According to a report out of the UK we can expect the new Ford Focus RS to land in just two years and packing impressive hybrid electric power.
IF YOU’RE A blue oval hot hatch fan then this news could come as an early Christmas present – Ford is reportedly launching its fourth-gen Focus RS earlier than expected and it will pack AMG A45-rivalling power.
That’s the news reported by UK’s CAR Mag, but without any sources to quote we can only say it’s end-of-year hearsay.
According to the UK outlet, the new Ford Focus RS – the fourth version of the rally-inspired hot hatch – will be launched in 2021 – much earlier in the model’s lifecycle than previous iterations.
Not only will keen driver’s get their new Focus RS earlier than expected, but the drivetrain will also take a major turn. While the 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo EcoBoost engine is expected to remain, it will power only the front wheels and not the all four, as per the third-gen Focus RS. And it will augment with a 48-volt mild-hybrid with integrated starter-generator to improve efficiency and low-end torque.
But the major news is the addition of GKN Automotive’s eTwinsterX electric drive system on the rear axle, which will give the Focus RS an all-wheel drive system where the petrol engine powers the front wheels and the electric motor powers the rear wheels for instant traction control on each rear wheel.
Apparently the revised 2.3-litre engine in this new RS will produce more than 298kW, which will come mightly close to the Mercedes-AMG A45 S’s impressive 310kW. And like that car, the Focus RS should remain easy enough to move sideways with its infamous Drift Mode.
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