When the second-generation Ford Focus RS returns in 2020, it will boast 400 horsepower from a 48-volt mild hybrid drivetrain as part of a massive investment to create 40 new electrified models.
The news comes from a Dutch publication called AutoInternationaal.nl.
That report says Ford will invest 10 billion Euros -- about CAD$16 billion by today's exchange rate -- to develop 40 electrified models, including the new hybrid RS.
As in the 2018 Ford Focus RS, combustion power will once again come from a 2.3L turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. That llump is good for 350 hp and 350 lb-ft in the current RS (whose limited production run recently ended) but that hybrid setup is expected to bump horsepower to the 400 mark and add more than 40 lb-ft of torque, for a total close to 400 lb-ft.
Along with the new powertrain, Ford is apparently working on a dual-clutch automatic transmission for North America, though it isn't clear whether it will be standard or if a manual will be available too.
What's clear is the car promises to be fast, with a four-second 0-100 km/h acceleration sprint in the offing. The outgoing RS is good for about 4.5 seconds to triple-digit speeds.
In the meantime, Ford is expected to unveil the standard version of the next-gen Focus next month, with an STÂ variant to follow in 2019.
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