Sony and Ford Team up to Bring 'Sound Designed By Sony' to New Ford Focus Cars

Two of the world's most popular brands, Sony and Ford, are joining forces to outfit the 2005 Ford Focus an with an a amazing sound system that is sure to wow even the most discriminating sports-compact enthusiast.

For the first time, new Ford Focus three, five and four-door models can be outfitted with an optional "Sound Designed by Sony" system that includes Sony-branded coaxial door speakers and an eight-inch subwoofer -- all equalized and tuned especially for this vehicle to achieve outstanding acoustic performance. All of the cars equipped with the Sony option will come with a six-disc in-dash CD/AM/FM/MP3 player.

"This is a first in North America where a Sony-branded system will be factory-installed in a vehicle," said Don Courvisier, vice president and general manager for the Automotive Entertainment Solutions Group at Sony Electronics in the U.S. "Focus drivers will immediately benefit from this brand alliance by driving off the lot in a car that has an unparalleled audio listening experience."

A Match Made in Auto Heaven

The Sony system sets a new standard in car audio performance for this vehicle class and is comparable to advanced audio systems found in luxury vehicles. Sound Designed by Sony was designed exclusively with the 2005 Ford Focus in mind, taking full advantage of the acoustical conditions within the vehicle. The radio's digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities include equalization and time delay allowing the Sony speakers to be accurately tuned to the Focus interior. Audio reproduction is intelligently distributed throughout every nook and cranny to exploit the car's internal architecture and create a totally immersive experience.

Moving with the Music

The system includes four coaxial door speakers that offer superior sound reproduction from a 1-inch dome tweeter and the 5 by 7-inch polypropylene cone woofer. This design nicely extends the high and low frequencies, providing silky smooth highs and deep crisp bass.

The car audio 8-inch dual voice coil subwoofer includes a massive 2.4-pound magnet providing powerful and clean bass. Housed in a 15-liter enclosure, the subwoofer boosts the power rating of the system to more than 400 watts of peak music power moving the vehicle's audio performance to the top of its class.

The 2005 Ford Focus: It "Begs to be Driven"

Since Focus was launched in North America as a 2000 model, auto enthusiasts have frequently praised the car for its sporty handling, modern design and exceptionally roomy cabin. In each model year, Ford has advanced the basic concept and improved quality. Today, J.D. Power and Associates ranks the Focus well above the industry average in its Initial Quality Study and it has earned a spot on Car & Driver magazine's 10 Best cars list for five consecutive years.

Ford's priority for 2005 was to add more refinement to areas customers can see, and take a great handling car and made it steer, ride and stop even better. New for 2005, a Focus ZX4 ST performance sedan has been added to the line up. This sedan will marry chassis components from Ford of Europe's Focus ST170 and the SVT Focus with a 151-horsepower, 2.3-liter Duratec engine.

In addition, Ford Focus offers some of the most powerful and "green" four-cylinder engines available. The standard Focus engine in California is the super-clean Duratec 20E four-cylinder engine, which meets California's Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle tailpipe standard and has zero fuel system evaporative emissions. This helps Focus qualify as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, which means Focus is cleaner than some hybrid electric vehicles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The 2005 Ford Focus is now on sale nationwide. The Sound Designed by Sony system is a $455 option on most Focus models.

For further information, please contact: Rachel Branch of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-7595, rachel.branch@am.sony.com; or Jim Cain of Ford Motor Company, +1-313-322-3428, jcain1@ford.com.

SOURCE: Sony Electronics Inc.

CONTACT: Rachel Branch of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-7595,
rachel.branch@am.sony.com; or Jim Cain of Ford Motor Company, +1-313-322-3428,
jcain1@ford.com