Yesterday we blew the lid off Ford's upcoming 2016 Focus RS, the 350-hp, AWD ultrahatch. In case you were on a mountaintop sans internet, here's what we know: The next Focus RS is likely going to come stateside in very limited numbers. It's 2.3-liter Ecoboost four should pump out a minimum of 325 hp, but more likely 350 hp. The AWD system is entirely new, with performance-oriented torque vectoring front and rear, and will eventually migrate to other models.
What does Ford have to say? In a statement to Car and Driver, an unnamed spokesperson said:
“None of what is being reported is confirmed, including the part about the RS coming to America. That said, everything in the [report] references existing stuff and is certainly doable. If you look at what we can do with the Escape, which is a C-platform vehicle, you can see these things are not beyond the realm of possibility.”
Because of the way car-company PR works—with a strict timeline of what information can be released or confirmed, and when—this is as much as anyone at Ford can say on the record. Or, partially on the record, as the statement was anonymous. Being spot-on with information doesn't make it shake it loose any earlier.
As non-denials go, though, it's quite telling. We knew our two independent inside sources were giving us good information, but hearing Ford say, essentially, that everything we've reported is completely "doable" (rather than dismissing it as baseless speculation) leaves them with an out when the wraps come off the production Focus RS.
Let's be completely clear about one thing: despite two independent sources saying that the next Focus RS will likely go on sale in the United States, that decision will remain up in the air within Ford's leadership until more specifics of the car are finalized. While it doesn't seem like fuel economy or emissions will be concerns (the former because of very limited volume, the latter because the 2.3 is already federalized in the Lincoln MKC and the Mustang Ecoboost), it might turn out that the final vehicle is prohibitively expensive. Or maybe the retail climate changes. There are numerous factors that might affect Ford's decision later on. But the fact that North America is on the table at all in this early stage, and that our sources indicate that Ford is gung-ho about American sales, mean that we can't discount the possibility.
Prediction is a dangerous game, but based on what we're hearing, an American debut of the most extreme Ford hatchback ever is much more likely than not.
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