DCAWD.com

Hot hatches are a staple of European car culture, something Americans typically don't get. It's why Ford hasn't offered its brilliant Focus RS on these shores for many years, despite true enthusiasts clamoring for it. A niche product it is, and yet Ford has finally confirmed that we will soon see the new RS in U.S. dealerships, and today, that car has been revealed: Boasting "well in excess" of 316 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque, that bountiful amount of power is routed to each and every wheel.

Yes, the new RS has gone back to its all-wheel-drive roots.

That was the main debate when guessing the specifics of the new RS: FWD or AWD? The fact Ford has chosen the latter shows how serious the company is about producing the hottest hatch of them all. And it's not just any AWD system, the RS features torque vectoring, allowing 70 percent of torque to the rear axle, 100 percent of which can be applied to either wheel.

Under the hood lies the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the new Mustang EcoBoost. While a four-banger in a Mustang is still a topic of hot debate, in a Focus RS, it aligns perfectly (it does feature a few tweaks to the turbocharger). What's more, that motor is meshed to a proper six-speed manual gearbox. And as you'd imagine, damping, spring rates, sway bars and just about every other handling component has been tuned, by Ken Block no less, for ultimate performance. And let's not forget the current Focus ST is a stunner in of itself; the RS, with its sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, should be phenomenal -- at least on paper.

What we don't know at this point is price for the Focus RS. A Golf R starts at $37,000, with a WRX STI a tick below $35,000. To many Americans, that may seem like a lot of dough for a European-built Focus, but if that's your view then maybe you just don't get it. Hot hatches look good, they're practical, and with their diminutive size they offer a unique driving experience, one that begs to be thrashed to redline and chucked around canyon curves like you're the next Sébastien Loeb. Like Carroll Shelby said, these type of cars are "pocket rockets."

The new RS promises to live up to that description, and even if the take rate in the U.S. turns out to be low, I for one am ecstatic it's here

Boasting "well in excess" of 316 hp and 320 lb.-ft.

Sabre wrote:I think it might be worth it at that price too. With the Mustang getting the same engine, you know the aftermarket is going to go nuts with it.

Mr Kleen wrote:My guess for MSRP is $36,000. Right between the STi and the Golf R.

The Ford Performance All-Wheel-Drive system is based on twin electronically controlled clutch packs on each side of the rear drive unit. These manage the car's front/rear torque split, and can control the side-to-side torque distribution on the rear axle – delivering the "torque vectoring" capability that has a dramatic impact on handling and cornering stability.

The control unit in the rear drive unit continuously varies the front/rear and side-to-side torque distribution to suit the current driving situation, monitoring inputs from multiple vehicle sensors 100 times per second. A maximum of 70 percent of the drive torque can be diverted to the rear axle. Up to 100 percent of available torque at the rear axle can be sent to each rear wheel.

During cornering, the rear drive unit pre-emptively diverts torque to the outer rear wheel immediately based on inputs such as steering wheel angle, lateral acceleration, yaw and speed. This torque transfer has the effect of "driving" the car into the bend, achieving improved turn-in and stability, and virtually eliminating understeer.

Translation: There isn't a center differential, but the rear diff has an electronically-controlled clutch pack that can send up to 70% of the power to the rear axle. It has another clutch pack that acts as an electronic LSD for the rear axle. The rear diff does active (i.e. not brake-based) torque vectoring.

To deliver optimum driving dynamics, the Ford Performance All-Wheel-Drive system was calibrated alongside the car's advanced Electronic Stability Control, in particular the brake-based Torque Vectoring Control system that works in parallel with the torque-vectoring AWD.

Translation: The front differential is an open differential with brake-based torque vectoring.

Mr Kleen wrote:From what I've read it isn't as good as Subaru's AWD for snow and ice, but it's cheaper and lighter and comes in a better looking package.

ElZorro wrote:This is a surprisingly tempting car. But, is the extra 130HP worth the $7k over a Mazda3 5-door? Hahah, I can't believe I even typed that with a straight face. Of course it is!

drwrx wrote:

ElZorro wrote:This is a surprisingly tempting car. But, is the extra 130HP worth the $7k over a Mazda3 5-door? Hahah, I can't believe I even typed that with a straight face. Of course it is!

The real question is whether the RS is worth the extra coin over an ST?
Sure it has more power and AWD. But that may not translate into that much better performance.
Right now you can find new Focus STs (with the Recaro performance pack) for under $25k.
If the cost of the RS is $10k above that (as I suspect it may be) I'm not certain it's worth it.

Full disclosure: I love the RS! I love that Ford makes it! I love that the US is finally going to get it!
It's just that if they are going to ask $40k for it, that's a deal breaker.

Yes, I know, new STi's go for close to $40k. That is another discussion.