Now that we’ve discussed the performance bargain status of the 2016 Ford Focus RS in Europe, it’s time to talk about the American side of the adventure and the perspective is quite a bit different.
Ford has just announced its manic hatch comes with a starting price of $36,605, including a $875 destination charge. Is that price right? Well, it all depends on how you look at it. And we won’t even discuss the fact that the Focus RS was expected to arrive at just under $35,000.
After all, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost under the hood, shared with the four-piston Mustang, delivers 345 hp. Factor in the all-wheel drive and the Focus can hit 62 mph from a standing start in 4.7 seconds, while its top speed sits at 165 mph (265 km/h). So you do get sweet performance, five doors and a decent luggage compartment for the money.
But shouldn’t the Focus RS be priced below the Golf R? Well, it’s not. And we’re not just asking this because we’re snobs, the European hot hatch segment’s pricing has determined us to.
Over on the Old Continent, the Focus RS managed to outperform the Golf while also undercutting it in the financial department. Europe has also taught another lesson, namely that the Focus RS pricing should tie that of the Mustang EcoBoost.
In the US, the hot Focus has almost the same starting price as a V8 Mustang and we’re talking about the gifted GT Premium version of the pony.
Ford may have brought all its go-fast arms together under the Ford Performance umbrella, but, in the end, this is all a lesson about the European and the American way of building cars.
Look at it this way - while the Focus RS shares its engine with the Mustang EcoBoost, it manages to deliver performance figures that are slightly better than that of the GT Mustang (both in terms of the 0 to 62 mph sprint and the top speed). Then again, when the two cost the same, you can't say the hatch is a performance bargain anymore, can you?
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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