Ford confirms next-gen Focus RS

13 years, 2 months ago - 9 August 2011

We're waiting patiently for the 2012 Focus ST to show up in the showroom of our local Ford dealership. Meanwhile, our friends around the world have been able to play with the top-tier Focus RS, and they're already waiting on the next generation.

They won't have to wait much longer, though, as Ford in Australia has reportedly confirmed the next-gen RS.

The current Focus RS boasts 300 horsepower, all of which is sent to the front wheels. It sounds like a recipe for an intense forearm workout, but the Focus RS utilizes the revoknuckle front suspension setup to quell torque steer. Ford insists they can push power figures higher, and the next generation RS will aim to prove just that.

Look for the current RS' Volvo-sourced, turbocharged, 2.5-liter inline-five to be replaced with a higher-output version of the company's 2.0-liter EcoBoost four – the same engine that we'll be getting in the less-powerful Focus ST. As for exact power numbers, Ford's Australian bosses have said that output numbers as high as 350 or 380 hp are possible.