Ford Focus RS: PH Fleet

The hot hatch of the moment joins us for three months - can it justify the hype?

So where exactly do we start with a long-term Ford Focus RS? It was perhaps the most fervently anticipated car of 2016, with seemingly every petrolhead clamouring to get the hot hatch that would redefine the segment. Countless words were dedicated to the Drift Mode (best mention that early), the pre-orders flooded in and titles were seemingly bestowed upon it before a wheel was turned.

That desire shows little sign of abating either. Our Focus RS test against the Civic drew more than 1,000 comments, that following the very popular first drive. Why? Because everyone loves a fast Ford, don't they? And if they don't, they probably love commenting on them. It's just that sort of car. With so much to discuss and with so much left to explore after fleeting first tastes, we were (figuratively, but close to literally) banging down Ford's door for more time in one.

And here we are! EK16 LNP has very recently joined the PH Fleet after a prolonged stint on the Ford press garage for the UK launch. Therefore while we have only covered a couple of hundred miles, the Focus arrived with us having already clocked up nearly 11,000 in the hands of our fellow hacks and roadtesters. We're guessing the cobwebs will have been blown out then...

Moreover, while the RS was introduced as a sub-£30K car, this Focus is not that. Not only has the list price crept up to £31,125, 'our' car comes with a few choice options. You've spotted a couple of them, right? Yes, it's been specified with the £745 Nitrous Blue paint, a colour that's becoming as defining of this Focus RS as Ultimate Green was of the previous generation. Colour coded calipers (another £100) sit behind the optional forged 19-inch wheels, a £595 extra when this car was ordered that seems to suit this RS rather well. They save 600g per wheel in unsprung weight too, which is welcome.

But in fact the costliest option can be found inside: the £1,145 Recaro shell seats. While they're great seats, they are most certainly mounted - you've guessed it - far too high. Their location is a big flaw; it undermines the (considerable) fun of driving the car and makes you wonder how on earth such a design was agreed to. Let's see how we get on.

Also added to this RS are the Luxury Pack (with folding mirrors, keyless entry, rear parking sensors and tinted windows) for £1,000, the door edge protectors for £85 and the SYNC2 infotainment upgrade at £465 as well. The latter is worth moaning about too but given it's no longer available (SYNC2 has already been superseded by SYNC3 on new orders), perhaps that can wait for another time.

Plus it seems churlish to complain about a car that's this entertaining. Coming straight from the Civic Type R (more on that another time, don't worry), it's interesting to note the Focus's more interesting soundtrack, great traction and, on the odd occasion, the very clever torque vectoring too. Indeed if the summer was the right time to run the FWD Civic, then the autumnal conditions should play perfectly to the Focus's skill set. Perhaps a Wales rematch is on the cards.

Certainly the RS will be busy over the coming weeks. Already it's been booked in for a duel with its five-cylinder predecessor, and it will undoubtedly face a few of its £30K contemporaries as well. Dan will test it as a family car, I'll aim to assess its hot hatch credentials and I'm sure everyone else will have their own reasons for needing the keys "just for one night".

Finally though, what would you guys like to see the Focus RS do? It's sure as hell a car that PH cares about, so let's hear your thoughts. Tests, trips, tuning - pitch them below and we'll see what we can do!

FACT SHEET
Car: 2016 Ford Focus RS
Run by: Matt (for now...)
On fleet since: September 2016
Mileage: 11,981 (delivered on 10,919)
List price new: £35,315 (Basic list of £31,000 plus £745 for Nitrous Blue paint, £1,000 for Luxury Pack, £595 for forged alloy wheels, £1,145 for Recaro shell seats, £465 for SYNC2, £85 for door edge protector and £100 for colour coded brake calipers
Last month at a glance: So just how good is the new Focus RS? We've got three months to find out!