Ford eyes 305-hp U.S. Focus

DETROIT — Ford may add a 300-plus-hp Focus to its U.S. lineup.

The Focus RS, a three-door hatchback sold in Europe, is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder Volvo engine with 305 hp.

Hermann Salenbauch, Ford Motor Co.'s director of advanced product creation and global performance, says the decision to sell the Focus RS here will depend on reaction from U.S. car enthusiasts, such as Focus SVT owners.

Ford is looking for "feedback from the media and customers," he says. "How much do they like it? Is it really what they want? We are pretty confident that it is."

The restyled, Europe-engineered 2011 Focus goes on sale here in late 2010, replacing the current model. The car will be assembled in North America. The RS model for the United States would be based on that platform, Salenbauch says. He did not say when it would arrive.

The three-door Focus SVT, a high-performance model, was discontinued during the 2004 model year. It had a $19,205 sticker, including shipping. Salenbauch says an RS model would be priced higher.

British magazine AutoCar published a gushing review of the Focus RS: "Remortgage the house, rob a bank, sell yourself, sell your own grandmother, just do whatever it takes to put an RS on your drive."