New Ford Fiesta RS promises agressive bodykit and 230bhp
According to Ford insiders, our favourite hot hatch could be about to get hotter. Auto Express has been told that an extreme Ford Fiesta RS is still in the product plan, along with a Focus RS, but Ford is busy researching the business case before it commits to production.
With all the praise heaped upon the Fiesta ST, an even more extreme version is an exciting prospect – and our image reveals how it could look. The pumped-up wheelarches and aggressive bodykit mark out the newcomer, while the RS would most likely be powered by the 1.6-litre turbo from the ST – albeit with power upped from 179bhp to around 230bhp.
Using this engine will also ensure a link between the road model and the RS-badged Fiesta WRC car. Expect to see suspension upgrades, bigger brakes and additions such as a front axle limited-slip diff.
The RS models tend to arrive at the end of a car’s lifecycle, and with the Fiesta only recently facelifted and still selling well, Ford’s in no rush to replace it.
If the company can make the business case work for a Fiesta RS, expect to see it on the road in around 2015, carrying a price tag in the region of £23,000.
The first Fiesta RS was previewed at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show as a concept, but never made it to production. It was canned when Ford bosses couldn’t make it financially viable in Europe - RS sales are always high in the UK, but take-up on the continent is much smaller.
Thanks to the success of the Fiesta it now seems that the super hot hatch is a possibility again. It will have a stripped-out cabin featuring racing-style seats, lightweight materials throughout and lots of RS detailing.
It could even be quite economical for a performance car, thanks to low weight and a small-capacity turbo engine.
Autoexpress
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