Limited Edition Ford Focus RS confirmed for Australia

A limited edition of the hot hatch of the moment, the Ford Focus RS , has been confirmed for sale in Australia in November 2017 priced from $56,990 plus on-road costs.

Due in limited numbers of just 500 cars, the Ford Focus RS limited edition will hit Australia with a price tag that’s $6,000 more expensive than the standard Focus RS and will arrive with more standard equipment with a front limited-slip differential as the centrepiece of the update. While the current third-generation Focus RS is in its twilight years, this update to the model will help it battle the incoming Honda Civic Type R, as well as the Volkswagen Golf R and Subaru WRX STI.

“Ford’s performance models are an important part of our line-up, and we’re excited to offer Australians an even more capable version of the Focus RS, which has struck a chord with driving enthusiasts across the country,” said Ford President and CEO Graeme Whickman.

“The RS Limited Edition is a result of enthusiast customer feedback which helped us create the hottest RS yet with 500 units confirmed for Australia,” added Whickman.

Central to the Focus RS limited edition is a Quaife limited-slip differential at the front to “improve the RS’s already highly-praised traction and cornering capabilities”. The limited edition also is equipped with the Performance Wheel Pack comprising of lightweight 19-inch alloy wheel and Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tyres that are available on the regular RS for $3,500.

“Our new limited-edition Focus RS represents accessible performance at its finest,” said Jamal Hameedi, Ford Performance Chief Engineer.

“Improving on the thrilling driving dynamics of the Focus RS is no small task – but our Ford Performance engineers have delivered a drivetrain capable of wringing every drop of performance from the engine,” added Hameedi.

The Focus RS limited edition also adds other equipment, including Active City Stop (autonomous emergency braking in Ford speak) and Recaro shell seats with a Nitrous Blue insert. Passengers benefit from privacy glass too, implemented to further keep the heat out.

The exterior of the Focus RS hasn’t been left alone either, with the rear spoiler, mirror caps and roof finished in Absolute Black. The Focus RS’ halo colour (and by far the most popular colour choice so far on the car) Nitrous Blue, is the only available colour.

Priced from $56,990 plus on-road costs, the Ford Focus RS limited edition is priced $6,000 more than the standard Focus RS on which it’s based. There are no other changes to the Focus RS, and the 257kW/440Nm 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder carries over. It continues to put its power to the ground through an all-wheel drive system that features front and rear, as well as left and right torque vectoring.

Standard equipment for the Focus RS includes Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment system with inbuilt satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, DAB+ digital radio, dual-zone climate control, automatic bi-xenon headlights, selectable driving modes with adaptive dampers, launch control and even a drift mode for the car to perform mostly rear-driven slides.