Ford Focus RS review

Let’s start with the engine, because frankly, it’s a revelation. There’s a sniff of lag when you plant your right foot, but that’s closely followed by a wall of torque – 325lb ft or 347lb ft on overboost for 15 seconds. There’s a rally-style warble from the exhausts, not too dissimilar to the old Focus RS’ five-pot in fact, and an intense turn of pace. The sole-choice manual gearbox is a delight to use, not as quick in a drag race as a twin-clutch auto, but so much more involving. 

The Focus’ trump card is its four-wheel drive system that can send up to 70 per cent of the power to the rear axle, and then up to 100 per cent of that to either of the rear wheels. Toggle up through Normal, Sport, Track and eventually Drift mode and the RS get progressively more lairy – to the point where you can toss it into corners and execute big drifts with consummate ease. Channel your inner Ken Block into making the morning commute that bit more entertaining. 

Step back from the limit and it still brims with energy: the steering loads up beautifully in long corners, the brake pedal has a high biting point but plenty of feel and there’s just enough body roll to help the car feel mobile and alive underneath you.