There’s agreement across the board that Ford’s Focus RS, a step even further towards sporty performance vehicles, is the new hot hatch to beat. Ford Performance, a division of the company specialised toward developing high-spec cars for the American manufacturer, has endowed the RS with even more power, responsiveness, and manoeuvrability than the focus ST, which is already a sportier variant of the vanilla Focus.
The Future
The company has announced plans to expand their line with twelve new models by the year 2020 and looking at recent trends it seems like they are planning to move further into the territory of high performance variations on their existing line. For example, the Fiesta ST is well-loved for its smooth handling and stylish design, but rumours are abound of an RS configuration with sleeker lines, a large rear spoiler, and an overall more modern design. With luck we’ll get more concrete information in the future.
The Now
If you don’t think you’ve got the patience to wait for these reveals, or you’re just hoping to save some money through the used market (which rarely deals in recent releases, much less future ones) there are a few options you could look into.
Many of the most appealing features of Ford Performance’s offerings can be found in some way in the brand’s more mainstream lines. Part of the Focus RS’s generous suite of features is all of the smart technology it includes such as hands-free infotainment and smart headlamps that follow the curvature of the road. Meanwhile the slightly sportier ST features the same fuel-saving Auto Start-Stop technology as the RS as well as the same smart safety systems employed to automatically protect drivers and passengers in an emergency.
You can get a good deal on any of these models by shopping around car supermarkets like Motorpoint, or if the price is a secondary concern and that sporty feeling of power is what you really want, you can wait just a little while for the 2017 GT. The new model is a supercar meant to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the GT line, and comes complete with a 3.5 litre V6 EcoBoost engine and a bold design featuring sweeping curves and scissor doors. Either way, you can get just the right performance for you.
