2016 Ford Focus vs 2018

What's the difference?

Tim Robson road tests and reviews the Ford Focus RS with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

The hype is real. Since its launch in Valencia earlier this year, the talk around Ford's new Focus RS has been nothing but positive. Glowing, even.

Its design objective is function over flash.

Driving it in the rosy glow of a launch event in a far-off exotic clime is one thing; punting it over typical Aussie back roads and city streets is usually a far sterner test of a car's ability to live up to its own press.

This car also needs to live up to a long-held tradition of smoking hot small Ford RS (Rallye Sport) models that stretches back over 40 years and 30 cars.

On paper, the Focus RS presents a compelling case; a revolutionary new all-wheel-drive system, a potent turbo engine and a chassis tune to match. Time, then, to see if the RS truly is as good as it purports to be.

It feels like the current LZ version of Ford’s Focus RS has only been around for five minutes, and already it’s got one foot out the door.

Actually, after much anticipation, it arrived in July last year, and this final batch of 500 limited edition models marks the end of its run in Australia.

It’s more expensive than the ‘standard’ RS it replaces, but Ford will look you straight in the eye and tell you that thanks to a bunch of extra tech and standard features it represents better value-for-money.

The RS LE is underpinned by hardware upgrades designed to appeal to track day devotees, so it’s no surprise Sydney Motorsport Park was the venue for our local launch drive.

And the harbour city turned on more than enough rain to make the circuit greasy, and turn the skid pan into a sand pit for grown-ups. Perfect.