Benefits of 2016 Ford Focus RS over WRX STI and Golf R

For a number of years, Americans were forced to sit back and watch in envy as Europeans had all the fun with Ford Focus RS, but thankfully, that will all change when the performance hatchback finally makes its way to U.S. soil next spring. To prepare you for its arrival, we thought it would be helpful to look at how the compact car will compare to the competition. Not surprisingly, its rivals have already been chosen. The 2016 Ford Focus RS will take on the 2015 Subaru WRX STI, as well as the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R.

There are a few benefits of the 2016 Ford Focus RS over the WRX STI and Golf R, and the majority of them have to do with the powertrain, as well as the drivetrain of the Ford offering. If you’ve been keeping up with the latest on the Focus RS, you likely know that it will come equipped with the same 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine found beneath the hood of the Mustang. This will give it a number of unique advantages.

Read More: 5 Things You Need to Know About the 2017 Ford Focus RS

The official output of the Focus RS has yet to be announced, but based on the numbers that the engine is able to achieve in the Mustang, and on what the automaker has said, the high-performance hatchback will produce more than 315 horsepower. In the torque department, the Ford offering is expected to deliver just over 300 lb-ft, which is more than enough to work with—especially when compared to its competitors.

The 2015 models of the WRX STI and Golf R both come with turbocharged four-cylinder engines much like the Ford Focus RS, but when it comes to the abilities of those engines, they fall somewhat short. The WRX STI, which comes with a 2.5-liter engine, tops out at 305 horsepower, and even further behind is the Golf R, which draws the line at 292 horsepower. When it comes to output the Focus RS reigns supreme.

What really separates the Focus RS from the competition is its all-wheel drive system. All three of the vehicles have torque-vectoring AWD, but the capabilities of the systems are far from close. The weakest of the three systems belongs to the Golf R, which only has the ability to direct 50 percent of torque to the back axle. The WRX STI is much more impressive with the ability to ship 65 percent, but topping the three options is the 2016 Ford Focus RS, which can redirect as much as 70 percent to the rear set of wheels.

Read More: European and U.S. Ford Focus RS Will Be Virtually Identical

Another one of the benefits of the Ford Focus RS is that once that torque is at the rear axle, absolutely all of it can be shifted to a single wheel. This gives it the ability to drift more effectively than ever before. As that is the case, it comes as no surprise that the hatchback comes with a one-of-a-kind Drift Mode. The feature is so unique that neither the Subaru WRX STI or the Golf R offer anything remotely close to it.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits that the 2016 Ford Focus RS will be capable of delivering over the WRX STI, Golf R or any of the other performance-tuned vehicles on the market, we encourage you to check back here on the Matt Ford blog as we will be sure to provide you with more details as soon as they are made available. In the meantime, feel free to read the rest of our Ford Focus RS coverage.