Packing an EcoBoost 2.3-liter engine

A new report sheds some light regarding the upcoming Ford Focus RS set to be released sometime in 2016.

Launching almost at the end of the third-gen Focus' lifespan, the range-topping RS is bound to stick with a front-wheel drive layout, despite receiving a more powerful engine. Sourced from the new Ford Mustang, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine is said to deliver 330 PS (243 kW) which will make it 30 PS (22 kW) more powerful than the 5-cylinder, 2.5-liter turbo in the former Focus RS. Torque figure should also increase significantly from the previous 410 Nm (302 lb-ft). As a short reminder, in the previous generation Focus there also was a limited-run RS500 with 350 PS (257 kW) and 460 Nm (339 lb-ft) which reached sold out status in 12 hours.

Ford's special RevoKnuckle (an adaptation of the MacPherson strut) front suspension will make a comeback in the 2016 Focus RS which will be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox. To cope with all that power sent to the front axle, Ford's engineers will install a mechanical limited slip differential while the chassis will be lowered and the suspension will be further tuned for sportiness.

Programmed to come out in 2016, the Ford Focus RS is estimated to carry a starting price of 27,000 GBP (46,100 USD / 34,100 EUR) and will be sold in new markets including North America.

To boast a newly developed all-wheel drive system

A source close to Ford has shed some light about the new Focus RS set to arrive sometime in 2016.

Just about all previous reports indicated the 2016 Focus RS will come with a front-wheel drive layout but now a Ford insider cited by Road & Track says the hot hatchback will make the switch to a newly developed all-wheel drive system different from the one implemented in the Fusion, Escape and MKZ. It will benefit from front & rear torque vectoring which will improve steering and provide a sportier feel behind the wheel.

Power will come from a 4-cylinder, 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine borrowed from the new Ford Mustang but output will be bumped to somewhere in the region of 325 - 350 PS (239 - 257 kW). Taking into consideration the Focus RS will be a high-priced low-volume model, chances are output will be closer to the higher mark.

The Ford insider hasn't said anything about gearboxes but previous rumors indicated the use of a six-speed manual transmission. Also expect to find an updated RevoKnuckle front suspension together with beefier wheels, larger brakes and a stiffer chassis – all for an estimated starting price of almost 45,000 USD.

Ford has already confirmed the all-new Focus RS will be launched in 2016.

At the Geneva and New York auto shows earlier this year, Ford revealed the facelifted Focus lineup, with the compact gaining substantial styling and mechanical tweaks.

From a styling point of view, the biggest change is obviously the addition of the big Aston Martin-style grille, but there’s a lot more going on beneath the skin. Auto Express’ Mat Watson was one of the first to drive the facelifted Focus hatchback, fitted with the 125PS (123hp) 1.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine - also introduced on the US model with this occasion.

The reviewer found the engine to have just enough power for a car of this size, but nowhere near as economical as official figures claim. As a matter of fact, Watson averaged twice Ford’s official combined economy rating. Sure, average fuel consumption depends on driving style, but that’s a rather disappointing find nonetheless.

Inside, the Focus has an updated dashboard that gives it a more upmarket feel and is more silent than before. Find out what else changed on the facelifted Focus from the video review that follows.

In early 2013, the Nissan Leaf shed a massive $6,500 from its $35,200 base price to offer a new starting price of $28,800. Since then, we have seen numerous other plug-in vehicles get smaller price tags, from the Honda Fit EV (lower lease price) to the Chevrolet Volt (around $5,000 lower) to the Mitsubishi i (a $6,130 drop). Last year, Ford lowered the $39,200 price of the Focus Electric by around $4,000, but that hasn't been enough to get the Ford EV to really compete, saleswise, with other plug-in vehicles on the market.

But wait, as they say, there's more. This past weekend, Ford lopped another $6,000 from the price of both the 2014 model year Focus EVs currently on dealer lots as well as the redesigned 2015 models that are now rolling out (they're basically the same car, minus some appearance changes). Ford spokesman Aaron Miller confirmed to AutoblogGreen that the Focus EV will now start at $29,995 and said that reducing the price should make the Blue Oval's only pure EV competitive. "We hope by reducing the price we're giving consumers another reason to consider it," he said.

Through the end of September 2014, Ford has sold just 1,534 Focus EVs in the US (the model sold 1,335 in the first nine months of 2013). For comparison's sake, the Nissan Leaf starts at $29,010 and sells around 3,000 units a month in the US. Miller notes that the Focus EV has been selling the best on the West Coast, and is also doing well on the East Coast. After that, he said Atlanta and the Great Lakes area also see decent sales of model's admittedly small pie. We can only assume that offering the EV for under $30,000 will make that pie somewhat bigger.

