-percent increase is a great surprise compared to the smaller gain of nine percent the previous month.

More of Ford’s loyal consumers are also turning to the smaller-car market because of the rising gasoline prices. Although most of Ford’s sales generally come from its truck market, this has been dwindling in the past year with gas prices at an average of $3.30 and ready to hit at least $4 a gallon this summer.

That’s why Ford is looking for smaller-car options to introduce to the market to appeal to a wider customer base. In 2010, the company will bring the Ford Fiesta to the North American market as just one effort to compete against the Asian competitors like Toyota and others. According to Pipas, succeeding in the small-car market is “so important to the future” of the company.

To pick up your new Ford Focus, please visit our Ford dealership in St. Louis, Missouri or our Ford dealers in Waterloo.