Future of fourth-gen Ford Focus RS shaky, as worries of Mustang cannibalism rise

By Nick Jaynes April 7, 2014

future fourth gen ford focus rs unclear worries mustang cannibalism rise — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Back in February, we had learned that an all-new, fourth-gen Ford Focus RS could be coming to market in 2015. Now, though, that doesn’t seem so clear.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” said Stephen Odell, Ford’s European head told Autocar. “It’s great that we have a proud past with RS, and it’s clear it has acted as a halo product and a way of linking to our racing programs, but for now there is nothing to say.”

As sad as this is, it makes sense.

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Ford is on a big push to sell every one of its models globally. This means that most markets will see the new Focus ST as well as the 2015 Mustang. If the Focus RS were to follow, it might well cannibalize some of those sales, as it would be powered by the Mustang’s mid-range 305-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder.

We won’t give up hope, though.

While I liked the Focus ST fine, I felt like there was room for improvement. I want the power of the 2015 Mustang but the versatility of the Focus. We’ll be following this story closely, so check back often for updates.

Remember, just because Ford doesn’t have anything to say on the topic doesn’t mean the Focus RS is dead. It might well indicate the opposite.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…

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