350PS, or 345bhp in old money. That’s a lot of power for any road car but when it’s coming from a mid-sized five door hatchback its bordering on the obscene.
2016 Ford Focus RS
It is, if you haven’t already guessed, the output of the 2.3 litre Ecoboost that propels the Ford Focus RS. Despite losing a cylinder and 200cc displacement the new engine pushes out the same grunt as the limited edition RS500 from 2010, backed up by 440Nm of torque (or 470Nm on overboost, which kicks in for 15 second bursts on full throttle).
No news on the 62mph time or terminal velocity, but suffice to say it’ll be bloody quick thanks to all-wheel drive.
Ford aren’t messing about. The RS’s only serious rivals in the hot hatch world are the Audi RS3 (367PS for £39k) or the AMG A45 (365PS for £38k), and my gut says the RS will be a better drive than both.
With the first public sighting at Goodwood this weekend, it looks like the famous RS badge continues to go from strength to strength.
2016 Ford Focus RS
| Performance & Economy | 2016 RS | 2009 RS | 2010 RS500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2.3-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol | 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbocharged petrol | 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbocharged petrol |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual, front-engined, all-wheel drive | 6-speed manual, front-engined, front-wheel drive | 6-speed manual, front-engined, front-wheel drive |
| Power (PS / bhp) | 350 / 345 | 300 / 295 | 350 / 345 |
| Torque (Nm / lb.ft) | 440 / 324 (470 / 346 on overboost) | 440 / 324 | 460 / 339 |
| 0 – 62 mph (seconds) | 4.7 | 5.9 | 5.6 |
| Top Speed (mph) | 165 | 163 | 165 |
| CO2 Emissions (g/km) | TBA | 225 | 235 |
| VED Band | TBA | K | L |
| Combined Economy (mpg) | TBA | 30.1 | 28.5 |
| Price (OTR) | £28,940 | £27,925 | £35,437 |
