Ford Focus RS
And so it happened, as befits a true love story: with the Focus RS we became inseparable. If you are being told this by a sworn cyclist who goes to the mountains several times and recently discovered another run, know that the emotions were very strong. Some people show their love by carving a heart and initials on a tree trunk, and we celebrated our relationship on the pavement.
Repeatedly. They say love is blind so don't pull on my sleeve saying the Focus RS is masculine. Let's not be trifles, it was my sweetheart. And loved ones are forgiven a lot. Thus, these two disadvantages, namely the high driving position and the range, which is no more than 300 kilometers with faster driving, will not be taken into account, as if Romeo left his Julia a birthmark on his face. They say perfection is very boring. We made our first highway trip to Raceland. With cruise control on, the Focus RS showed on the trip computer a current consumption of about nine liters at 130 km/h, and the turbocharger gauge needle was stationary. The engine rumbled quietly and the chassis offered acceptable comfort despite stiffer suspension and damping characteristics. Three laps on the training ground near Krško proved that the Focus RS is made from the real test. It came in second on our list of the sportiest cars we've had the privilege of testing, ahead of only lightweight and semi-rac tires equipped with the KTM X-Bow Clubsport.
The Focus easily outperformed the BMW M3, ninth and tenth evolution Mitsubishi Lancer, Corvetto and various AMGs. In Race Track, it's as fast as the devil himself, but you guessed it, we couldn't even resist drifting. What do you say that Luka Marco Groschel is our best drifter? Ha, you didn't see me in the blue flash. Kidding aside, drifting has never been easier if you follow two rules: first, don't turn too fast in a turn, and second, gas all the way. Everything else is already done at Ford Performance. The essence of the new Focus RS is a special all-wheel drive. Instead of two added differentials, two clutches send torque to the rear wheels and redistribute between the rear wheels. They work with a series of sensors that check the condition hundreds of times per second, providing the best traction solution. Or the most fun ride, if you will. Most of the torque (70 percent) can be sent to the rear wheels, and each can take up to 0,06 percent of torque in just XNUMX seconds. What does it look like while driving? You can choose from four different driving programs: Normal, Sport, Race Track and Drift. Normal is fast, Sport is fun every day (also due to the more pronounced cracking of the two exhaust pipes, which, with an end the size of a clenched man's fist, protrude menacingly from either end of the rear of the car), Racetrack One offers a stiffer chassis, and Drift highlights the stability of the ESP system.
Interestingly, the firmer damping (up to 40 percent!) can also be abruptly turned off while driving with a button on the top of the left steering wheel, which the engineers explained as helping a driver who would like a faster route over a higher racing curb. . Excellent! If we also consider the start program and the ability to upshift without releasing the accelerator pedal, know that it was difficult for us to say goodbye to the race track. For the first time, it happened to me that I was desperate for snow in the middle of summer, because the Focus RS should be a really first-class car to enjoy after the snow. What a car, honey! The proof of this is driving on a simple road that literally makes you addicted. If you know a tricky turn that you usually prefer to avoid due to slippery asphalt, look for it with the RS and enjoy it as if you were offering a child a sandbox with toys. Whole 19-inch Michelin Pilot Super Sport 235/35 tires are top-notch, although they have a lot of work to do with the 350 “horses” of the positive-injected 2,3-liter four-cylinder aluminum engine. For those who frequent the racetrack, they also offer the Pilot Sport Cup 2. I'm pretty sure the Focus RS will come to Raceland with these tires even in our first place. Since you can buy these semi-rac tires, you might also consider the shell-shaped Recar seats that came with the test car. The seats are first class, of course, but at the time the driving position is quite high (heard journalists complained about this at the international presentation, and Ford promised to fix it as soon as possible), so it's not. Surprisingly, every time you enter the salon, sit straight on the hard side support. Ah, sweet trouble.
