A video courtesy of Ford Europe gives us an early taste of the snarling exhaust note and tire-shredding capability of its long-anticipated hot hatch. The 2016 Ford Focus RS, using its available launch control function, can eclipse 62 mph in 4.7 seconds. Ford tells us it will announce an official 0-60 mph time for its U.S.-spec cars very soon, but we expect a reduction to 4.6 seconds.
The good news is that despite the added performance potential, starting price for the 2016 Ford Focus RS is just what we predicted back in February. For $36,605 including destination, the Focus RS comes with SYNC 3 infotainment, start/stop, Recaro partial-leather bucket seats with RS logos, and a 10-speaker Sony audio system. Stand-alone goodies include 19-inch black-painted, forged alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 summer track tires ($1,990 together, or $1,395 for the wheels alone), or an $895 power moonroof. Available colors include Shadow Black, Frozen White, Stealth Gray, and Nitrous Blue ($695).
The main option Ford is offering is the$2,785 RS2 Package, which bundles an 8-way power driver seat, full-leather Recaro seats with Dinamica inserts, heated mirrors, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and navigation, bringing the total up to $39,390. Comparable packages on the competition bring totals to $39,910 for the Golf R, and $40,790 on the WRX STI.
The 2016 Ford Focus RS is set to go on sale in the U.S. in spring 2016. We’ll take one in blue.
