Ford Focus RS 2016 review | first Australian drive video

Описание: Tim Robson road tests and reviews the Ford Focus RS with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

Read Tim's full review here: http://carsgui.de/29CxJsq

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Ford's new Focus RS has finally arrived in Australia, and it's got a lot of people really, really excited.

This Focus is easily the most ferocious car to ever join the famed RS ranks.

RS is short for Rally Sport and dates right back to the Mark One Escort, and some of the most driver-centric Fords of all time have worn the famous blue and white badge.

On paper, the Focus already packs a massive right-hook – and it only costs about $51 thousand bucks!

The AWD set up is actually very similar to what you'll find underneath a Range Rover Evoque.

Instead of a limited slip diff on the rear, it uses an electronically controlled clutch pack for each wheel, to give the RS rear wheel torque vectoring.

This is what makes Drift Mode possible – and it gives the RS driver the chance to feel like Gymkhana star Ken Block – even if it's just for a little while.

In fact, Ken actually helped to develop this car.

And it feels pretty damn cool, too! Glad I'm not paying for the tyres, though – you'll easily burn up a couple of grand in a matter of minutes!

Combine that tricky drivetrain with super sticky (tyres), lowered and stiffened suspension and a set of seriously big brakes, and the RS looks pretty sharp.

But it's the engine that ties this whole package together.

This is the same 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo engine that you'll find in the base Mustang.

It's got a bigger turbo, lined cylinder bores to deal with the extra boost, and it's also got a different cylinder head.

The exhaust is unique too, of course, and let's just say it's not exactly civilised. In a good way!

It only comes as a six-speed manual at the moment, too.

The result? A class-hammering 258kW of power and 439Nm of torque. VW Golf R? Nope. Subaru WRX STi? Not even close.

Only the Mercedes-AMG A45 and Audi's RS3 make more – and they are both a LOT more expensive than the Focus.

It's in the cabin where the price of the RS becomes a bit more obvious.

Sure, these big winged race seats suit the RS down to the ground, but there's not much else going on here.

In fact, it's not that much different to the Focus ST in here, and it's $11 grand cheaper.

But thankfully, there's a great way to distract yourself from any shortcomings in the cabin.

We've seen the RS in Australia before, in five-cylinder front drive form, and it was fast, if a little uncouth.

The new RS, though, is… simply astonishing. And it's astonishing everywhere!

The engine is so strong and supple, its mid-corner speed defies belief, its brakes are so strong and confidence inspiring... it's an incredible car to drive at pace.

In the real world, it's a slightly different picture. That same suspension tune that feels so right at speed is too overdone for everyday driving.

It's also lacking pretty much every electronic safety aid developed this decade, other than traction and stability control and a reversing camera.

There's also another problem with the RS, at least initially – you'll have to wait for at least six months to get one.

Ford Australia says the first 600 have been snapped up, and it'll take a while for more to arrive. The RS is a permanent addition to the line-up, though, so more will filter through – eventually!

The Focus RS is truly one of the performance buys of the year – and perhaps of the decade to this point.

It's blazingly fast, its handling is utterly astonishing, and really, it costs far less than it should.

If you can live with the firm ride and a few extra bills, the RS is a true once-in a-lifetime car.

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