It’s been a long time since a four-cylinder pocket rocket made us salivate with anticipation, and the Ford Focus RS is that car. Handed down from a lineage of hot-rod Focuses that were not available in the U.S. market, known for being top-tier stompers, the Focus RS is arriving just in time to fill the hole that was left when Mitsubishi decided to let the Evo wither and die on the vine. We’ve been teased with some loose figures up until now, but finally, they are all out for us to enjoy:
Price: starting at $35,730 MSRP. Though, given the likely demand and waiting list for the car, expect the dealership markups to hit the ceiling.
Performance: 0-62 MPH (0-100 KMH) in 4.7 seconds. That puts the RS just a tick behind a Chevrolet SS, and well in front of a 2015 Subaru STI. Top speed is around 165 miles an hour.
Power: 345 horsepower, 325 ft/lbs of torque.
It has all-wheel drive, launch control, torque vectoring, four driver settings including the infamous “Drift mode” in case you think you can do a great Ken Block impersonation, and a shift light in the tach that is set to keep you in the power band’s sweet spot instead of the redline. Make any argument that this isn’t a worthy car…because from where we sit, this little hatchback looks like it will be nothing short of a riot. If this is the performance downsizing that a lot of people fear will happen very soon, then the worrying should just stop.
At that price there is no compelling reason not to buy a Mustang or Camaro.
I have to admit, it will be a fun bad weather driving machine! 345HP AWD!