European Emission Regulations Killed the Ford Focus RS

While Ford long ago put the kibosh on the Focus RS for this market, Europe planned on eventually bringing the blisteringly hot hatchback back from the grave. Unlike the United States, where the entire Focus line has been discontinued, European and Asian markets press onward with the car’s fourth generation. That model was originally presumed to include the performance-fixated RS variant; however, EU regulations have reportedly made that impossible.

The continent’s new CO2 emission mandates now require automakers to either meet a fleet-wide average of 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre in 2021 or ready their accounts for sizable fines. With everything going on, Ford decided it wasn’t worth the trouble to try and make the model complaint. And yet the Focus RS isn’t some V8-powered monstrosity that’s single-handedly upping fuel prices. It uses the same, modestly sized 2.3-liter turbo found in many Ford products — just tuned for maximum output.

All evidence supported Ford keeping that unit for subsequent RS models. The manufacturer already had it in its roster, and ( minus a few head gasket issues) it performed rather well in the rally-bred hatchback — delivering 350 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque in an AWD car weighing under 3,500 lbs.

It was later learned that its presumed successor was testing a hybrid powertrain (where the 2.3-liter turbo would spin the back wheels while a GKN-sourced electric motor would drive the front). With Ford understandably worried about emission quotas in the EU, it was expected that this would foreshadow the production version. Combined output was estimated to be somewhere around 400 hp, with emissions being no worse than RS models sold in 2018. Ford confirmed nothing; the automaker was rumored to have at least one other setup under consideration that flipped which axles were influenced by electricity/gasoline.

While we don’t know everything that setup entailed, we do know neither will reach fruition. According to French outlet Caradisiac, there will be no Focus RS at all. The outlet said Ford confirmed the program has been abandoned due to the region’s stringent emissions regulations. And that’s probably not the only factor.

Ford undertook major restructuring efforts across Europe after profitability took a hit. Despite having a rather strong sales history in the EU, the continent hasn’t been nearly as good to the brand in recent years. Ford likely realized that adding a bunch of electronic components and secondary motor to the RS would increase its entry price to a point that would be unsustainable on a niche performance product. Meanwhile, the coronavirus hasn’t helped any automaker’s bottom line. It may have been the final nail in the car’s coffin.

[Image: Ford Motor Co.]