The fastest, most powerful RS yet.
That’s the headline behind the third-generation Ford Focus RS – which will belt out 345bhp and scream to 62mph in 4.7 seconds.
The power comes from a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine which also cranks out 324lb ft of torque.
Driving all four wheels, it allows a top speed of 165mph, and there’s a 15-second overboost option which allows the engine to develop another 22lb ft in short bursts.
Controlling all the craziness is a raft of high-tech measures including torque vectoring and launch control. There’s also a new ‘Drift’ mode, which sounds a lot like the apocryphal fun button to us.
This acts on the variable four-wheel drive transmission, which itself is a first for a Focus RS. The previous two versions were both front-drive only.
As well as Drift, the four-wheel drive system has Normal, Sport and Track modes. These also tune the steering and throttle responses, ESP, dual-mode dampers and even the amount of noise that comes from the exhaust.
Away from the electronics, the electric PAS and manual gearbox action have been revised to make them more involving. And with all this and four-wheel drive too, Ford says the RS has ‘class-leading corner speed, limit handling and a unique drift capability.’
It also has a cabin that’s simpler but packs in more technology – such as an 8.0” touch-screen interface and Sync2 conectivity.
And what do you pay for all this? Less that you might expect, actually – just £28,940.
That’s a lot for a Focus, but not for a car that can hunt supercars all day long – and Ford confidently expects it to have them queuing round the block for a piece of the action.
‘After experiencing the acceleration and cornering capability of the Focus RS, drivers will question the sense in spending almost £10,000 more on a premium competitor,’ said programme engineer Jürgen Gagstatter.
’What we’ve aimed to do is have a technically competitive package which is affordable for our customers. That has been the overriding principle.’
Ford Focus
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