Fiesta to get RS treatment
March 27, 2008 by George Skentzos
Its no secret Ford are busy preparing a new breed of high performance Focus with the RS model, however latest reports reveal the Fiesta will also be given the rally sport treatment.
The Fiesta RS model will be a stripped out pocket rocket – and the car is no heffer to begin with – effectively an XR4 on steroids.
An aggressive aerokit, bulging wheel arches and lowered stance will give this super mini a dominant stance – revved up to compete against the likes of the John Cooper Works MINI Cooper.
One likely powerplant is an uprated and turbocharged 1.6-litre engine from the Focus ST which should develop power in the vicinity of 150kW with a 0-100km/h time around the 6 second mark.
The kit available to Ford give the Fiesta RS true junior rally potential, complete with Ford’s six-speed twin-clutch semi-auto gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters as well as stiffer springs, uprated dampers and thicker anti-roll bars for brilliant road holding.
Don’t expect it to arrive until at least 2010, with an expected price tag around AUD$37,000.
Images: AutoExpress
Print it: 
NM!!!!!!!!!!!
quick!!!!!!!!!!
get over here, the verve is here!!!!!!!!!!
Now that’s one hot look’n hatch!
holy shit yeah! Now that Ford is exactly what I want it to look like, don’t touch the design any further. Looks fantastic, and if it is 150kw with a dsg style gearbox, and at $37k, then it’ll be brilliant.
cant wait to see the RS focus
Good stuff. Looks like a nice package – but I am not sure if it will be such a big seller at $37K. What would the Focus RS need to cost then?
FULLY SICK FORD A WORLD CLASS CAR, :-) .. EAT DUST TOYLET…………
MAKES ANY TOYLETA LOOK VERY DECREPIT,,, STICK THAT UP YA JIBE…..
“OH WHAT A FIESTA”…. FORD IS BETTER
spam word was ford, cheers to more success..
Just for the arguments European Car sales figure for 2007 – wheres Toyta 7th!!! SO they don’t quite rule the world yet maybe Australiasia.
1.Volkswagen … 19.7 … 3,150,933 … -1.1 … (Volkswagen, 2.Audi, Skoda, Seat)
3.PSA … 12.8 … 2,050,708 … +0.6 … (Peugeot, Citroen)
4.Ford … 10.5 … 1,667,915 … +1.7 … (Ford, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar)
5.GM … 10.2 … 1,635,040 … +1.6 … (Opel/Vauxhall, Chevrolet, Saab)
6.Renault … 8.7 … 1,380,952 … -4.4 … (Renault, Dacia)
7.Fiat … 7.8 … 1,249,092 … +7.1 … (Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia)
8.Toyota … 5.8 … 929,585 … +2.5 … (Toyota, Lexus)
9.BMW … 5.3 … 848,080 … +6.7 … (BMW, Mini)
10.Daimler … 5.2 … 826,150 … -0.2 … (Mercedes, Smart)
11.Honda … 2.0 … 313,898 … +12.0
12.Nissan … 1.9 … 310,698 … -5.6
13.Hyundai … 1.9 … 308,687 … -5.4
14.Suzuki … 1.8 … 287,793 … +9.3
15.Kia … 1.6 … 252,590 … +5.0
16.Mazda … 1.5 … 240,354 … -6.0
sorry missed #2 – ran out of fingers. toyota still 7th
Even Fiat beat Toyata,, SHAME !!!! Toy SHAME !!!!
I thought they dominated the world, oh what BS, guess Dingo and TP brigade are smoking too much herb…..
Why have you guys ragging on Toyota already? There is no mention of it in the article, nor is it even related (toyota doesn’t have a hot hatch).
Its little wonder TP gets so fired up.
I don’t think this would be worth 37k. For a few more grand you can get the small/mid sized hot hatches, rather than this matchbox. I wouldn’t pay that much for such a small car.
Nice is about time they bring this Fiesta RS even if they don’t bring this RS take this engine and give to the XR4 Fiesta it can handle more power.
hmmm maybe this will convince toyota to bring over the blade anyway my dad loves this he used to be into gtis and XR5s but he wants this im poor so maybe just an XR4
i thought the engine from the focus ST was the 2.5 volvo engine? not a 1.6
I can’t believe Kia, Hyundai and Suzuki do better than Mazda.
Mitch: yeah it is, thats a typo.
Myke: Probably the fact that people over there have more choice over a mazda 2 or 3, they will buy a good euro if they can if not they go for a cheap asiabox.
….back to the topic, that is one fiiiine fiesta, i just want to touch the heiny!
