2016 Ford Focus RS | new car sales price

Ford's Hottest Focus to undercut Golf R, M135i, RS3 and A45 in Australia for just $50,990.

Ford's upcoming performance powerhouse is poised to embarrass six-figure sports coupes when it debuts down under in winter 2016.

In news that will do little to mollify muscle car diehards, the 2.3-litre turbocharged four-pot fitted to the new Focus RS will be more powerful than Audi's supercharged S5, and is even within spitting distance of Holden's 6.0-litre V8.

Ford's new EcoBoost four-pot drums out an obscene 257kW from just 2.3 litres, aided by a vast turbocharger that's good for about 1.6 bar (23.2 PSI) of boost.

The Focus RS is stacking up as the performance bargain of the coming year

The EcoBoost unit also promises to be hugely muscular across the rev range, offering 440Nm from 1600 to 5000rpm, as well as a short-term 'overboost' function, which offers 470Nm for 15-second stabs at the horizon.

Outputs like these are sure to pit Ford's plucky RS against unexpected rivals, such as the $80,000, all-wheel-drive hyper hatches from Mercedes and Audi.

At a mere $50,990, the Focus RS is stacking up as the performance bargain of the coming year.

Ford has pitched its new RS a little further downmarket than AMGs and RS Audis, singling out the Golf R and WRX STI in particular.

With 257kW and 440Nm, the Focus RS has a 51kW and 60Nm lead over the 206kw/380Nm Golf R, but still manages to undercut it on price by a full $1000.

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The WRX STI fares better, costing $1500 less than the Focus RS and offering more power than the Golf R, but still falls short of the Ford's tower of power by 36kW and 33Nm.

With just four colours and two option packs on the table for prospective RS buyers, customers who like to customise are probably best advised to look elsewhere.

The so-called 'Prestige Paint' option, at a highly reasonable $450, lets you pick between grey and black, as opposed to the standard colours of stark white and boy-racer blue. The foot-high rear spoiler is compulsory, but the darker shades should help it blend better than its Smurf-toned brethren.

In what will likely be the most popular option, the $2500 Performance Wheel Pack delivers 19-inch forged alloys to replace the standard 19-inch cast alloy wheels.

The upcoming RS is the first to utilise all-wheel drive

Advertised as both lighter and stronger than the standard Focus RS rims, the high-spec forged alloys are shod in ultra-low-profile 235/35 R19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

The new RS marks a turning point for the Focus and for high-performance Fords in the Australian market after the demise of the Falcon.

Where previous RS Focuses were kitted out with clever limited-slip differentials and complex independent suspension to stay on the straight and narrow, the upcoming RS is the first to utilise all-wheel drive in an effort to tackle its mammoth grunt.

The upcoming RS is also a huge step in a new direction for fast Fords; where previous hot Focuses were limited-run specials, usually selling for more than $60,000 apiece, the new RS will spearhead Ford's performance arm as a dedicated model, lining up next to the incoming Mustang GT.

Click here to see more 2016 Ford Focus pricing and spec info.