Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
With the Heritage Edition, the RS version of the Focus Mk3 rides into the sunset, leaving room for an all-new model. Rumor has it the follow-up will arrive in 2020, packing 400 PS from a 2.3-liter engine and mild-hybrid assistance.
In addition to Ford, mild hybridization will benefit Mercedes-AMG as well. Head honcho Tobias Moers confirmed that the 2.0-liter in the next A45 would develop 400-plus PS, though he didn’t go into detail about how those ponies will be produced. In all likelihood, the boys from Affalterbach will integrate the EQ Boost starter-alternator with the eZV electric auxiliary compressor that will all but eliminate turbo lag.
Whatever the future holds for both brands, there’s no denying the hot-hatch genre is getting hotter by the day. Have you ever thought that Ford’s performance division would someday rival Mercedes-AMG? Neither did we, but that’s how the cookie crumbles.
Even though we don’t know how the 2020 Ford Focus RS will look, pixel artist Kleber Silva used Photoshop to give us an idea. In addition to the hatchback, the Brazil-based designer also rendered the station wagon, sedan, and Active in RS flavor. On the flip side, the Focus RS Active is imagined in the estate body style.
The Ford Motor Company will offer the real deal exclusively as a hatchback, complete with a performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system supplied by GKN Driveline. As with the current generation, the erroneously called Drift Mode is expected to soldier on.
If 2020 is too far away for you, Mountune offers something called the M400 Power Upgrade Kit. Priced at £3,495, the package improves output to 400 PS (395 horsepower) and 560 Nm (413 pound-feet) of torque. The bad news is that the Ford-endorsed warranty will be affected. What’s more, Mountune recommends the installation of forged pistoned and uprated conrods to keep things under control.
These being said, a question must be posed. When will automakers understand that uber hatchbacks are not the hot hatchbacks that got the ball rolling? More power is always welcome, but more weight and technology are not. And while there are a few people who track these bad boys, most hot-hatch buyers just want a car that carves corners well in the real world.
Whatever the future holds for both brands, there’s no denying the hot-hatch genre is getting hotter by the day. Have you ever thought that Ford’s performance division would someday rival Mercedes-AMG? Neither did we, but that’s how the cookie crumbles.
Even though we don’t know how the 2020 Ford Focus RS will look, pixel artist Kleber Silva used Photoshop to give us an idea. In addition to the hatchback, the Brazil-based designer also rendered the station wagon, sedan, and Active in RS flavor. On the flip side, the Focus RS Active is imagined in the estate body style.
The Ford Motor Company will offer the real deal exclusively as a hatchback, complete with a performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system supplied by GKN Driveline. As with the current generation, the erroneously called Drift Mode is expected to soldier on.
If 2020 is too far away for you, Mountune offers something called the M400 Power Upgrade Kit. Priced at £3,495, the package improves output to 400 PS (395 horsepower) and 560 Nm (413 pound-feet) of torque. The bad news is that the Ford-endorsed warranty will be affected. What’s more, Mountune recommends the installation of forged pistoned and uprated conrods to keep things under control.
These being said, a question must be posed. When will automakers understand that uber hatchbacks are not the hot hatchbacks that got the ball rolling? More power is always welcome, but more weight and technology are not. And while there are a few people who track these bad boys, most hot-hatch buyers just want a car that carves corners well in the real world.
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