250bhp Ford Fiesta RS under development?
UPDATE: Potential specs and rivals of Ford Performance Fiesta model
Ford’s new performance division could be working on an RS version of the Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta would join the forthcoming Focus RS and 10 other future performance models, as Ford aims to substantially grow its sporting arm.
When speaking to evo, Ford confirmed that if it were to produce an extra hot Fiesta under the Ford Performance banner, it would have to improve on the (pictured) Fiesta ST’s platform by quite some margin.
>Read - Ford Fiesta ST review
‘ST models have to deliver a certain amount more performance than the standard range. So for a car to be badged an RS, it’d have to take those metrics to the next level.’
Can Ford confirm a Fiesta with those ‘next level metrics’ is under development? Unfortunately not: ‘we can’t say anything at this moment, but we have promised to produce 12 performance models in the coming years. We’ll leave it for you to decide whether that includes a Fiesta at this moment.’
>Watch - Will the2015 Ford Focus RS drift? See it in action here
Given that (after the Focus arrives in March) 11 more RS spaces will need filling, it at least seems plausible that the Fiesta would provide an entry point onto Ford Performance’s list.
The car would target hot hatches like the VW Polo R and Audi S1, and could borrow its exterior styling and technical underpinnings with the Fiesta WRC car.
That would mean the RS Fiesta could send drive to all four wheels, with power coming from an uprated version of Ford's turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost unit. Power exceeding 250bhp seems likely, with a hardcore chassis setup to match.
If it were to be produced, it would be based on the current car and therefore have to arrive before the Mk8 Fiesta is launched in 2017. Prices would likely start at around £23,000, almost £2,000 less than Audi's S1.
