2013 Ford Focus Earns Highest Possible Safety Rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- 

• The 2013 Ford Focus earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway (IIHS), demonstrating Ford's commitment to vehicle safety
• 2013 Ford Focus is one of only six small cars tested to earn top marks from IIHS
• Focus previously earned the federal government's highest safety rating – a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The 2013 Ford Focus earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Focus is one of six vehicles in the small car segment to achieve IIHS's highest rating.

Top Safety Pick+ is a new category in the IIHS ratings. Vehicles must earn a "good" rating for occupant protection in four evaluations: moderate overlap frontal crash, side impact, rollover, and seats/head restraints. The tests are scored "good," "acceptable," "marginal" or "poor." In addition, vehicles must achieve "good" or "acceptable" in a fifth test – small overlap frontal crash. Focus was rated "good" in each of the first four tests and "acceptable" in the small overlap frontal crash.

"Ford is committed to designing vehicles that help keep people safe," said Steve Kenner, global director of Ford's Automotive Safety Office. "We are constantly seeking innovative ways to help drivers avoid accidents and keep occupants safe when an incident does occur."

Structured to keep families safe
With families in mind, Ford took a holistic approach to safety when designing the Focus – from its ultra-high-strength steel structure to advanced safety technologies. This approach also helped the small car earn top safety ratings from the federal government. The 2013 and 2014 Ford Focus sedan and hatchback, and the 2013 Focus Electric were each awarded a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The body structure of the Focus is engineered to be highly protective. It makes extensive use of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels that to help protect the passenger cabin in a collision. Boron steel in the Focus' structure absorbs and redirects crash forces to protect vehicle occupants in the event of a crash.

Focus also features Ford's MyKey^® technology, an industry exclusive. MyKey is designed for families with teen drivers and can be programed to limit audio system volume, to limit top vehicle speed, and to encourage teens to wear their safety belts with the use of chimes and by muting the radio if the front-row safety belts are not buckled. MyKey is standard on the 2013 Focus.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 177,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company