The current-gen Ford Focus ST (pictured) is already a potent thing with 247 hp from its 2.0 litre EcoBoost four-pot, but Ford’s European performance arm, Team RS, clearly believes more is more. Auto Express reports that the third-gen Focus RS, when it arrives in the UK in 2014, is likely to feed as much as 350 hp to the front wheels from a newly developed 2.3 litre version of the EcoBoost motor.
According to the British publication, the power increase will drop the 0-100 km/h time below the five second mark, and like its ST sibling, the RS will have a manual gearbox, but Ford is considering whether to also offer a dual-clutch PowerShift.
“There is a trend to go to dual-clutch, but they are heavier,” Team RS calibration controls engineer Chris Caven told Auto Express.
Why not just tweak the ST’s engine? Team RS powertrain engineering manager Len Urwin said that doing so would mean making the turbo bigger, which would affect bottom-end torque and response if it were too big.
He also mentioned the possible inclusion of a so-called E-diff, an intelligent active limited-slip differential which could “really optimise traction in all situations.” Auto Express says that like the previous model, the RS’s price should be around the £25k (RM122k) mark.
The third-gen Ford Focus launched here recently, along with the Focus ST – Malaysia was the first country in the ASEAN region to launch the latter. You can read our driving impressions of the Focus sedan and hatch in Krabi here.
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pity the front tyres, they will be shredded
If it’s RM122K (GBP 25K), I would buy it. But most probably when it reaches here, it’s going to be in excess of RM360K which is no longer affordable anymore. I get mad every time I see a good car that other people in other parts of the world can enjoy but we Malaysians cannot do so because of the taxes charged by the BN govt and all the profits that line the cronies’ pockets. People in other countries also pay tax but after tax it’s only RM122K. Our only hope is to remove all those people who had caused us so much hardship for so long (55 years already).
I agree with u..so does 78% of malaysians
Dont get excited..you will never able to compare UK due to higher exchange rate. while lot of they(UK) afford to buy this car,they won’t because of higher insurance premium and lots of tax need to pay. my first salary been tax 9%(1400 gbp/month)is 1800/year if you above than 2000 gbp due to overtime it’s goes half to goverment. the medium house around 120k gbp.. in malaysia,as business man,i never qualified to pay tax..
opss forget to mention, although i’m not eligible to pay tax,still using lexus RX350.. i love malaysia alot more..
Good luck to you when income tax come looking for you.
Nampak sgt lari dr cukai or salah satu dr kroni..
he just company driver la..ahahah..
For RM122k, you will only get Focus Titanium 2.0 (Basic) here. Sad..
And how do we know or can expect if…if…(the next different government other than the 1 you mentioned) will not imposed such high taxes or any sort of taxes at all on CBU and CKD cars and bikes above 250cc? Can we get cars prices like in Langkawi? Or even cheaper?
Cheaper fuel? Cheaper everything else? No more taxes like now? You sure about that?
Stupid remarks, do proper study b4 commenting, Malaysia is one if the overall chepest country to maintain your fukin car. Even our petrol is the 5th lowest in da world..
lol, 2.3 engine will tune from mazda mps
If it ever come to msia, you cannot test drive it. Oh wait, you cannot even see it! Just look at the brochure. And then somebody by the name mentari driver will comment here that he test drive the car and smoke bmw, gti, porsche and already book it. Just like the ST. Good job SDAC.
owhhhh man!! there goes the front tires. AWD with that much of hp would make some sense. =)
2.3? It should from Mazda, MPS.
Wait for upcoming MPS with skyactiv
2.3? It should be from Mazda, MPS.
The reason why the ST cant be test driven is simple – young kids may want to test it…may send it straight to the scrap yard during testing. Same case that happened with the Mazda 3 MPS when the only one was totaled during a test drive when it was first launched
BN = ohh yes more tax please!! 1 Malaysia.
yeahhh common…
I got to drive the current model 305hp Focus RS on a track, it has no problems handling the power output. 0-100 of around 5.5 seconds. The clutch and steering was wonderfully light, the engine was stupidly loud.
AWD adds around 100kg or more to the car, that’s why they don’t use it. The engineers evidently decided the FWD RevoKnuckle Quaife LSD system performs better than using an AWD… have to leave it to the lucky motoring journalists to judge, you can read any number of reviews online. Felt fine to me.
Reason why they won’t let you test drive the ST or the RS is that it’s easy for a newbie to strip the clutch (any car) when flooring the accelerator while “testing” a high performance manual.
What is clutch strip?? Is it similar to burning clutch?
I probably used the wrong terminology, am not an engineer or mechanic myself… heard it described as newbies trying to do a launch (starting at 5000+rpm and then releasing the clutch) but doing it incorrectly, causing extreme wear. This hurts a lot more on higher output engines, obviously. The clutch starts to slip on the first two gears. I don’t if there’s a proper term for this.
If the car had AWD, you’d get 4.8s to 100 instead of 5.5. Despite having all that power, butt-o-meter says it didn’t feel fast. Does pull well in 3rd though.
Say whatever you want… 300hp and 400nm of torque is a big number to be putting your front tires up to.
I don’t know what AWD you compared the RS with, but even with the weight disadvantage, it would be tough for the FWD RS to keep up with a properly driven AWD (AWD cars need to be manhandled differently to get the most out of it)
the main reason ford use fwd is to reduce the cost. more parts needed for AWD or RWD. revo whatever LSD system used for FWD wont help much on the common problem FWD sports car. torque steer and understeer is very common on fwd hot hatch. but hot hatch market is not for serious people who appreciate good handling cars. they only want fast accelerating cars that can tapau all those snobish bmw or merc on highway. thats is why proper sports car is either RWD or AWD. but then again FWD hot hatch is cheaper la.
This car sure can smoke those GTI lovers.. Yeah
Will it smoke my Bently Continetal?
Looking at how m’sian drivers are, i don’t think it wud be appropriate on m’sian roads. If the car comes cheaper here, even rempits can afford it and even more road tugs.. High performance car shud be expensive in order to control the number of these menaces. Just look at myvi 1.5 drivers, making it affordable, now wit more power they drive like there is no break paddle.