Our review of the all-new Ford Focus RS lands this afternoon, so until then, why not refresh yourself on the last Focus to wear the RS badge.
First published in the February 2011 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s most experienced and most trusted car magazine since 1953.
It was all meant to end in a torque-steering arm wrestle at the first corner, every fearful touch on the throttle sending the little green monster wider into the weeds. Few of us expected the front-drive Focus RS to handle 440Nm without seriously compromising cornering integrity. In fact, it did so with alacrity and finesse, forcing the panel to recalibrate long-standing preconceptions about the limitations of FWD performance. This most focused Focus eviscerated the You Yangs ride and handling course like no other north-paw before it. Sadly, one came soon after that would tarnish the Focus’s shine considerably.
The Ford Focus RS is fast; it’s a raw rush of adrenaline that has few manners and makes no apologies for ignoring little things like NVH and ride comfort. Judges loved the Focus’s undiluted animalism. “As raw as tuna sashimi,” said Carey. “But not everyone likes raw fish.” And even piscatorial aficionados don’t want it for every meal. This fabulously fast Focus is just too focused. And fundamentally flawed. There’s the superficial. The external bodykit is polarising but at least it’s convincing. Inside, flashes of carbonfibre and various other mismatched surfaces blend like fridge magnets on the everyday Focus lurking beneath. The driver’s seat is too high and can’t be adjusted without a spanner. The instrument dials are small, the numerals even smaller, and there’s no cruise control … in a $60,000 car.
When time came to judge, the Focus RS struggled against all criteria bar one: function, and then only against the performance subset. But the Focus’s biggest problem at COTY 2010 wasn’t the criteria, it was the Renault Megane RS250 Cup, which did almost everything the Focus did, rode better, had better NVH, and a more convincing interior, and – even in top-spec Trophée form – was a whopping $12K cheaper. Against the criteria, that gap was simply too cavernous to bridge.
The Ford Focus RS has the most powerful version of Volvo’s five-cylinder VVT turbo also found in the Focus XR5, Volvo C30, S40, V50 and C70. The aluminium in-line engine block is part of Volvo’s Modular engine family that traces its roots back to 1990 when it debuted as the 960 sedan’s 3.0-litre straight six.
QUOTYS
“I love the theatre of this car” – Byron Mathioudakis
“The muscle car of hot hatches” – Bill Thomas
“Cheap origins can’t be disguised”- Peter Robinson
Specs
BODY Type: 3-door hatch, 4 seats L/W/H: 4402/1802/1497mm Wheelbase: 2640mm Track (f/r): 1586/1587mm Cargo capacity: 385L Weight: 1492kg
DRIVETRAIN Layout: front engine (east-west) FWD Engines: 2.5-litre 5cyl turbo (224kW/440Nm) Transmission: 6-speed manual
CHASSIS Suspension: front struts, lower L-arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar rear multi-links, coil springs, anti-roll bar Brakes: ventilated discs (f); solid discs (r) Tyres: 235/35R19 Spare: n/a (sealant kit)
FUEL/ENVIRO ADR81 test consumption: 10.4L/100km Minimum fuel grade: 95 RON (unleaded) Greenhouse emissions: 246g/km CO2 Emission standard: Euro 5
SAFETY Driver aids: ABS, BA, EBD, TC, ESC Seatbelts: front pre-tensioners/load limiters Front airbags: Yes Side airbags: No Curtain airbags: Yes Knee airbags: No Crash rating: five star (NCAP)
MONEY Prices: $59,990 3-year retained value: 50.5% Service interval: 12 months/ 20,000km
If you’ve ever spotted a stunner from across the room only for he or she to ruin the illusion the second they opened their mouth, you have some idea of the troubles facing the Ford Mustang Ecoboost.
Because the new Mustang does look fantastic. Ford has nailed the styling, to the point where it’s almost impossible to stop anywhere without fielding questions about the car from curious punters.
