It's "bread and butter" time at Ford this year, as it makes major changes to one of its most important products, the popular Ford Focus.

The interior is all-new, styling is all-new and there's an important piece of technology, Ford Sync, which provides what Ford says is "unprecedented levels of in-car connectivity for mobile phones and media players."

It's also more fun to drive, too with new suspension tuning and chassis refinements. And more important in these gas conscious times -- fuel economy is in the 30s.

The styling brings Focus into line with the rest of the Ford line-up, by featuring the distinctive chrome bar grille design that adds greatly to product recognition on the road. You'll also see flared wheel arches, which have become another Ford trademark in recent years. There's also an unusual headlight design that blends the headlights into the chrome bar grille in a distinctive way.

Focus SE and SES models feature a front fender appliqué integrated just behind the front wheel well, adding a bright accent to the profile. On all models, the "Focus" name is brightly spelled out in bold italic letters on the decklid, scuff plates and instrument panel.

The 2008 Focus is available in two body styles -- two-door coupe (a first for Focus) and four-door sedan -- in S, SE and SES trims.

Inside, you'll find an all-new interior design. Take a look at the instrument panel and you'll see a new, "top of dash" display at eye level that includes most of the important information about what the car's doing.

There's also what Ford is calling a new "poke-through" center console design which replaces the traditional "brick" design for the radio and HVAC controls. The all-new center stack houses the controls for the audio and HVAC as well as a standard auxiliary input jack and two power points. In vehicles equipped with the available Sync option, the associated USB port is located on the center stack near the power points.

There also is new ice blue lighting on the instrument cluster, center console, steering wheel and door lock and window switches, which enhances the overall feel of the interior and is easy on the eyes when driving at night.

If you like to store things in your car's console and elsewhere, you're in luck. The 2008 Focus offers a larger center console as well as added space in front of the shifter for extra storage. Newly designed door trim features larger bins and cupholders in the doors. The console also provides three additional cupholders. New seats have improved contours and offer more lateral and lumbar support. A new cloth pattern is featured for 2008, while the leather seats include contrast stitching for an added touch of craftsmanship.

Another cool interior feature will be the use of mood lighting. There's an available next-generation color-configurable interior ambient lighting system that you'll be able to get. This was first seen on the 2005 Mustang and has since been adopted by other car makes as well.

You'll be able to change the light inside the cupholders and in the front and rear footwells. The driver or front-seat passenger can choose from seven different colors, including red, orange, blue, indigo, violet, green and yellow, simply by cycling through a dash-mounted switch.

But by far the most important interior feature for Focus -- as well as for a number of other ford products -- will be the new "Sync" system. It's a cutting-edge way to use cell phones and media players inside a vehicle. This industry-first technology offers unprecedented levels of connection, control, simplicity and personalization for electronic devices inside a car.

A microphone inside the cabin allows consumers to use their mobile phones hands free while operating a vehicle. Using Bluetooth technology as a foundation, Sync can wirelessly connect up to six mobile phones to the vehicle through a process called pairing. Once the phone is paired, the user's personal features (such as address book and ring tones) are readily accessed by the system.

Sync is also the only automotive application that offers full hands-free, voice-activated command and control over portable media players and USB storage devices.

Sync's advanced capability allows consumers to access the songs, artists, genres, albums, playlists and more through voice commands. The selections also are shown on the vehicle's audio display, since Sync allows complete command and control via dashboard or steering wheel controls. Ultimately, Sync acts as an extension of the media player, effectively melding the player's functionality into the vehicle.

Sync hosts nearly all media players, including iPods, all MP3 players with "Plays for Sure" technology, and Microsoft's new music player, Zune. Sync also accepts music saved on USB storage drives.

Located on the dashboard near the power outlets, the Sync USB port simultaneously charges the player as the music is being played over the vehicle's audio system. All music played through Sync is high-resolution digital quality.

As for driving, the Focus gets revised chassis settings that Ford's engineers say help improve steering feel and responsiveness over the previous Focus. Changes in body structure also help improve handling. There's also a new brake system.

The 2008 Focus comes with a choice of two engines. The standard engine is a 140-horsepower (up four horsepower from the previous model) 2.0-liter, Duratec 20 dual-overhead-cam (DOHC), inline 4-cylinder.

There's also a super-clean, 130-horsepower Duratec 20E engine that qualifies Focus as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV).

Standard features include: Power front-disc and rear-drum brakes; Power rack-and-pinion steering; five-speed manual transmission; Rear defroster; Manual adjust side mirrors; Tinted glass; AM/FM single CD/MP3 player four speakers; Audio input jack; Two 12V power points; Padded armrests; Two-way adjustable, manual front seats; 60/40-split rear seat; Visor mirrors; LATCH; SecuriLock(r) passive anti-theft system; and tire inflation kit.

Available options include: 16-inch aluminum wheels; AM/FM six-disc, in-dash CD/MP3 player; Audiophile system for AM/FM six-disc in-dash CD/MP3 player with four coaxial speakers and 8-inch subwoofer; Sirius satellite radio; interior ambient lighting system; four-speed automatic transmission; Anti-lock brakes with traction control; floor mats; Power moonroof; Perimeter alarm system; Four-way manual adjustable driver's seat; Heated seats; Leather-trimmed seating surfaces; Spare tire; Floor mats.

Ford trucks are another important product for the company, and they've taken steps to keep the popular F-150 up to date, including new features and new models.

Among the new features are a factory-installed, cargo management system that increases flexibility for hauling and securely stowing all types of cargo, and the available rear view camera system, built into the tailgate, is designed to assist with parking.

The F-150 has a wide variety of models including three cab choices, three box lengths, two box styles and five unique series: the entry-level F-150 XL, fun and athletic F-150 STX, all-purpose F-150 XLT, off-road ready F-150 FX4, and the luxurious F-150 Lariat -- to which the King Ranch version adds even more luxury. All cabs feature four doors for easy access.

But more's better as far as Ford's concerned, so consumers will now have several new model packages to choose from.

They include the Lariat Limited package, a Wheels and Stripes Package for the F-150 STX and the first time availability of an F-150 XL SuperCrew with either 5.5-or 6.5-ft. Styleside box.

The Limited Package features a custom white sand metallic, monochromatic paint scheme, body colored front and rear bumpers, fascia, wheel lip moldings, door handle bezels with chrome strap and a billet-style grille accented with a chrome surround, deluxe mirrors with body color skullcaps, polished, forged aluminum wheels with painted accents and special Limited identification, four-inch polished, stainless steel tubular running boards and chrome exhaust tip.

Other Limited package features include dark shadow gray headlamps and smoked taillamps, two-tone leather captain's chairs, leather steering wheel and shift knob, accent color on console lid and door panel and a unique instrument cluster face.

The F-150 XL SuperCrew , available for the first time, will be a favorite of value-conscious customers looking for all the flexibility offered in a crew cab pick-up. It comes standard with power side exterior mirrors, AM/FM stereo clock with CD, color-coordinated carpet and floor mats, overhead console, and 40/20/40-split cloth front seat with manual driver lumbar.