After years of only offering a single RS-badged model, the Blue Oval has confirmed that further are on the cards.
During discussions with Auto Express just before the Detroit Auto Show, Ford’s executive vice president of global marketing, sales and service, Steve Odell, revealed that there is room to expand the RS brand.
“The RS brand is really valuable. People race it. People collect it. I believe there is room to expand”, he said.
Odell remains tight-lipped about what the next RS-badged model from Ford could be. According to reports however, it seems highly likely that it will be a hardcore, performance-focused variant of the Fiesta.
Speculation as recent as late December claims that the Fiesta RS will arrive sometime in 2017 and be powered the same 1.6-liter turbocharged engine as the Fiesta ST. While the ST has 197 hp on tap that’s arguably more than enough for a hatchback of the Fiesta’s size, that figure could jump to 246 hp for the RS.
Unlike the latest Focus RS which requires all-wheel drive, the entry-level RS model will retain front-wheel drive. No need to worry, though: Ford has proven time and again it can tune the chassis and suspension to make powerful FWD cars handle with aplomb.
PHOTO GALLERY