Crucially for Ford’s sales, this seems to be particularly the case with non-enthusiasts, who might not know what it is, but they know they like it. They are also much less likely to spot the missing ‘5.0’ badge on the front guard and inch-smaller wheels, tell-tale signs your Mustang is only packing half the traditional amount of cylinders.
It is an effective engine, though. Mid-range torque is its strong suit, and healthy outputs of 233kW/432Nm allow it to hit 100km/h in a shade over six seconds in six-speed manual guise. The gearshift itself is good, too, like a notchier version of a Mazda MX-5 ’box.
Against expectations, it’s the Mustang’s chassis that impresses most. It’s quite soft in its set-up, which not only improves the ride (as do the chunky 40-profile tyres) but also gives you a better feeling for what’s happening underneath you.
Material quality lets the Mustang down inside, with shiny, slippery leather on the wheel and hard, scratchy plastic almost everywhere else, however it pays to remember that, at $45,990, the Ecoboost is an awful lot of car for the money.
It’s well-equipped, too, with electrically-adjustable heated and cooled seats, reversing camera, a nine-speaker stereo and SYNC2 infotainment system all standard.
If we were buying a Mustang, the V8 is well worth the extra, but if you really want a great sporty four-cylinder Ford, buy a Focus RS.
3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
LIKE: Poster looks; great chassis; value; ESP calibration DISLIKE: Uninspiring note; four-pot ’Stang doesn’t feel right
SPECS Engine: 2261cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v , turbo Power: 223kW @ 5700rpm Torque: 432Nm @ 3000rpm Weight: 1666kg 0-100km/h: 6.1sec (tested) Price: $45,990
Holden has released the first official images of the 2017 Colorado, which is essentially a Chevrolet Trailblazer ute with a Holden badge.
The redesigned Colorado, which will be launched at tonight’s NRL State of Origin match in Sydney, has fresh exterior and interior styling, an extended range of accessories and high-tech additions including advanced connectivity to active safety measures.
Among the new safety options, available across selected models, are a new forward facing camera, forward collision alert and lane departure warning.
Holden says the Thai-built 2017 Colorado will retain the same off-road capability of its predecessor but with refined on-road handling.
The redesigned interior will feature a new Holden MyLink infotainment system equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as well as digital radio, embedded satellite navigation and voice recognition.
Holden’s Executive Director – Sales, Peter Keley, said the redesigned Colorado is a key vehicle in Holden’s future product portfolio. He’s confident the progressive new styling, improved driveability and leading technology will be a hit with customers.
“Colorado has resonated well with customers in a segment that has almost doubled in sales in the last 10 years, and we’re confident the new 2017 Colorado will build on this and redefine customer expectations of what a truck can be.
“Colorado is also the only vehicle in the 4×4 utility vehicle segment to offer remote window activation – a feature we expect to be popular with customers in hot climate parts of Australia.”
A host of all-new accessories for the 2017 Colorado, including a safari bar, fender flares, LED driving lights, 18-inch wheels and all-terrain tyres will become available in coming months.
Jaguar Land Rover says self-driving cars should not be limited to urban areas, and is working to make autonomous vehicles relevant in off-road applications – regardless of the terrain.
A video released overnight reveals the firm has made headway into reaching its fully autonomous all-terrain objective, with a three-tiered approach to the emerging technology.
Firstly, through a bevy of sensors and cameras, the Terrain-Based Speed Adaption system anticipates changes in the terrain ahead, and can respond by adjusting the vehicle’s speed.
As well as speed adjustment, those same sensors and cameras can provide the vehicle with a 360-degree view of its immediate surroundings. By using this information, the vehicle has the ability to do one of two things: it will warn the driver of what’s ahead — like a low-hanging branch, for example — or it will autonomously adjust the car’s settings for it to best deal with the changing terrain. Examples of this may be raising the ride height to increase the vehicle’s ground clearance, or adjusting the suspension settings to best traverse the changing surface.
