High-performance 2016 Ford Focus RS spools up 315+ hp

Ford has pulled the wraps off the U.S. version of the smoking-hot Focus RS hatchback, just days ahead of its New York International Auto Show debut. The RS will be even spicier than the highly entertaining Focus ST.

Previously shown at the Geneva Motor Show last fall, the version we'll see gets a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine pumping out more than 315-hp and driving all four wheels. Based on the turbocharged EcoBoost engine used in the Mustang, the RS gets a larger compressor and intercooler for greater airflow, along with a less restrictive intake design. Matched with a short-throw six-speed manual transmission and upgraded clutch. That sounds like the perfect match for a showdown with the Volkswagen Golf R and Subaru WRX STI.

Ford is making the not-too-subtle claim of providing the ultimate fun-to-drive experience with the RS. A sport suspension features stiffer springs than those used in the Focus ST, along with new anti-roll bars. A torque vectoring system sends up to 100 percent of available power to the outside rear wheel to help steer the car around corners. Adjustable drive modes range from a more civilized street setting to track use, and it includes what Ford is billing as an industry-first drift mode. To help keep things under control, the hot hatch gets 19-inch wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires developed specifically for the RS, along with oversized Brembo disc brakes.

The RS gets its own front and rear fascias, with a more aggressive design, bi-xenon headlights, larger openings for cooling, functional brake cooling ducts, and other racy-looking bits.  

Inside, Recaro bucket seats, a thick, leather–wrapped steering wheel rim, additional instrumentation and alloy pedals add a racy feel. The Focus RS will also get Ford's new Sync3 control interface, with voice controls and an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen. And should anyone forget this is not your ordinary econo-hatch, RS logos abound.

Sales are set to begin in spring 2016.

See our complete 2015 New York auto show coverage.

—Jim Travers