News has just emerged that a 3rd-generation Ford Focus RS, powered by a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, has been confirmed and is due to go on sale in 2016. The New Focus RS is just one of more than 12 new performance vehicles Ford will deliver for global enthusiasts through 2020. Ford’s global head of product development, Raj Nair, said all Team RS, Ford SVT and Ford Racing projects would unify in a new Ford Performance organization based at a new technical center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He also confirmed that the all-new Focus RS that will be available to customers in major markets around the world, including the US, for the first time. It is part of Ford’s plan to deliver even more performance vehicles, parts and accessories for customers around the world more quickly.
The Focus RS, which builds on a pedigree established by the first Ford RS in 1968, was last introduced in 2009 in Europe. This Focus RS will join Ford’s existing performance lineup, including Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Shelby GT350 Mustang and F-150 Raptor. Performance vehicle sales are growing around the world – with sales up 70% in the United States and 14% in Europe since 2009.
The Mustang-derived 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine will have about 10% more power in the new Focus RS as compared to its turbocharged 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine that powered its predecessor. This would mean the new Focus RS would have about 330hp and also likely more than 324 lb-ft. This new RS will stick to the proven front-wheel drive formula of previous models.
