US Ford Focus RS to be imported from Europe

Tue, 21 Oct 2014

Rumors about the forthcoming Ford Focus RS are flourishing into what sounds like a very impressive new hot hatch. The latest scuttlebutt gives the first indication about when we might see a few of these fast Focuses on roads here in the US.

Unnamed insiders reportedly confirmed to The Truth About Cars that Ford plans to launch the Focus RS in the US in 2016. However, getting one might not be so easy – the boosted powertrain means the car would likely need to be imported from Europe. That's likely going to keep the total number available in the US rather low. The sources estimate a price tag that's a bit more expensive than the top Focus ST3, which starts around $28,500, plus $825 destination.

It seems that a pretty potent package comes for all of that cash, though. The Focus RS reportedly uses a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making between 325 and 350 horsepower, with a torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system to get that muscle to the road. The test mules also wear more aggressive front and rear fascias, dual exhaust tips, larger brakes and sticky tires. It sounds like a great formula on top of the already enjoyable Focus ST.

These latest reports certainly corroborate the Focus RS' chances in the US. Autoblog asked Ford for an official statement about the hatch's chances in the US, but company spokesperson Monique Brentley told us, "We don't speculate on future products." However, things have looked good for the RS since a prototype was spotted testing here months ago. Since then, others have been photographed driving at the Nürburgring.

By Chris Bruce