New 2020 Ford Focus RS to get 300kW, mild-hybrid tech

The replacement for the current Ford Focus RS, due in 2020, will come equipped with the Blue Oval's forthcoming 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, it has been revealed.

According to Brit mag Autocar, the next-gen Focus RS hot hatch -- based on the redesigned Focus that's soon to be revealed -- will out-gun all its rivals and produce 300kW/576Nm, putting it head-to-head with more expensive premium hot hatch rivals like the Audi RS 3 and Mercedes-AMG A 45.

Tipped to use a development of the current car's 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, the faster Focus RS will deliver its extra power and torque thanks to the addition of an integrated starter/generator (ISG) that adds 22kW/94Nm, says Autocar.

Fed by an on-board 48-volt electrical system that gets its own small lithium-ion battery, the fourth-generation Focus RS will benefit from greater performance low-down in the rev range. This will not only boost performance, but also allow the Ford to stick within its optimum powerband for more efficient driving.

The ISG will also allow longer engine-off periods, even when cruising.

With the extra power, the British car mag says Ford will shave off 0.4 seconds off the car's 0-100km/h time, with the 2020 Focus RS capable of hitting the performance benchmark in around 4.3 seconds.

Crucially for Ford, which is facing huge pressure to meet mandatory European regulations that dictate its fleet of vehicles should average 95g/km of CO2 by 2021, the new 48-volt mild-hybrid technology will shave up to 30g/km off the current car's 175g/km emissions rating.

Other new tech to be offered in Ford's new flagship hatch include the option of a dual-clutch auto for the first time, to help satisfy demand from the US and China for a two-pedal Focus RS.

Based on a modified and heavily updated version of the current Focus' C2 platform, which will boast a 50mm-longer wheelbase, the next Focus RS will also bring significant weight-saving materials, although the resulting 50kg cut is likely to be cancelled out by the new 48-volt mild-hybrid hardware.

Set to be on sale by 2020, Ford's fastest ever Focus RS is expected to be more expensive that the current model, which costs $50,990, to help cover the cost of the new 48-volt tech.

Back in January, Ford vice-president Jim Farley described the move to electrification as "inevitable" and announced a pure-electric performance vehicle, called the Mach 1, would be on sale by 2020.