The interior is almost too similar to the regular five-door version, although Republic of Slovenia lettering is everywhere and blue stitching on more noble materials. For the neighborhood kids, the most important thing will be the speedometer of 300 kilometers per hour, for the driver - three additional sensors in the upper part of the center console (oil temperature, turbocharger pressure and oil pressure), and for the wife - a rear-view camera, a steering wheel. heating, bi-xenon headlights, cruise control, two-way automatic air conditioning, a speakerphone system, navigation, an eight-inch touch screen, and even an engine shutdown system for short stops. The Focus RS is well-equipped and has a relatively affordable price tag, so it's no wonder it sells like a hot bun here as well. The sales numbers are not such as to put the Clio at risk, but ten fingers weren't enough shortly after the first pictures! Yes, you heard right, some paid right away. When I revved it up to 5.900 rpm, when the RS symbol came on on the dashboard as a sign of the most ideal gear, otherwise the engine could easily spin up to 6.800 rpm, I enjoyed the torque (recoil starts from 1.700 rpm. rpm) and Brembo overhead brakes (with blue jaws), I wondered how carefully Ford Performance had taken on this project. Nothing, but really nothing was left to chance.
They turned each part of the car three times and thought about how to improve it, and at the same time, of course, they made sure that the price did not skyrocket. The new RS is six percent more aerodynamic than the previous RS (now with a drag coefficient of just 0,355), although the large rear spoiler with RS lettering is not so good here, with improved power steering and shorter shift lever throws, with lighter materials (brakes, wheels) and torsional strength, which is 23 percent better than the classic Focus. When you draw the line under the many trims, it becomes clear why the Focus RS is so different, so much better. What is the most beautiful? Not only will you be one of the fastest on the track and one of the loudest in the city, but the car will also think like you. To turn without worrying about understeer, active XNUMXWD also helps with a bit of rear end slip, in that you need to turn the steering wheel a bit out of the corner on corner exit, feeling at least as good. the driver as the best relies on the world. The drift option is just a bonus, although it should still be noted that the Focus RS is an all-wheel drive car that has the same slip angles as the old rear-wheel drive Escorts.
But when you are in control of road traffic, when you get the feeling that other participants are parked on the road, this is a good perspective for a driver with a neat loft. And the highway: when the van enters the right lane, after a few seconds it is still in Vrhnik, and the Focus RS is already waving at Postojna. I am deliberately exaggerating, but it is difficult to describe the feelings that penetrate at every time while driving. Wow, there's something wrong with my knees again. Am I still so in love?
Alyosha Mrak photo: Sasha Kapetanovich
Ford Focus RS
Basic data
| Base model price: | 39.990 € |
|---|---|
| Test model cost: | 43.000 € |
| Power: | 257kW (350 KM) |
Costs (per year)
Technical information
| engine: | 4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbocharged petrol - displacement 2.261 cm3 - maximum power 257 kW (350 hp) at 6.000 rpm - maximum torque 440 (470) Nm at 2.000–4.500 rpm min |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | all-wheel drive - 6-speed manual transmission - tires 235/35 R 19 Y (Michelin Pilot Super Sport) |
| Capacity: | top speed 266 km/h - 0-100 km/h acceleration 4,7 s - average combined fuel consumption (ECE) 7,7 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 175 g/km |
| Mass: | empty vehicle 1.599 kg - permissible gross weight 2.025 kg. |
| External dimensions: | length 4.390 mm - width 1.823 mm - height 1.472 mm - wheelbase 2.647 mm - trunk 260-1.045 l - fuel tank 51 l |
Our measurements
| Measurement conditions: T = 25 ° C / p = 1.023 mbar / rel. vl. = 55% / odometer status: 5.397 km | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 5,4s |
|---|---|
| 402m from the city: | 13,5 years ( 169 km / h) |
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | 4,7 / 7,1 ss (IV/V) |
| Flexibility 80-120km / h: | 5,6 / 7,4s (Sun./Fri.) |
| test consumption: | 15,8 l / 100km |
| Fuel consumption according to the standard scheme: | 7,9 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 34,1m |
| AM table: | 40m |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 6rd gear | 60dB |
evaluation
All-wheel drive is better than the Impreza STi and fully matches the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO; Unfortunately, I have not driven a VW Golf R, but I read from happier colleagues that it is not so enjoyable. I think.
We praise and reproach
engine
four-wheel drive vehicle
Transmission
chassis
Recaro seats
Brake brake
driving position too high
range
that it's not mine anymore
