2016
Ford Focus RS
Ford
wants to change all that with the recently unveiled, third-generation Focus RS,
as the model will be offered with an innovative all-wheel-drive system. Set to
be manufactured at the same German plant as its predecessors, this will also be
the first RS model to be sold around the world, including the U.S. With a
Mustang-sourced, 2.3-liter, EcoBoost engine that has been engineered to deliver
in excess of 300 horsepower, the all-new Focus RS seems to really up the ante
for Ford in the performance-hatch category.
Sporting
a body kit that is more than worthy of the RS badge, the new Ford hot-hatch
looks ready to be flicked across a super-special rally stage right off the
showroom floor. The front end has been completely taken over by a large
trapezoidal grille that is accompanied by a front splitter that extends far
down and offers a nice view of the intercooler. Large outboard openings on each
side of what’s left of the front bumper feed air to cool the front brakes, and
also house a pair of vertically mounted fog lamps that remind me in a way of
the Kia Pro’Ceed.
The
side profile is typical RS style, with each wheel arch having been widened to
make room for a choice of 19-inch light-alloy wheels that are exclusive to the
model. The rear-end design is downright dominated by a gigantic aerodynamic
diffuser which is not all show and no go, as it helps the car achieve better
downforce while reducing drag. Twin exhaust openings flank the diffuser on each
side, while a rear roof spoiler completes the package and also harks back to
the distinctive wing of the Escort RS Cosworth Cosworth. All in all, the new
Ford Focus RS looks like it means business and it isn’t afraid to show it,
especially since it was unveiled in the same Liquid Blue paint as the Ford GT
Concept in Detroit.
As
expected, the new Focus RS interior is replete with racing-like features,
starting with the standard Recaro sports seats and a flat-bottomed steering
wheel, and ending with a multitude of RS badges. Optionally, European and Asian
customers will also get a pair of signature RS Recaro shell seats covered in
"authentic motorsport microfiber fabric panels." The entire package
is completed by alloy sports pedals, a new shifter with matching graphics and
an additional instrument cluster sitting on top of the center console, where it
displays the boost pressure, oil temperature and oil pressure.
Offering
SYNC connectivity as standard, the new RS provides access to a number of
features, such as the audio system, sat-nav, climate control system or
smartphones via either an 8-inch touchscreen or voice commands. Ford says that
owners can even tell the car to "Find a race track" and SYNC will
provide them with directions to the closest public circuit.
The
new RS will bear the same turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder in the
2015 Mustang, but this time it’s tuned to deliver an impressive 345 horsepower
and 324 pound-feet of torque. Max torque arrives between 2,000 and 4,500 rpm.
An overboost function will deliver up to 347 pound-feet for 15 seconds at a
time.
That’s
more than the RS’s major competitors, including the new Civic Type-R,
Volkswagen Golf R, and Subaru WRX STI.
The
big output is courtesy of a new twin-scroll turbocharger that comes with a
slightly larger compressor wheel, and the intake charge is chilled by an
oversized intercooler for more efficiency. The cylinder head is made from a
high-temp-resistant alloy, while the block employs high-tensile cast-iron
liners. The intake and exhaust are both revised for better flow, while an electronically
controlled valve allows for more or less sound, depending on the driver’s mood
and the proximity of law enforcement.
Redline
for the 2.3-liter is set at 6,800 rpm, and emissions have been cut by 20
percent compared to the old RS’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder. No word on mileage,
although Ford says it’ll be “significantly better” than what we’ve seen from
the old RS. Not that it matters.
The
big news is the all-wheel-drive system though. It not only offers torque
vectoring – which is brake actuated, sadly – but it can also send up to 70
percent of the available torque to the rear axle. Personally, I am yet to find
out another AWD car that can send up to 70 percent of its torque to the rear,
so I’m still waiting for Ford to tell us how they did it. On top of that, it
seems that of the torque that reaches the rear axle, up to 100 percent of it
can be sent to either rear wheel, giving the new Focus RS true
controlled-oversteer drift ability. The entire system is apparently based
around a so-called Rear Drive Unit (RDU), which consists of twin electronically
controlled clutch packs that also act as a limited-slip differential.
