2016 Ford Focus RS to feature stall recovery system

In normal circumstances, a stalled engine requires the driver to shift back into neutral, find the key or starter button, and restart the engine, all while suppressing feelings of shame or embarrassment.

Ford says that drivers of the new Focus RS who manage to stall their hot hatch need only depress the clutch to restart the engine.

According to Tyrone Johnson, engineering and vehicle manager at Ford Performance Europe, the new stall recovery system is based on RS' automatic engine start/stop system.

"We knew we wanted to put start-stop technology on the RS," Johnson stated. "So we said, ‘What if we went one step further, and controlled for engine stall at launch using the same technology?’ Well, that’s exactly what we did and it’s just as fast as our start-stop technology."

The new Focus RS will be powered with a 2.3-litre turbocharged engine with around 260kW of power and 440Nm of torque, or up to 470Nm of torque on overboost.

Unlike the second-generation Focus RS, the new car uses a four-cylinder motor, not a Volvo-derived five-cylinder unit. The new Focus RS is also the first of its name to feature all-wheel drive, rather than front-wheel drive.

Production of the third-generation Focus RS begins later this year. Pricing and specifications for Australia-bound models have yet to be confirmed.