330-hp Ford Focus RS ready to storm into U.S. showrooms

By Ronan Glon December 13, 2014

With rally-inspired looks and gobs of power, the Ford Focus RS has long been considered one of the most desirable forbidden fruits in Europe. That’s set to change soon as a new report finds the third-gen RS will be a truly global model that will join the Blue Oval’s lineup in the United States for the first time ever.

The next hot-rodded Focus will be powered by an evolution of the turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine that is found under the hood of the 2015 Mustang. Mounted transversally, the turbo four will be tuned to generate at least 330 horsepower, 20 more ponies than when bolted in the Mustang’s engine bay and about 30 more than the last-gen RS (pictured in RS500 tune).

Visually, the Focus RS will continue to scream power with a muscular body kit consisting of a deep bumper with a large air dam up front, flared fenders all around and two oversized oval exhaust pipes integrated into an air diffuser out back. The sporty treatment will continue inside with a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a full set of gauges and bucket seats for the front passengers.

Some sources claim the third-gen Focus RS will make its debut at next month’s Detroit Motor Show, while others believe it will be presented to the public for the first time at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed that will kick off in England on June 26th.

Regardless of when it is unveiled, the Focus RS will be one of 12 sport-focused models that Ford will introduce worldwide by the year 2020. All of them will be grouped under a newly-created sub-brand called simply Ford Performance that is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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