The new 2016 Ford Focus RS will be unveiled at an event in Germany on 3 February, the company has confirmed, ahead of a full debut at this spring’s Geneva motor show.
This artist’s impression, by TopSpeed, shows the likely look of the turbocharged hot hatch and there’s a new official teaser video you can watch below, too.
What do we know about the third generation of Ford Focus RS?
The Blue Oval is back on a performance car drive at present. Presumably as the world’s economy recovers its confidence, the time is right to unleash more go-faster Fords, Dearborn believes.
Hence the new Ford Performance wing recently announced – and the new Focus RS is one of a dozen new warmed-up models due by the end of the decade. See our review of the new Mustang here.
Ford isn’t saying much about the fast Focus yet, but we understand it uses the same 2.3-litre Ecoboost four-cylinder engine as found in the new Mustang. There’s a power war underway in the hot hatch sector and the wick is likely to be turned up beyond 300bhp to keep pace with the likes of the new Honda Civic Type R and Seat Leon Cupra 280.
Don’t believe rumours that it’ll sport four-wheel drive, however. CAR believes it will stick with front-wheel drive and a concoction of differentials and electronic nannies to make sure that the front tyres aren’t pulverised at every T-junction.
Ford was one of the pioneers of front axle kinematics to hone geometry – called RevoKnuckle by the Blue Oval – curbing wheelspin and torque steer.
Will it still thrill?
We sure hope so. The first-generation Focus RS was a feisty and focused hot hatch from the top drawer, and arguably the second-gen model couldn’t match that purity (though we did enjoy the audio fizz of its five-cylinder engine).
The Focus ST we drove this week suggests that the go-faster specialists in Deutschland, Dunton and Detroit haven’t forgotten how to make fun affordable sports hatchbacks. Here’s hoping the new 2016 RS keeps the flag flying high.