Ford has unveiled the new Focus RS, the latest high-performance model of the company's Focus compact vehicle.
The Focus RS features a 315-horsepower, four-cylinder, 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine and will include a special high-performance all-wheel-drive system.
The all-wheel-drive system will allow the driver to automatically control how much power is being sent to each one of the wheels at any given moment. For example, a driver making a high-speed turn should be sending power to the outer rear wheels of the vehicle to help the car make the turn smoothly. Drivers can also choose to automatically apply brakes to each of the wheels as an additional way of enhancing the handling of the Focus RS.
The exterior of the Focus RS adds wings and scoops to the original Focus vehicle for improved downforce and cooling for the vehicle. The front air openings and grille of the vehicle also allow as much cooling air as possible to enter the brakes and engine, and a diffuser in the rear optimizes air coming from beneath the car. The standard size of wheels is 19 inches, and the vehicle will come in choices of four colors, namely blue, white, black and gray.
Inside the vehicle are Recaro racing seats and a flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel. The instrument cluster of the Focus RS is also unique with special graphics, accompanied by a row of supplementary gauges on top of the center console.
No automatic model for the car will be manufactured, as all of the Focus RS cars will have a six-speed manual transmission.
The Focus RS is the third generation of the car model. However, this will be the first time that the car will be sold in the United States.
The Focus RS will be introduced as a global model within next year. The vehicle will be manufactured at Ford's Saarlouis, Germany plant but will be sold worldwide.
The Focus RS will first go on sale in Europe sometime next year, with the launch in the U.S. expected to be around the end of 2016.
Complete details on the vehicle will be unveiled upon the car's official release at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March, including the vehicle's weight and price.
The price of the Focus RS has not yet been revealed, although it can be expected that it will fall in line with the price of its competitor, the Subaru WSX STI edition, which will be about $35,000.