Starts at £22,195

Ford has published full pricing details for the 2015 Focus ST facelift in UK specification.

The revised Focus ST range debuted towards the end of June at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and is now available on order in UK from £22,195, with deliveries kicking off in February 2015. For this money you will be getting the five-door hatchback equipped with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine producing 250 HP (183 kW) and 360 Nm (265 lb-ft) of torque, enough for a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) run in 6.5 seconds and a 154 mph (247 km/h) top speed.

The same engine can also be had in the estate version but the price jumps to £23,295. Due to a slightly higher weight, the Focus ST Estate is 0.2 seconds slower in the sprint but it's capable of hitting the same maximum speed as the hatchback.

Ford is also introducing a 2.0-liter TDCi engine for both ST body styles where it generates 185 HP (136 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft). As expected, it's a tad slower than the EcoBoost version but it still performs nicely as it runs the sprint in 8.1 seconds (+0.2s for estate) and does 135 mph (217 km/h).

The real advantage of having the diesel, aside from the extra torque, can be found in the combined fuel economy since the diesel Focus ST hatchback does 67.3 mpg UK (56 mpg US or 4.2 liters / 100 km) whereas the gasoline version returns 41.5 mpg UK (34.5 mpg US or 6.8 liters / 100 km).

The compact hot hatch segment is about to get a whole lot warmer with the pending arrival of Ford's new generation Focus RS.

Ford's RS prototypes are still largely based on the 252hp Focus ST, but engineers keep on adding special components, with this latest tester featuring a different front bumper with a lower spoiler. That's in addition to the unique exhaust layout with two wide-set outlets.

There have been plenty of rumors floating around about the new RS, such as the possibility of Ford offering the car for the first time with an advanced all-wheel drive system employing torque vectoring on both axles.

However, as far as we can tell, we don't see a rear differential in the tester, but there's always the possibility that Ford may offer two versions of the Focus RS, a FWD model with a torque-biasing differential and a more powerful AWD edition.

Speaking of power, everyone agrees that Ford's new turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four that produces 310hp in the 2015 Mustang will reside under the hood of the RS punching out some 350-horses.

Look, be happy that Americans will get the chance to buy the upcoming Ford Focus RS. Never mind it probably won't be coming from the US of A.

According to The Truth About Cars, the hottest version of the Focus will have to come from the German plant that builds the car for Europe because the RS is too wide to fit down the Michigan plant that makes the car for the North American market. The cost of tooling up the U.S. plant for a low-volume, all-wheel drive variant was probably prohibitive, too.

What is interesting is that TTAC's source also says the RS will be priced just a couple thousand dollars higher than a fully loaded top-trim Focus ST3, which stickers for around $30,000 right now. Figuring the RS starts off at less than $33,000, it's going to be a steal compared to a VW GTI Autobahn or top-level Subaru WRX – never mind the upcoming Golf R or the 2015 WRX STI.

That is, if Ford doesn't restrict demand because it's an import. Which is bound to happen, considering its niche status. So if you want a Focus RS, get in line early.

Ford confirmed via a video teaser that the all-new 2016 Focus RS will be officially revealed on February 3. As previously announced, the third-generation Focus RS will be a global vehicle, which means it will be available in the United States for the first time.

There’s no official word about which auto show the Focus RS will debut at, but we wouldn't be surprised to see it both in Chicago and Geneva, since the car will be sold in North America as well as in Europe.

No details were released, but the video shows a camouflaged Focus RS prototype serenely taking a very punishing drive on one of Ford’s testing circuits.

The new performance model is expected to retain the front-wheel drive configuration of the previous generation Focus RS (though, we've heard rumors of AWD), but will ditch the five-cylinder turbo unit for the new 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder found in the Mustang. The word on the street is that in the Focus RS output may be increased to around 350hp.

Ford has officially revealed the all-new ultra hot hatch Focus RS, featuring Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring Control as well as a very capable 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine.

As stated in our preview of the new RS, it is indeed a global vehicle, which means that it will be available for the first time in the United States. Also the fact that it has all-wheel drive gives it a huge advantage over any rival from Renault, Opel, SEAT and so on, that would dare get into a staring contest with it.

The third-generation Focus RS is the most powerful production Focus ever and it should be the best one to drive considering that Gymkhana star Ken Block served as a development consultant for the car, which if you're a fan, will mean a lot.

