MOTORING Clearly Focused
The Ford Focus RS is available in just the one specification and comes complete with a 345 BHP2.3-litre turbocharged engine, four-wheel drive and a lovely six-speed manual gearbox. We sent our motoring correspondent Nick Jones to sample this hot hatch.
I must admit, test driving the Focus RS is something I have been looking forward to for a long time. Let’s get straight to it. The engine is a real delight to
use, with a willingness to rev and pull really hard along the way. It’s really good fun, and ridiculously quick. You can’t have an automatic, so if you’re a two-pedal junkie, you’d better look elsewhere. Key to the Focus’ abilities is its four driving modes;
Normal, Sport, Track and Drift. Even in normal, it feels pin-sharp as you turn into corners, responding accurately to steering inputs. Sport mode brings a more encouraging pop and
burble from the twin-exit exhaust when backing-off and adds more weight to the excellent steering. In all but drift mode, you can be sure that the Focus RS will grip harder and longer than most of its rivals, albeit with an edge of ‘naughtiness’ that will entertain even the most purist of enthusiasts. This is all courtesy of that four-wheel drive system,
which sends the majority of the power to the rear wheels and can also divert the power to one of the other wheels. Two-phase dampers are standard fit and work really well, it softens harsh intrusions, such as pot holes, and, given the capability of the RS, is really rather impressive. The ride is hard, mind, and the standard Brembo brakes inspire confidence with their bite when called on. The Focus comes as standard with deeply-sculptured
and bolstered Recaro seats that keep you firmly in place, even when pushing hard. For me, they need to be bolted closer to the floor, as they seem to be a tad ‘upright’.
60 business network July/August 2017
The dashboard isn’t that much different from a standard Focus
‘Key to the Focus’ abilities is its four driving modes; Normal, Sport, Track and Drift’
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