We’ve been pining away for details on the Ford Focus RS hot hatch for what feels like forever, fielding rumors of all-wheel drive, a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder, and a price tag that could rival the Mustang. Welp all those rumors have finally been confirmed, with Ford finally releasing (some of) the official specs for the 2016 Focus RS.
Breaking cover in Europe at this week’s Frankfurt Auto Show, the 2916 Ford Focus RS delivers 345 horsepower through a new all-wheel drive system that lets the hot hatch sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 4.7 seconds. That’s within a a few tenths of a second of the 435 horsepower Mustang GT, meaning a lot of Ford buyers are going to face a tough decision.
The 2016 Focus RS shows the potential for the new 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine that it shares with the Mustang EcoBoost, though the RS gets some unique technologies all its own. A new low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger with larger compressor, enhanced air intake design, and a bigger exhaust system all help boost horsepower by about 10%, up from 310 in the Mustang to 345 for the Focus RS.
Also new is the new Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, helping put all 345 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque to the road in the most efficient manner possible. There’s even a new Drift mode, in addition to the Normal, Sport, and Track driving modes, which has been specially calibrated for getting sideways. To top it all off, Ford is quoting a top speed of 165 MPH.
So what about pricing? Well in Europe, where the Focus RS hits dealerships in “early 2016” according to Ford, the hot hatch will cost about £28,940, which translates into just under $45,000. However, we have already speculated that pricing will be closer to the $36,000 market, though that still puts it above an entry-level Mustang GT.
With all this new information, we’re left with two questions; one, when does the 2016 Focus RS come to America, and two, will the Mustang EcoBoost also get a 10% boost to power?