FPR Fiesta RS
FPR Focus RS
FPR GT
FPR F6
HSV what?
lol, anti-spam word toyota – woops!
I think the car will sell, just look at how much a JCW Mini is. That is the car that this would be going against and if it is stripped out like the article says, it will be an absolute animal!
Bring it on Ford – you need to!
Another reason not to buy a Yaris YR with Safe T Cell!!!!
awesome design.. good to see the falcon sharing the design language with the new euro fords like RS fiesta above… not so sure about 150kw on FWD, lots of torque steer – needs AWD like WRX. Also ford needs to improve post sales service as well.. highly strung cars needs prompt professional service.
Spot on REALCARS…………..Yes ANDREW M (chuckle chuckle) I see! Finally..a step forward, one of many steps which read CEO Alan Mulally is doing! They better!
Me thinks it shytes all over Mazda 2. I liked the Yaris best………til this sweet thing landed!
Welcome back Escort Cosworth. :D
My next new car, depending on what Alfa does with it’s 147 replacement.
Cheers
SteveC
Correct Al! I think it looks great and I like the whole idea of it; small, powerful… all good. HOWEVER the package at the end of the day is only as good as its pricing, and simply… $37k would be an absolute joke. Im also getting alittle tired of those rims, every Ford seems to have them now, talk about generic and lacking a sense of identify (easy fix though). As for Toyota bashing, Toyota have the blade, AWD and V6, Id have that over this vehicle, but to be fair they aernt competing together, so youd expect the Toyota to be superior gvien its a class up. Focus RS v Blade would be interesting.
Thanks TP….will suss out Blade mate!
STILL TALKING $HIT TP, JEALOUS ONE EYED LOSER, LIKE I SAID LOOKS BETTER THAN ANY TOYMOTA ON THE ROAD TODAY, WORTH $37k AS THE ECONOMY IS GROWING TO AFFORD SUCH CARS, BUT A CHEAP WORTHLESS TOYMOTA ON THE OTHER WILL NEVER GROW ON ME…
ldib
oops ^ ^
great looking car.
TP……….Blade is just OK. Too too too bland still mate as looks too same as Corolla standard cardigan range.
I would not hesitate getting a new Fiesta followed by Yaris then the Mazda 2. The Fiesta leaves other two for dead on looks as more flowing and not weird overdone with very upswept upturned ’smiling’ rear tailights like on Mazda 2 (this wrecks the look of the car for me)!
OMG TP I can’t believe you just compared the Focus RS agains the POS toyota blade, considering how ballistic the last RS was do you seriously think the blade could keep up let alone handle anywhere near it.
This feista isn’t the st version its the full on RS as in it will be ballistic as well. Considering the st feista starts at $25,000 then $37,000 is no way overpriced.
Hi TP & Co. Checked you blade out mate. Looks OK but a tad bland. Funny Toyota decided to re-name the Corrolla over here to “Auris”. The dealer next to my office has a nice sporty version for demo. Looks good just hope its got the diesel engine in it. Sadly at £17995 my money geos on the Golf.
As for this Ford Fiasco RS, nice wouldn’t mind seeing what afive door looks like though. Obviously not an RS version though.
Ford AC Cobra come back to me when youve taken your head out of your ar*se, I said the Fiesta look good… but if you think that $37k for a small hatchback is reasonable, then you truly are delusional. Other posters have mentioned it… I think clearly your the odd one out here, you lack common sense.
TW I dont think youve driven a Focus RS… I dont think youve driven a Blade. I doubt youve even researched much on the latter. So I think you lack any credibility in saying the Blade is a POS… on paper it looks very good and quite simply sh*ts over a Fiesta which as I said early youd expect given its a class up; 204kw, 344Nm and a HUGE list of features that I think would even dwarf the Focus RS.
NM no denying its alittle convercative compared to the RS’, but that doesnt take away from its performance credentials.
What will ford OZ call it?? XR4? RS? who knows…..
FPV should call it fiesta rs or f4, like the f6. (f6= falcon 6 so f4 should = fiesta 4)
TP, I’m back, sorry my head doesn’t fit in my ar*se, I’m amazed you said this Ford looks great, wonders will never cease, OMG but $37,000 was the down fall, no one said this is official, and by 2010 cars will be more expensive anyway, look at all the features manufacturers are adding as standard equipment, notice over the years and decades cars have increased initial costs, so then you are truly are delusional. hardly any posters have mentioned $37,000 aud is too much, I think your the odd one out here, sense is not that common not from u.
Must admit it seems a lot when the base Falcon is less, has more room, and isn’t that far behind it in terms of speed performance. But then i’d never buy a small car due family committments. And no i’m not directly comparing the two.