"The all-new Focus RS is a serious machine with high-performance technology and innovative engineering that sets a new benchmark for driving exhilaration on the road and track," said Raj Nair, Ford's VP of Global Product Development. "The RS line has a proud history of technical breakthroughs that have migrated to mainstream Ford vehicles to benefit all of our customers, and the new Focus RS is no exception. It’s a great example of our passion for innovation through performance, and creating vehicles that make people’s hearts pound."

If you recall, the 2nd generation Focus RS was the one that introduced Ford's RevoKnuckle front suspension system, which helped reduce torque steer and it really worked wonders in everyday applications.

Speaking of innovation, the all-new Focus RS is getting Ford's Performance All-Wheel Drive system with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, which is set to combine outstanding traction and grip with optimal agility and cornering speed. This sort of stuff is exactly what you want when you've got Ken Block helping you fine tune your hot hatch.

The system is based on twin electronically controlled clutch packs on each side of the rear drive unit, managing the car's front/rear torque split as well as side to side torque distribution on the rear axle. The control unit continuously varies the overall torque distribution by monitoring inputs from multiple sensors 100 times per second. This means that up to 70% torque can be diverted to the rear axle where then up to 100% of it can be sent to each rear wheel.

All this should have an outstanding impact on both handling and cornering stability, especially at higher speeds.

The new Focus RS will also feature sports suspension with spring rates, bushings and antiroll bars - all of them stiffer than those found in the Focus ST. The dampers offer changeable settings which let you set up your car for track driving, while the electric power-steering works along side a more rigid front suspension knuckle design, as shorter-link arms deliver a more connected and responsive steering feel.

Ford has also worked closely with Michelin in order to develop high performance 235/35 R19 tires for the Focus RS, with standard Pilot Super Sport wheels for everyday use and optional Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires for when you'll be taking this bad boy out on the track.

Under the hood, Ford's 2.3 liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine will have an output in excess of 315 HP or over 320PS, which is a clear upgrade from the old RS and it's 2.5 liter 305 HP engine, which brought a 0-62 mph (100km/h) time of just 5.9 seconds - which wasn't bad for a hot hatch back in 2009. The old Focus RS500 had its power bumped to 349 HP though.

According to Ford, the all-new RS should let you rev it up to 6,800 rpm with the help of a six-speed manual transmission, delivering fast and accurate shifts.

No word on performance figures yet, but we can assume this will be one very fast hot hatch.

As for the looks, this is one department where the Focus RS will definitely not disappoint. It features a bold upper trapezoidal grille out front, which along with the lower wings and large outboard openings on each side of the car, helps give it a wide and muscular stance.

At the rear, you'll notice the exceptionally large diffuser as well as the epic twin round high performance exhaust outlets - at which we can't stop staring.

The interior of the Focus RS looks great thanks to a reworked control layout with a simpler and more intuitive design. SYNC connectivity is also available, providing access to audio, sat-nav, climate control and mobile phones - all through a high definition 8" color touch screen display. SYNC can be specified with rear view camera and park distance control, as well as Sony's premium sound system with 10 speakers and a subwoofer.

Other than that, you'll notice a new flat-bottomed steering wheel, alloy pedals and additional gauges above the center console displaying turbocharger boost pressure, oil temp and oil pressure.

Now, if you're sold on buying the new RS, you'll be able to choose one of four exterior colors (Nitrous Blue, Stealth Gray, Absolute Black and Frozen White). This car however features a Liquid Blue color scheme, the same one we've seen on the all-new Ford GT revealed last month in Detroit.

This is, without a doubt, a heck of a car. And performance wise, we think it should be able to challenge something like an Audi S3 (0-62 in 5.2 seconds) directly. But as of right now, we're still waiting on the official numbers.

Nobody was expecting the Ford Focus ST diesel to be anywhere near as fast or engaging as the petrol to drive. Even with 400 Nm from its diesel engine, it still only manages to chug along to 100 km/h or 62 mph in over 8 seconds – that’s some way off the EcoBoost car’s pace.

Even so, factoring in the lesser excitement levels it offers, the ST diesel is still a great tempting buy. It gets all of the same trick suspension components as the petrol and its clever traction and stability programs, plus it looks the same too.

AutoExpress had a go in one and while it didn’t set the reviewer’s heart racing, he thoroughly recommended it in the end – just not to the same people that would have the petrol variant. He also suggests that you’re better off just getting the estate since the car has so much torque it will make for an excellent (quick and fun) family and load lugger.