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2015 Ford Focus RS outputs confirmed


Ford's new Focus RS hatch will have just 3kW less power than a Holden Commodore V8.

The Blue Oval says its 2.3-litre all-wheel-drive hatch will develop 257kW of power and 440Nm of torque, with an extra 30Nm available on overboost.

That's more power than the four-cylinder version of the company's hairy-chested American muscle car, the Mustang, with 233kW.

Ford revealed the outputs for its most powerful hatch yet in advance of its on-track debut at England's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

And it chose YouTube rally and drifting sensation Ken Block to unleash the car on the famed hill climb circuit.

Ford Australia won't talk about timing for the arrival of the RS beyond confirming it will be next year. It launches in Europe early in the new year.

The local operation confirms that — unlike the previous generation, which was a limited-edition run — the RS will be a full-time model in the Ford range. It will add some much-needed performance lustre to the brand as it prepares for the closure of its local factory and the death of its current performance heroes, the XR8 and XR6 turbo.

The RS also will boost the struggling Focus range, which this year has attracted half the buyers it did in the same period last year.

Ford's ST hot hatch also fails to attract the sales of rivals. It accounts for less than 5 per cent of the Focus tally. The rival Volkswagen Golf GTI accounts for roughly one-in-five Golf sales and Subaru's WRX made up more than 40 per cent of Impreza sales this year.

This is expected to change with the arrival of the RS, which is likely to be about $50,000. The WRX STI starts at $49,990 and VW's Golf R is $52,740.

Ford is looking for volume rather than niche sales from the RS. The brand has a habit of undercutting rivals on price — the Fiesta ST and Focus ST are cheaper than the competition.

Ford Performance global boss Dave Pericak has loftier goals for the RS. "The stunning pace and innovative technology of the all-new Focus RS place it head-to-head with performance models from luxury and exotic marques," he says.

The all-paw Ford will feature dynamic torque vectoring, which improves grip and drive out of corners.

It will also mimic the WRX STI with selectable drive modes, including what it calls an industry-first drift mode.

The RS is one of 12 new performance models Ford plans to launch by 2020

Sharing the structure of the Mustang engine, the Focus's four-cylinder turbo produces extra power thanks to a larger compressor and intercooler in the turbo and freer-flowing intake and exhaust designs.

The engine block and cylinder heads have been strengthened and a bigger radiator copes with the extra heat generated.

Peak torque of 440Nm is delivered from 2000rpm-4500rpm, with 470Nm available for up to 15 seconds on overboost.

The new model is the third-generation Focus RS, the previous iterations arriving in 2002 and 2009. 

The RS is one of 12 new performance models Ford plans to launch by 2020.