The final piece of the futuristic technology’s puzzle is integrating a car-to-car communication system, which allows vehicles travelling together to simultaneously benefit from the information the sensors are receiving.
For example, if the car in front is struggling to negotiate a rocky or particularly slippery section, it will communicate its precise location and data to the following car’s driver and electronics system, and equip it with the information needed to more easily, or more safely negotiate the same section.
According to Land Rover Australia, the self-driving technology should hit the marketplace in its finished form in around eight years’ time, but said the technology aimed towards off-road vehicles might find its way into production vehicles earlier than its on-road counterparts.
“Of course off-road autonomous [vehicles] would not have the same legal and legislative issues as on-road autonomous vehicles, so it may be introduced even earlier than that,” Land Rover’s James Scrimshaw said.
The four-door version of the Renault Megane has been unveiled and confirmed for Australia.
Renault’s sedan variant is called either the Megane Sedan or Megane Grand Coupe depending on market. In Australia it will be the successor to the Megane-based Fluence, which was dropped from the local market in early 2015.
The Grand Coupe is likely to arrive in early 2017, following the Megane hatch and Sports Tourer wagon that goes on sale this September.
The three models share the same front end notable for its C-shaped headlights and high-waistlined body, though the Grand Coupe marks itself out with its rear roofline that tapers almost seamlessly into the rear end.
There’s also a full-length glass roof that runs from the windscreen to the rear window.
Boot space of 508 litres is about 75 litres more than the hatch, with the wagon version remaining the most practical at 521 litres.
The Grand Coupe employs the Megane interior, as expected, including its 7.0-inch digital colour instrument panel and 8.7-inch infotainment ‘tablet’ that dominates the centre stack.
It will be offered with the same range of active driving aids as the rest of the Megane family, including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot detection and autonomous emergency braking.
Engine options for Renault Australia to choose from for this market include two petrol and three diesel engines, linked to manual, CVT or dual-clutch gearboxes depending on engine.
The Renault Megane Grand Coupe/Sedan will be built in Turkey, where the Megane hatch is produced in Spain.
A Hyundai i30 that sounds like a Mercedes-AMG A45? Or, gasp, even better? Hear for yourself because the South Korean brand has released a teaser video for the debut model from its N performance division.
The camouflaged Hyundai i30 N prototype pops, crackles and blares its way around a circuit in a video with a simple tag-line: “The sound of Hyundai N, designed for the joy of driving.”
There is important news for three-pedal fans, too, with the i30 N prototype utilising a manual transmission. Previous teaser videos have shown vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission – tipped to be an iteration of Hyundai’s current seven-speed dual-clutcher used in the Veloster Turbo.
Hyundai has previously used its Veloster-based mid-engined RM15 concept to show off a new 2.0-litre direct injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which in that application produced 221kW of power.
Although this i30 N prototype wears clothes from the current generation i30, which first launched in 2012, the production version will be based on a new platform set to debut underneath the next-generation i30 at September’s Paris motor show.
So, take what you know about a hot hatch, place it carefully in a plastic bag, tie it up and chuck it in the bin. Yes, the Ford Focus RS really is that damn good.
It would have been all too easy for Ford to dust off a handful of RS badges and glue them to the back of a tarted-up Focus ST – but to its eternal credit, it didn’t.
Instead, its project head Tyrone Johnson – whose 31-year Ford resume includes stints heading up both its WRC and F1 efforts – insisted that the new RS head down a new path all together.
Johnson and his team had actually given up on all-wheel drive after trialling a traditional Haldex system, until they discovered the Twinster rear axle. Usually found under a Range Rover Evoque, one was fitted to a Focus – and it broke in two days.
Undeterred, the team rebuilt and rehashed the system – which replaces the rear LSD with a pair of clutch packs, one for each rear wheel – over two years until they were happy with it.
