Ford announced today in Geneva that it will build a "global high-performance" version of the new Focus.
This won't come as any surprise to Europeans who have been treated to a steady stream of hot Focus ST and hotter RS models over the life of the model. To Americans, who have watched a once-promising little hatchback turn into a cheaped-down Chevy Cavalier competitor, the announcement of a new hot-hatch Focus is something to celebrate.
Ford isn't confirming that the new high-performance model will come to the United States. But it will. Don't expect that the new high-performance model will be a clone of the glowing-green, 301-horsepower killer that is the current European Focus RS. In fact, we expect that Ford will put the SVT badge on the vehicle when it arrives here. And don't start holding your breathe just yet. The regular Focus five-door hatch and four-door sedan won't even go on sale here before the end of the year. So you've got some time to wait before this thing hits.
Oh, and that photo above? We simply tweaked a picture of the five-door Focus so we'd have something pretty for the top of this story. Ford has not released any photographs or sketches of the new high-performance model.
When it does, likely wearing the five-door bodywork, it will be powered by a turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder motor, known to Ford as EcoBoost. That leaves two options: Either Ford could use a hot version of the 1.6-liter EcoBoost that will be part of the European-market regular Focus lineup or Ford might use the 2.0-liter EcoBoost that will also be offered in the Ford Edge. With the 263-horsepower Mazdaspeed3 out there tearing up the pavement, it's hard to imagine Ford would come with less than 250 hp.
And if that kind of power is to be routed solely through the front wheels, then we hope Ford uses a version of the "RevoKnuckle" front suspension it pioneered on the current Focus RS, which significantly reduces torque steer.
perrito says:
08:39 AM, 03/ 1/10
Great looking car, but two-three years too late to the party. :(
firstwagon says:
08:51 AM, 03/ 1/10
Hard to believe Ford builds a great looking 5 door Focus like that and only allows us to buy the bland 4 door.
sabastian says:
08:58 AM, 03/ 1/10
I would have liked to have seen the turbo 5-cylinder come to the states in more vocal form than what the current Volvo line offers...Oh well.
hotrodw says:
09:08 AM, 03/ 1/10
Very nice! I know they're trying to keep costs and weight down, but I really wish they would offer AWD. I like Subarus, but the WRX is not a pretty car.
estreka says:
09:13 AM, 03/ 1/10
I wonder what the designation will be. ST? SVT? RS?
huyracing says:
09:23 AM, 03/ 1/10
hotrod, get the lancer ralliart sportback... that is a tempting car to me.
ford said the FWD RS was faster around their test track than a AWD RS. of course, this was driven by a professional racer, but that is what they're going by. a regular joe would get more out of AWD, probably. still cars like this make a lot of sense to me... i use my cars for daily driving and a weekend track toy. FWD is cheaper, lighter, roomier, better on gas, has less powertrain losses, and is fast on a road course. (because standing starts aren't really important)
kingisback350 says:
09:25 AM, 03/ 1/10
Not a fan of the tail lights. looks like the blob.
felonious says:
09:29 AM, 03/ 1/10
My wife is still driving her 2002 SVT Focus 3-door. It's lasted the longest of any car she's ever owned, and she has no plans of getting rid of it. Glad to see it coming back!
rick8365 says:
09:31 AM, 03/ 1/10
"We simply tweaked a picture of the 5-door Focus so we'd have something pretty for the top of this story."
Nice job.....I'd love to see it in my driveway.
mrjost55 says:
09:38 AM, 03/ 1/10
Not feeling the new tail lights. If this ever comes over here, they need to offer the performance model as the sedan as well.
hotrodw says:
09:43 AM, 03/ 1/10
Very nice! I know they're trying to keep costs and weight down, but I really wish they would offer AWD. I like Subarus, but the WRX is not a pretty car.
hybris says:
10:53 AM, 03/ 1/10
I really hope I can get this in a sedan version 2 or 4 door doesn't matter.
If ford does give this AWD then maybe this will become a Subaru killer of sorts.
After all that all this thing needs a flappy paddle gearbox and I think will be come one of the few great American sport compacts.
broq3_5 says:
11:01 AM, 03/ 1/10
"Great looking car, but two-three years too late to the party. :("
So, is the "party" over or something? Plus don't forget, it was once at the "party" it's just been gone for a while, lol.
huyracing says:
11:07 AM, 03/ 1/10
seriously... fun and affordable never go out of style.
frank908 says:
11:37 AM, 03/ 1/10
I can't help but wonder if Ford is skeptical about the sales volume the Fiesta is going to do in America, because it's seems like they have side-stepped it for the Focus all of sudden.
Truthfully, when customers see the Focus sitting next to the Fiesta, the price difference wont be enough to prevent people for going fright to the Focus.
