Petrolheads rejoice! The EcoBoost engine in the all-new Focus RS will produce 350 horsepower – far exceeding original estimates of 315 – along with 474Nm of torque, yep, that’s what you’ll get if you buy the Focus RS with 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine!
And yet even with all that torque, the manual-only hot hatch will be especially forgiving in the event a driver stalls the engine, as Focus RS will debut with a trick feature called stall recovery. In other words, there will be no need for drivers to manually restart the engine or move the gear selector to neutral as the innovative technology allows the driver to simply push the clutch back in after a stall and the engine will restart.
“We knew we wanted to put start-stop technology on the RS,” explained Tyrone Johnson, engineering and vehicle manager, Ford Performance Europe. “So we said, ‘What if we went one step further, and controlled for engine stall at launch using the same technology?’ Well, that’s exactly what we did and it’s just as fast as our start-stop technology.”
According to the automaker, the monster output the Focus RS engine achieves is due to its all-new low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger with a larger compressor wheel that delivers more airflow and power throughout the rev range. Peak turbocharger boost is 23.2 psi.
Backing up this increased output is a large intercooler to maximize charge density. Air itself is delivered through a low-restriction intake manifold on the front end with a high-performance exhaust. The system includes an electronically controlled valve that optimizes back pressure and exhaust volume level.
Stout, high-tensile cast-iron cylinder liners are used to enhance the robustness of the engine, while a high-performance head gasket brings improved thermal capability.
Additional space created in the front of the car allowed engineers to deploy a larger radiator than what’s used on other Focus models for enhanced cooling.
Despite the engine’s high output of 152hp per litre, RS engineers tuned this EcoBoost to deliver right off idle all the way on up to a free-spinning 6,800 rpm, with an especially chunky midrange power delivery.
This highly anticipated hot hatch will be the 30th car globally to wear the vaunted RS badge, joining such legendary models as the 1970 Escort RS1600, the 1984 mid-engine RS200 Group B rally car, 1985 Sierra RS Cosworth and 1992 Escort RS Cosworth.
Production of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost Focus RS begins later this year and we’re looking forward for its arrival in Malaysia!
