First 2016 Ford Focus RS Rolls Off The Line In Germany

January 15, 2016 3:04 pm

Today, Ford announced that the very first 2016 Ford Focus RS hot-hatch rolled off the assembly line at the automaker’s Saarlouis, Germany production facility. The 350 horsepower, all-wheel drive Ford Focus RS will join America’s Ford Performance lineup this spring, constituting the brand’s third performance hot-hatch.

According to Ford Motor Company, US sales of Ford Performance products outpace those of the overall industry. Sales of the Focus ST increased 9 percent last year, while those of the Fiesta ST saw a 4-percent uptick. Beside the 2016 Ford Focus RS, two additional new Ford Performance models will make their way to market in 2016: the Ford GT supercar, and the Baja-tested F-150 Raptor pickup.

The 2016 Ford Focus RS is powered by a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 4.7 seconds. That’s enough to officially make the new hatchback the fastest-accelerating RS model ever.

It’s uncertain exactly when the hot-hatch will go on sale in the United States. Stay tuned.

By Aaron Brzozowski

Aaron Brzozowski is a writer and motoring enthusiast from Detroit with an affinity for '80s German steel. He is not active on the Twitter these days, but you may send him a courier pigeon.