Focus RS sold out? Gouging underway

While the new Focus RS is a full-time member of the Ford line-up, hot demand for the hyper hatch is unlikely to be sated with Australian supply expected to amount to not much more than 1000 examples through to the end of 2017.

And with a new generation Focus due within two years, 2017 is as far as the production pipeline is known to extend for the 257kW all-wheel drive five-door.

It is in effect already sold out.

No more than 400-500 examples of the RS, launched here last week, will be shipped to Australia through the remainder of 2016, while the taps are unlikely to be opened much wider in 2017. Currently Ford has orders for RS stretching well into 2017, but can’t define exactly how long the waiting list is.

“I know this year’s allocation is going to be between 400 and 500 units and now we are taking orders for next year,” Ford Australia president Graeme Whickman told motoring.com.au, putting a specific supply number on the the RS for the first time.

“We are taking orders but we have to do it carefully with customers because we don’t want their expectation to be that it’s coming in three or four months.

“They will understand there is a potential wait because we don’t have limitless supply,” he hedged.

Developed by the Blue Oval’s global tuning arm Ford Performance, the RS is based on a heavily modified version of the standard Focus’ C1 architecture and body shell and built alongside it at the Saarlouis plant. Unlike its five-cylinder front-wheel drive predecessor, the new RS is a full-time member of the Ford range and sold in 42 markets around the globe, rather than being a limited run special edition.

But it is still only built in small numbers and demand is high internationally. For instance, the two-year 4000 RS allocation for the UK has already sold out.

Following on from the Mustang, RS is the second consecutive performance model launched in Australia by Ford where demand has outstripped supply. As per that car, local management has gone back up the chain seeking more allocation.

Ford Australia was successful getting more Mustangs because of high demand and that potentially boosts the case for RS.

“We understand what we have got and then we have a discussion at a global level and then we work out whether we can get more,” Whickman said.

“So we are going through that… We have demand greater than current supply and we are in the process of -- as you would expect -- seeing what we can do around supply.

“We have been successful with Mustang and we have got the attention of folks around the world and that flows through to RS in terms of their attention. They understand that it is very appealing car, that there is high demand and that it has a lot interest in this market and we don’t want to disappoint any customers,” Whickman stated.

Ford Australia’s drive to get extra cars is given extra impetus by continued strength of performance cars in the small car (C) segment. Whickman pointed to a growth in 200kW hot hatch sales of close to 40 per cent in 2015 and a further 22 per cent in 2016, even as the mainstream segment dipped.

“There is a real interest in Australia in these products,” he said.

Price gouging and profiteering has started for the RS, which has a $50,990 recommended retail price.

On carsales.com.au, delivery-kilometre Focus RSs are being listed at up to $70,000.

Dealers did the

“It’s very, very simple. The dealer is the retailer and there is a recommended retail price as you know. But we don’t do anything other than set that recommended retail price.”

Whickman was more positive about the impact the arrival of Mustang and RS were having on Ford showrooms, although he insisted 2016’s consistent sales growth was due to a number of other vehicles and factors as well.

“I don’t want to pin any improvement just on the basis of two vehicles,” he said.

“Yes, they naturally create interest and yes we are seeing new types of people coming in to our showrooms. And yes, therefore that provides an opportunity. But it’s on the basis of other things as well.”

The VFACTS sales figures don’t necessarily support the Ford boss’ rhetoric.

June year to date, Focus sales overall are down almost 28% with Fiesta down over 40%. Falcon and Territory sales too are off more than 20% in their last year of production. In reality, a boost in Ranger 4x4 sales and Mustang combined accounts for around two-thirds of Ford’s growth in 2016.