Redesigned from the inside out, the 2008 Ford Focus goes on sale this fall with a long list of improvements that make it better than ever, including 35 Miles per gallon highway fuel economy and a starting price under $15,000.

Below are just a few reasons why the 2008 Ford Focus is better all around:

1. Ford SYNC – The 2008 Ford Focus is the first vehicle to offer the company’s industry-exclusive Ford SYNC technology. SYNC – a voice-activated, hands-free, in-car communications and entertainment system – seamlessly integrates mobile phones and media players into the vehicle using Bluetooth technology and USB connectivity. It is also updatable to support the portable electronic devices and services of tomorrow.

Developed in collaboration with Microsoft, SYNC will be offered exclusively on 12 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles this year. It will be standard on Lincoln vehicles and widely available on Ford and Mercury vehicles. In most cases, SYNC will be included as standard equipment on high-series models from Ford and Mercury. On models where SYNC is optional, it will be priced at $395.

2. Fuel-Sipping Focus – Although Ford engineers added an average of 64 pounds of content to the 2008 Ford Focus, they also took dozens of actions to trim the weight –making the average car nearly 38 pounds lighter. The weight reduction, along with an improved powertrain, upgraded parts and fine-tuning from bumper to bumper, help the Focus achieve better mileage than the model it replaces. Initial figures show the 2008 Focus delivers a 3-5 percent improvement in fuel economy over the 2007 model. Under the EPA’s revised – and more realistic – mileage test standards, the 2008 Focus delivers 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highway fuel economy with the automatic transmission and 24/35 with the 5-speed manual. Under the same standards, the previous model’s fuel economy rating would have been 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway for the automatic and 24/33 for the manual.

3. Fun to Drive – The Focus has long been hailed as an affordable car that handles and drives like a car twice its price. Its acclaimed driving dynamics are further improved in the 2008 model with a retuned suspension and chassis refinements, including new spring rates, dampers and stabilizer bushings. Its more powerful 2.0-liter engine delivers 140 hp, a 3 percent gain that comes from an all-new air intake system and a new cooling system, both designed to improve efficiency.

4. Mood Lighting -- Tapping the emerging trend of configurable lighting, Ford is making its ambient lighting system available to Ford Focus customers as a factory-installed option. The feature lets customers set the mood inside the vehicle with subtle LED lighting in the cupholders and in the front and rear footwells. The driver or front-seat passenger can choose from seven different colors – red, blue, aqua, purple, white, green and yellow – by cycling through a dash-mounted switch.

5. Cool Coupe – The 2008 Ford Focus features expressive new exterior styling inspired by the highly successful Fusion: a prominent chrome-bar grille design, flared wheel arches and sweeping, crisp lines, along with a sporty stance. For the first time, a Focus coupe is available in addition to a four-door sedan. Both are offered in three distinct trim series.

6. Inviting Interior – Focus introduces an all-new interior design with unique materials, plenty of storage space and new levels of craftsmanship. The redesigned cabin features an integrated instrument panel, a new top-of-dash display, new “Ice Blue” lighting for instruments and switches and distinctive cues such as metallic finishes. New seating provides more lateral and lumbar support.

7. Focus on Safety – The 2008 Focus comes standard with Ford’s Personal Safety System®, including thorax side air bags and side air curtains for increased coverage in the event of a side-impact crash. A tire pressure monitoring system also has been added as a standard feature. Anti-lock brakes are an available option.

8. Value Leader – The 2008 Ford Focus offers the best value in its segment, starting at only $14,695 for the Focus S coupe and $14,995 for the Focus S sedan, including $620 destination and delivery. Focus SE models are an additional $1,000. The top-of-the-line Focus SES coupe and sedan, with SYNC standard, begin at $16,695 and $16,995, respectively.

According to the Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG), the projected 36-month resale value of the 2008 Ford Focus is as high as 50 percent for the Focus SE and SES coupe and 49 percent for the SE and SES sedan, which is fully competitive with small cars from Asian manufacturers.

9. Sounds of Silence – Ford engineers made numerous enhancements to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) on the 2008 Focus. Improved quietness comes as the result of new exterior design cues, a new acoustic windshield, new moldings and sealing systems, redesigned mirrors and much more. The 2008 Focus performs among the leaders in wind noise and powertrain NVH. It’s 3 dBA quieter than the outgoing model – a 10 percent improvement – and it achieves a 19.4 percent improvement in powertrain NVH, tying for best-in-class powertrain noise levels.

10. Manufacturing for Quality – Along with its new look and new features, the 2008 Ford Focus benefits from new manufacturing methods designed to deliver outstanding quality. Ford invested $130 million in its Wayne ( Mich.) Stamping and Assembly Plant to build the new Focus, with much of the funding dedicated to enlarging and upgrading the body shop. The upgrades included the installation of new robots with much more precise welding guns that attach the body sides to the underbody. The new machinery allows the assembly process to be more flexible.

The plant also has installed 130 new direct-current electric hand tools with error-proofing for use during assembly. The new tools reduce workers’ strain and allow for constant precision monitoring during the build. Every new Focus also is scanned by Perceptron vision cameras to measure its dimensional integrity for fit and finish and to eliminate squeaks and rattles. These and numerous other factory-based improvements mesh with the car’s engineering upgrades to produce a more refined vehicle.