Sunday, December 27, 2015

250HP Ford Fiesta RS Hinted to Arrive in 2017

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.
 
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If you hadn’t noticed, Ford is on a bit of a performance car war path. At this time last year, the Blue Oval announced it would bring 12 new performance vehicles into production by 2020.
 
 Some are obvious—the 2017 Ford GT, F-150 Raptor pickup, and of course the 2016 Ford Focus RS and Shelby GT350. But some are not. 
A racy Ford Fiesta RS remains one of those big mysteries, but according to Germany’s Autobild, it may be a mystery no longer.

The German publication says that the teeny Fiesta could net a super-sporty “RS” treatment for the 2017 model year, bringing with it a sizzling 250 horsepower and perhaps even all-wheel drive. If true, you best believe this tiny superhatch could make a big impact on the hot hatchback market.

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The paper couldn’t confirm the clandestine Fiesta RS outright, but it points to the rumored RS wielding a zestier version of the Fiesta ST’s 1.6-liter engine—a turbocharged four-cylinder, which beneath the storming ST generates 197 horsepower. If 250 horsepower is indeed the target, that would put the RS nearly neck-and-neck with the larger Focus ST and a solid midpoint between the fan-favorite Volkswagen Golf GTI and rock ‘em sock ‘em Golf R.

As all-wheel drive systems add a good deal of complexity and weight to a vehicle’s mix, it seems logical that a Fiesta RS would forgo four driven wheels, and in turn, carve its own niche outside of the 350 hp, all-wheel drive Focus RS. But only time will tell. In terms of visual cues, one can presume sharper and meaner styling, a dash of front and rear aerodynamic enhancements, and a smattering of “RS” emblems inside and out.

A Fiesta RS arrival sometime next year (as a 2017 model) would conveniently mark the 40th anniversary of the Ford Fiesta lineup, and that may very well be a benchmark Ford doesn’t want to miss. Let’s hope.

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