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28/08/2011
REVIEW By EWAN KENNEDY
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The Ford Focus RS was introduced in Europe in 2009, but didn’t reach Australia till late 2010. The delay was caused by huge demand on its home continent but Australian lovers of hot hatches are finally enjoying this very special road (and track) rocket.
We have recently spent a week road testing a Ford Focus RS for this review and have come away extremely impressed by the stunning performance provided by its drivetrain, suspension and brakes.
Body changes are substantial. Virtually every panel on the three-door Ford Focus RS body was extensively modified to make room for larger wheels, to improve its aerodynamics and to give it a tough on-road appearance. The aggressive front bumper splitter and a twin-blade rear spoiler and the rear bumper diffuser are the most obvious changes.
This is not a car for the shy and retiring driver, but those who like to shout their lifestyle passions to the heavens just love it.
Powered by a turbocharged Duratec RS 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine the hot Ford Focus RS puts out 224 kW of power and has peak torque of 440 Nm. Torque begins with the engine spinning at just 2300 rpm and continues all the way up to 4500 rpm. The redline is set at 6500 revs but the engine can be revved to 7000 for a few seconds if you really need that extra bit of performance, such as during race track work.
Normally that sort of torque would overpower the front tyres of a car with drive only to the front wheels. But the Ford engineers have designed a special differential called the Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing Helical Limited Slip Differential (usually referred to simply as the Quaife Diff for obvious reasons!).
This differential senses the amount of torque coming in from each side of the car and adjusts itself within a few milliseconds to sense the right torque to the correct wheel.
The Quaife Diff is complemented by a new type of front hub called RevoKnuckle that allows more precise control of the steering because it virtually separates the drive and steering components at the front wheels.
By using this trick differential Ford Focus RS and hub Ford engineers have been able to avoid the extra weight of all-wheel drive systems such as used by the Japanese engineers in its chief competitors - the Subaru STI and Mitsubishi Evo X.
On the road the torque steer is barely noticeable, in fact there's just enough there to make driving interesting, without it being scary. Having said that, this isn't a car for the sloppy driver who only has one hand on the wheel.
Steering is beautifully precise, even in the tightest of corners and the Focus is far and away the most controllable, most enjoyable, front-wheel drive car we have ever experienced.
The Ford Focus RS has sports suspension and a high-performance braking system to work with the big power from the engine. The 19-inch alloy wheels are fitted with 235/35 R19 Conti tyres that were specifically designed for the Focus RS.
This is no stripped down high-performance special. The Focus RS has dual-zone climate control, automatic wipers, a self-dipping rear mirror, an eight-speaker Sony audio system with six-disc CD player and USB input facility for iPod/MP3 player. Bluetooth hands-free is also installed. Focus RS has Recaro sports seats in partial leather trim.
We were surprised by the comfort offered by a car with such dynamic performance. Some bumpy roads will catch it out at times, other than that it's remarkably good. You wouldn't take this car into the deep outback, but around town and in normal country roads it could easily be used as a tractable daily driver.
It has seating for four adults without demanding much in the way of compromises in legroom. The boot is large and easy to load and despite its outrageous appearance it really is a perfectly acceptable family car.
Ford Australia’s decision to import the Focus RS was a smart one. It joins the Falcon XR6 and XR8 models, and can stand beside the FPV high-performance models without any embarrassment. The impressive Focus offers full-on sportscar performance that will appeal to those looking for a smaller car that still has big car performance.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Focus RS 2.5-litre turbo three-door hatch: $59,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Not offered
Cruise Control: Standard
Dual Front Airbags: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
Electronic Stability Program: Standard
Rear Parking Sensors: Standard
Reversing Camera: Not offered
USB/Auxiliary Audio Inputs: Standard
Satellite Navigation: Not offered
Bluetooth: Standard
Steering Wheel Mounted Controls: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS (Ford Focus RS 2.5-litre three-door hatch)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.521 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 9.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 83.0 mm x 93.2 mm
Maximum Power: 440 kW @ 2300 rpm
Maximum Torque: 224 Nm @ 6500 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Not offered
Final Drive Ratio: Not supplied
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4402 mm
Wheelbase: 2640 mm
Width: 1842 mm
Height: 1497 mm
Turning Circle: 12.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 1492 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 62 litres
Towing Ability: Not supplied
Boot Capacity: 385 litres
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: MacPherson struts, coil springs, gas damper, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Control blade, coil springs, gas damper, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 5.9 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 95RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 10.4 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 3.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km |
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