Why would you want a Fiesta that looks like a grasshopper, when you can have a Focus that looks like a Volvo on crack?
blueguydotcom says:
11:41 AM, 03/ 1/10
Top Gear played with a Focus RS. Wow. Neat little car.
xorbe says:
01:19 PM, 03/ 1/10
They will NEVER mass ship the 1.6 turbo engine here. This just isn't allowed in America for some unspoken reason.
Shame on Ford for forsaking home turf.
nicked says:
01:57 PM, 03/ 1/10
Finally a good looking street racer for the people! WRX/STI/EVO/MS3/Cobalt SS are great cars, but all of them made the driver look ridiculous.
thomars says:
02:31 PM, 03/ 1/10
huyracing, the Ford cars which win rally (WRC, IRC, Rally America, X Games, Rallycross etc.), they have 4x4 not FWD. If the customer would insist on all-wheel drive, he will go to buy Subaru or Mitsubishi? Many people want B/C-segment cars with AWD, the factory should sell this if they are willing to listen to what people want!!! I have seen the Cosworth USA web sites, there are much many spare parts for Mitsubishi and Subaru than for Ford, this is really sad! Such a big tradition, I am as the fan of Ford really embarrassed. I wish the new Focus RS will be made preferably with AWD and turbo engine producing over 300 horsepower, in order to beat frankly Japanese STi and Evo!
fordgt1000 says:
02:39 PM, 03/ 1/10
yeeeeeeeeeesssssss Finaly its going to us!
ghetto2315 says:
04:01 PM, 03/ 1/10
HATCH = FAIL!
huyracing says:
05:08 PM, 03/ 1/10
thomars: they are AWD, not 4x4. that is for trucks. they are also racing cars... only Subaru and Mitsubishi offer AWD (of the rally cars) and its been this way for a long time with very few exceptions. it is nothing new. complain to Ford, not me.
inlinesix says:
06:24 PM, 03/ 1/10
Over the years I've passed up getting a Focus mostly based on looks. They are SO MUCH cheaper, especially used, compared to a lot of the competition. If they can really produce a better looking car, IMO they have a winner.
roadburner says:
07:10 PM, 03/ 1/10
Just bring the RS over and DON'T dumb it down for American tastes(or lack thereof).
stovt001 says:
07:44 PM, 03/ 1/10
I'm tentatively putting this on my "Wait for this!" list. I'd also be interested in an SVT Fiesta, as I really liked it when I sat in it at the LA auto show. I'm cautiously optimistic that while this might not be a full RS, it will compete quite nicely in the segment.
calspecial68 says:
08:06 PM, 03/ 1/10
Im sure that the SVT version will be even more attractive than the rendering shown here. That pic didnt even include racier rocker panels, fascias, or a little spoiler on top. Like the wheels though, as well as the paint job. The only thing that worries me is how the car will perform since it seems it wont quite be as fast or as nimble as the almighty RS.
thomars says:
09:27 AM, 03/ 2/10
huyracing, what about the "Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4" or the "Ford Escort RS2000 4x4" (official Ford's names for the rally badge cars)!!??... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Team_RS
rpvitiello says:
09:53 AM, 03/ 2/10
frank908 I really don't see them being that close in price. The fiesta is going to be $14.5k-$21k and a focus is going to be like $18k-$27k. (and that's WITHOUT any high performance options) You are not going to see ford pushing a super stripper model of any of these cars just to get sales volume up. They are going to start at "nice" and go to insane when it comes to content and features.
The new fiesta is replacing the current American focus in price as the bottom feeder, and the focus will move up market. Best example to look at for pricing I am guessing is going to be VW. Many people who can afford a loaded fiesta, will not be able to afford a loaded focus. If you look at the Jetta pricing in the US VS the EU, and then look at current focus priding in the EU, a educated guess on pricing puts it in the above mentioned price brackets. The only way the US focus will be cheaper is if ford designed a more stripped out base model for this car that the EU wont even be offered but will be offered in NA, SA, and "developing" markets. I strongly doubt that.
racerx1320 says:
01:52 PM, 03/11/10
When is Ford going to attribute its great sales and reputation in the UK market, to hot hatches like this and apply that formula to the states?
Who's running the show over there anyway??
veryhrm says:
11:45 PM, 03/14/10
I'm still driving my '02 Focus ZX5 and i still like it. (Back then they only did the 3 door in SVT trim (they did the 5 door the next year) and when it was all said and done the SVT would have been ~$21k OTD vs $15k for the zx5. This is the same year when the (then new) WRX was something like $25k OTD so the svt wasn't too competitive.)
If this new SVT is going to be FWD DI turbo 4, then it's basically just going to be a Mazdaspeed3. That's fine, Ford should have that option, but as others have said, it's several years late to the party.
Seeing how the SHO went, they'll probably make it auto only for the US as well.