Development underway on new 330bhp Ford Focus RS
Third-generation Ford Focus RS, powered by 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, due to go on sale in 2016
Development is underway on a new
Ford Focus RS, about two years before the car is expected to be launched.
The third-generation Focus RS is again set to be front-wheel drive. It will draw its power from a turbocharged 2.3-litre, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, derived from that of the
2015 Mustang.
A power output of about 330bhp has been mooted by insiders, while a limited-slip
differential and Ford’s innovative, torque-steer-reducing RevoKnuckle front suspension system will
again feature among the mechanical specification.
Over the past year,
Ford executives have been increasingly talking up the chances of a new Focus RS making production. Now, insiders have confirmed that it has been officially added to Ford’s future model launch programme after a business case was proven. Early engineering mules have been spotted on public roads as initial testing begins.
There had previously been doubt over the future existence of a third-generation Focus RS as a result of the standard donor Focus being a flagship for the ‘One Ford’ global car policy. This was originally thought to mean the end of regional specials like the Focus RS because of their limited global appeal.
In addition, the arrival of the new Mustang on European shores next year was initially seen as a further setback to a new Focus RS’s chances of production when it was announced, because the Mustang was expected to be billed as the One Ford global performance car.
Ford was also worried about a Focus RS stealing sales from not only the Mustang but also the Focus ST. Furthermore, Ford needed to ensure that an RS could be built alongside more humble five-door Focus hatchbacks without requiring a bespoke engine.
However, the success and now evolution of the One Ford programme have led to the sign-off for the new model. Ford is happy with how the majority of its models are
now — or soon will be — established across global markets, and the attention can now in part turn to satisfying market niches with models like the Focus RS.
Read the full Ford Focus RS review
According to Ford of Europe’s chief operating officer, Barb Samardzich, Ford’s own research has also concluded that the buyers of
Focus ST,Focus RS and Mustang models are all very different and the models actually complement one another in a range.
The business case for the
Focus RS has also been strengthened by the fact that it can be built on the same production line as the standard model and will share an engine with the Mustang, albeit in a transverse application instead of a longitudinal one. This makes production easier, increases the economies of scale and enables the Focus RS to be sold in new markets, such as North America.
Overcoming these hurdles has paved the way for the new Focus RS, which was spotted testing for the first time close to Ford’s engineering headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.
This is further evidence that the Focus RS is now considered a global performance model because it is in part being engineered at Ford’s global headquarters, rather than being a European-conceived, designed, engineered and built model for European customers, as was the case with the first two generations of the Focus RS.
Central to the new Focus RS is the
Mustang-derived 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine. Sources have indicated that the new Focus RS will have about 10 per cent more power than its 301bhp turbocharged 2.5-litre, five-cylinder predecessor, suggesting about 330bhp. Torque is also set to rise beyond the 324lb ft of the second-gen Focus RS.
Although power is being increased by about 10 per cent thanks to the new engine, fuel economy is set to improve by about 20 per cent, up from the 30.5mpg of the previous Focus RS. This boost to economy comes mainly from the engine being lighter and more efficient. The new Focus RS will also be lighter overall than before, aiding performance and dynamic ability, too.
Sources revealed to Autocar last year that four-wheel drive had been evaluated for the new Focus RS in early engineering studies but the front-wheel drive formula of its predecessors would remain. A six-speed manual gearbox will be a standard fitment.
To help the new Focus RS get its hefty power and torque reserves to the road, Ford is equipping it with a mechanical limited-slip differential, according to sources. There’s also a return for the innovative RevoKnuckle front suspension system, which reduces the amount of torque steer.
Among the other changes over a Focus ST, on which the new RS will be based, is a lowered chassis, with a firmer, sportier suspension set-up.
Watch the Ford Focus RS in action
Recently-spied test mules also start to give clues away about the styling of the new RS – in particular, the adoption of twin exhausts at the rear of the car, differing from the large single central exhaust on the ST. Increased cooling at the front of the car, 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres and larger brakes are other features of the test car that indicate the final make-up of the Focus RS.
Expect the styling to follow the blueprint of the previous Focus RS, with a bodykit, rear wing and rear diffuser among the design and aerodynamic features.
The launch of the new Focus RS is now not expected before mid to late 2016, with a reveal at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed one potential option. Indeed, Ford gave the
revised Focus ST a global reveal at Goodwood last month.
As with its two predecessors, the Focus RS will be a swansong for the
current Focus. It will be on sale for a year or so before the standard model is replaced in 2017-2018. No indication has been given on price, but expect it to come in below £30,000.
Read more about the rivals the new Ford Focus RS will face off against.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/development-underway-new-330bhp-ford-focus-rs
