Photo: Andrei Tobosaru
Remember the 2016 Ford Focus RS customer who went berserk over his delayed delivery? Well, we're back on the topic to talk about a big scale matter, with the Blue Oval now reportedly canceling 2016 Focus RS orders.
The automaker is now notifying dealers and customer alike that Focus RS orders remaining unfulfilled will switch to the 2017 model year, as The Truth About Cars writes.
It seems various representatives of the carmaker have offered all sorts of explanations for the move, from the "economic turmoil in Europe" to the annual retooling operations reaching the Saarlouis plant in Germany where the manic hatch is produced. Do keep in mind that one of the ways in which the third-gen Focus RS one-ups its predecessors is the uncapped production promise.
"We frequently adjust daily production to be aligned with market demand,” Ford representative Dan Jones told the aforementioned source. “Focus RS demand around the globe has exceeded expectations, so these 220 customer units [the expected total for the US market] that were scheduled for 16MY build, are now going to be rescheduled into 17MY, and as these orders will be prioritized, customers will experience almost no delay in delivery of their vehicle,"
However, with delay example in the intro above not being the only one of its kind, the 2017 switch has caused a bit of a stir. In fact, the customer we're talking about explained he had learned about Ford experiencing a technical issue with the GKN-supplied AWD system of the car, with the problem having determined an in-factory recall.
The forum rumor mill now talks about further tech issues such as overheating of the AWD hardware, with certain people going as far as claiming Ford is switching to the 2017MY to quietly introduce a fix for these problems.
When we spent half a day with a group of 2016 Focus RS units on the track, the hot hatches didn't seem to experience overheating issues, but we don't have enough data for a relevant conclusion.
It remains to be seen if the Mk III Focus RS follows the general rule that states any first-model-year car, performance vehicles included, is prone to various issues that are solved with the next MY update.
Meanwhile, the go-fast aura of the compact shenanigan machine continues to grow, as, for instance, the aftermarket side of the industry is currently working overtime to go past the 400 hp mark.
It seems various representatives of the carmaker have offered all sorts of explanations for the move, from the "economic turmoil in Europe" to the annual retooling operations reaching the Saarlouis plant in Germany where the manic hatch is produced. Do keep in mind that one of the ways in which the third-gen Focus RS one-ups its predecessors is the uncapped production promise.
"We frequently adjust daily production to be aligned with market demand,” Ford representative Dan Jones told the aforementioned source. “Focus RS demand around the globe has exceeded expectations, so these 220 customer units [the expected total for the US market] that were scheduled for 16MY build, are now going to be rescheduled into 17MY, and as these orders will be prioritized, customers will experience almost no delay in delivery of their vehicle,"
However, with delay example in the intro above not being the only one of its kind, the 2017 switch has caused a bit of a stir. In fact, the customer we're talking about explained he had learned about Ford experiencing a technical issue with the GKN-supplied AWD system of the car, with the problem having determined an in-factory recall.
The forum rumor mill now talks about further tech issues such as overheating of the AWD hardware, with certain people going as far as claiming Ford is switching to the 2017MY to quietly introduce a fix for these problems.
When we spent half a day with a group of 2016 Focus RS units on the track, the hot hatches didn't seem to experience overheating issues, but we don't have enough data for a relevant conclusion.
It remains to be seen if the Mk III Focus RS follows the general rule that states any first-model-year car, performance vehicles included, is prone to various issues that are solved with the next MY update.
Meanwhile, the go-fast aura of the compact shenanigan machine continues to grow, as, for instance, the aftermarket side of the industry is currently working overtime to go past the 400 hp mark.
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