2012 Ford Focus: A different kind of test drive for consumers

Ford is rolling out a fairly simple idea in August to get consumers interested in the 2012 Ford Focus--drive it.

But instead of the usual dealership experience, where potential buyers are often accompanied by a sales person, Ford is now pitching the new Focus to customers on more neutral turf, which the aim of highlighting the technological and handling prowess of the car.

The program is being billed as “Start more than a car. Get more than a test drive,” and it launches on Aug. 22 in Chicago with stops in big cities across the country, including Los Angeles. It will hit more than 20 cities before wrapping up on Dec. 17. More dates and locations are to be announced.

A test program of sorts is being run this month in the Detroit area, including at a local Sears department store and at the Ford world headquarters. The test-drive loops are short and will be set up in the parking lots of big-box retailers and on college campuses.

Drivers navigate a small handling course with curves and a slalom, while also backing up using the Focus's optional rear camera. Ford says it will be a reasonably quick registration process, with no amusement parklike waits. There are cones and electronic markers set up, and users are scored on accuracy. When a driver precisely gets over a target, an audio response is heard in the cabin. Ford is hawking it as a video-game experience.

“The name of the game is simple--try to get somebody's butt in the seats,” said Lew Echlin, Ford global car marketing manager.

Once completed, Focus drivers get a video, and the pilot program says the videos are shared frequently online. Ford said it hopes this real-life experience will then get the word out about the car in a more grassroots, word-of-mouth fashion.

“A lot of people like to see their friends either winning or screwing up,” Echlin said.

The idea is to show off the 2012 Focus and its attributes. Ford says 330 people participated in the Sears event, and 700 reservations were made for the event at its headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.

By Greg Migliore