Rumors that a new Ford Focus RS is on the horizon have been swirling ever since the third-generation Focus was brought to the market. A new report from Road & Track is the most concrete sounding evidence we’ve found yet in regards to the new super-hatch though, which claims a Ford source confirmed a new Focus RS with all-wheel drive is headed for the US market.
The last Focus RS, which was reserved for European markets only, had front-wheel drive and a 305 horsepower turbocharged 5-cylinder engine. The new car will have the aforementioned all-wheel drive system in conjunction with Ford’s new 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, which in the 2015 Mustang will produce 310 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. In the Focus RS, however, the power will be turned up to 325-350 horsepower, R&T says.
The all-wheel drive system will be all-new and not shared with any other product in the Ford Motor Company portfolio. It will be specially developed for high output applications and will allow for torque vectoring between the front and rear wheels. Additonally, the system will eventually be used in other Ford cars (Fiesta RS, anyone?).
There is no word on when Ford will debut the all-new Focus RS, but a 2015 debut date with sales beginning in the fourth-quarter of 2015 or early 2016 seem likely.
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