Leesburg, FL -- (SBWIRE) --06/09/2011 -- The 2012 Ford Focus joined 11 other Ford vehicles in receiving the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). To earn the Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must receive a rating of “good” in front, rear, and side impact protection and have electronic stability control and earn a good rating in roof strength.

The 2012 Ford Focus, which is now available at Key Scales Ford in Leesburg, FL, earned a maximum five-star overall safety rating in its tests. The 2012 Ford Focus is made of a strong, stiff, and lightweight steel that makes use of advanced high-strength steels and techniques to minimize body weight. It also improves the vehicle’s dynamics and delivers enhanced crash performance. Fifty-five percent of its body is made up of high-strength steel, and 31 percent is ultra-tough boron steel. That is more than any other Ford built to date. Gunnar Herrmann, Global C Car vehicle line director said, “We were committed from the beginning with the new Focus to design and engineer a vehicle that leads the way both in terms of technology and safety. The inherent strength of the new Focus is the structural rigidity of the body and its extensive use of high-strength steels.”

Many safety features also come standard on the 2012 Focus. It features an advanced restraint system with innovative next-generation airbags that offer enhanced chest protection.

The new airbag has a new curved-shape tether system that pulls in the lower section to create a pocket to lessen the impact of the airbag on the driver’s chest and ribs in frontal crashes. Other standard safety features include dual-stage front airbags, front-seat side-impact airbags, Safety Canopy side-curtain airbags (first and second row), AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control, BeltMinder front safety belt reminder, SecuriLock passive anti-theft system, LATCH lower anchors and tether anchors for child safety seats, SOS Post-Crash Alert System, and tire pressure monitoring system.

The Focus also has a slew of features for the interior including manual climate control, air filtration system, full-floor center console with storage, rare coat hooks, power door locks, front door storage bins, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and power front windows with one-touch down. The entertainment system includes an AM/FM single-disc CD player, MP3 capable with four speakers, audio input jack, and speed sensitive volume control. The seating includes cloth front bucket seats with four-way manual driver’s seat, two-way manual passenger seat, two-way head restraints, and a folding rear bench seat with three removable head restraints.