Combine it with limpet-grip 235/35 R19 Michelins – in either Pilot SuperSport or optional Pilot Sport Cup 2s with 1kg lighter forged rims – adaptive dampers and 350mm Brembo-equipped front rotors, and the RS is a formidable on-road proposition.
The 2.3-litre turbo engine, too, is a screamer. Putting out 1.8 bar of boost (26psi) from an up-rated version of the old RS’s spinner, the Cosworth head-topped four-potter’s 257kW and 440Nm(470Nm on overboost) is available everywhere in range.
The ride is firm but sophisticated and more than bearable on bumpy roads in standard mode, but the sport setting bumps up rebound and damping by 40 per cent, making it too harsh for road use.
The only thing we’d call out on our brief drive is that the gearing between second and third is at odds with the car’s mid-corner ability. It’s often too quick for second, but third isn’t quite short enough to get the best from the power-band.
There’s a new all-wheel drive hot hatch hero, and its name is the Ford Focus RS.
4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
REMEMBER that time at the Australian Grand Prix when Lewis Hamilton was pinged by police for bagging up the rear wheels of his 2010 C63 AMG outside the track’s entrance?
Mark Webber had warned him not to do it, Wheels can reveal exclusively.
A Mercedes-Benz insider told Wheels that Hamilton was contrite after the incident, which took place in 2010. He was charged with reckless driving after performing a burnout and fishtailing down the road as he was leaving the Albert Park track after qualifying on pole.
Police also impounded Hamilton’s car: a silver 2010 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.The McLaren pilot was later forced to issue an apology, describing the incident as “silly” and admitting he was driving the V8-engined performance sedan in what he said was an “over-exuberant manner”.“Yeah, he was sorry he did it,” the source said. “He said that Webber had told him not to do it.”
Webber was vocal following Hamilton’s incident as well, launching a stinging assault on authorities and describing Australia as a “nanny state”.
”I think we’ve got to read an instruction book when we get out of bed – what we can do and what we can’t do … put a yellow vest on and all that sort of stuff,” Webber told the press. “[Australia] has certainly changed since I left here. It pisses me off coming back here, to be honest.
”It’s a great country but we’ve got to be responsible for our actions and it’s certainly a bloody nanny state when it comes to what we can do. And Lewis has found out very quickly.”
Hamilton’s no stranger to off-track controversy, with the three-time world champ again making headlines by crashing his Pagani Zonda in Monaco earlier this year. The Brit blamed the incident, in which his custom-built, multi-million dollar supercar collided with parked cars, on “heavy partying”.
Holden has released the first official pictures of the 2017 Colorado in its Australian guise, ahead of its public launch at tonight’s NRL State of Origin match at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium.
Despite subtle differences between the LS, LT and Z71 models shown, there appears to be no aesthetic changes to the Chevrolet version; the Trailblazer.
It will also feature trailer sway control to help keep you safe when towing a 3.5 tonne load.
In a remarkable achievement, Australian engineering students have taken out first and second place in Land Rover’s 2016 4×4 in Schools World Championships.
Tasked with building a remote-controlled four-wheel-drive to set specifications, the 4×4 in Schools Technology Challenge gets students to design a vehicle that can emulate the capabilities of a full-size 4×4 to successfully traverse a set of obstacles in an off-road test that accurately replicates the real thing. The project’s aim is raise awareness, interest and enthusiasm in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines, and the practical application of engineering principles.
The runners-up hail from Dubbo College’s Senior Campus. As well as occupying the second step of the podium, the five-member team picked up the award for the Best Engineered Vehicle while their event-winning compatriots claimed honours in the Verbal Presentation Award.
At the national level, the Challenge is run by Reengineering Australia but both financial and logistical support was provided by Land Rover Australia to assist in the teams’ individual projects and outcomes, as well as to reach the world finals.
This year marked the 18th running of the firm’s international education initiative which aims to encourage students to pursue careers in the automotive industry and is expected to engage with up to five million young people from around the world by 2020.
