Has more than 315 bhp

Ford Europe has shared a new video, which shows us a prototype of the new Focus RS in motion.

The 2:54-minute long video features the racing driver Ken Block, performing some drifts and slides at the company’s German facilities. It gives us the chance to hear the high-performance large-bore exhaust system with an electronically-controlled valve in the tailpipe for the very first time.

The Focus RS features an updated 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder petrol turbo unit, based on the Mustang’s similar unit. It delivers more than 315 bhp (235 kW) and is mated to an improved 6-speed manual transmission.

Will be a five-door hatch only

A source within Ford cited by InAutoNews has announced the company is not planning sedan and/or wagon versions of the Focus RS.

Hot on the heels of the Focus RS five-door hatchback's reveal, the Blue Oval company has downplayed the possibility of slapping the RS badge on the four-door sedan or the more practical Turnier version. This comes as a disappointment as the wagon would have been a proper adversary for the Golf R Variant now that the Focus RS has been blessed with a four-wheel drive layout.

Those who want a hot Focus wagon will have to settle with the ST version available in both gasoline and diesel flavors. The former uses a 250 HP & 360 Nm 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine while the latter gets a 185 HP & 400 Nm 2.0 TDCi four-cylinder motor.

If a bigger trunk is not a priority, the Focus RS should be the best choice for those willing to pay extra to get more than 320 HP (235 kW) and in excess of 433 Nm (320 lb-ft) coming from a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine sending power to both axles via a six-speed manual gearbox.

The Focus RS will be seen in the flesh at the beginning of next month during the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.

Ford no longer sells a three-door variant of its current –gen Focus, and thus its hottest incarnation, the RS, has to be a five-door (or an estate at best...). However, we say that the version people actually wanted would have been a three-door, one that would probably have looked a bit like this rendering.

Given that, for instance, the SEAT Leon SC is lighter and has a shorter wheelbase than the five-door, we figured it’s plausible that Ford could have done it too, had it made a Focus three-door.

Thus, the photo-chopped interpretation you see below is shorter and has a lower, more steeply raked roofline. Oh, and I also tried to adapt the wheels featured on the Mustang Shelby GT350 – they kind of work here too, I think.

Scroll down and then tell us just how much you’d want one of these as a three-door…

Ford has released new details about their next-generation stability control system in the 2015 Focus.

Designed to anticipate a potential spin 100-200 milliseconds before it occurs, the system analyzes the car’s speed, steering wheel position and turning rate - among other things. When an imminent skid is detected, the brakes are applied to individual wheels to help the driver maintain control and continue on their intended path. Ford says this not only improve safety but also helps to deliver better handling in "highly dynamic driving maneuvers."

According to Ford North America Brake Controls Manager David Messih, “By recognizing scenarios that can lead to a potential loss of driver control before oversteer has developed, the enhanced transitional stability system is setting the recovery process in motion quicker than ever before – resulting in smoother, more refined control."

If you can’t get enough Focus RS, then there is a video tour to navigate you through the finer details of Ford’s latest uber-hatch.

Ernesto Rupar, supervisor of Exterior Design for the Focus RS answers all the questions of EVO’s Henry Catchpole revealing the thinking behind the decisions made about the Focus RS.

He shares that Ford didn’t go for a wide bodywork like its predecessor because they preferred to spend the money in developing a unique all-wheel-drive system and also because this is the first RS that will be available for sale globally and they wanted to appeal more to the global customer.

He also explains which the inspirations behind the design were and how everything was designed in order to be functional other than pretty. Ernesto mentions that the fine, thin mesh in the front grille was selected in order to keep the car cool under the most extreme situations or how the rear wing works with the front spoiler in order to create usable downforce.

The video also contains a small sample of the soundtrack the new Focus RS plays.

Head to the video if you want to find out more.

The Ford Focus ST has recently received an exterior makeover, a revised interior and, for the first time, a diesel option. However, it’s not the diesel we’re going to talk about, it’s the 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, which soldiers on with its 250PS (247hp) in Europe.

For the first time, the petrol Focus ST is offered with a stop-start system that improves fuel economy by 6 percent to 6.8 l/100km (41.5 mpg UK or 34.6 mpg US) and drops CO2 emissions from 169g/km to 158g/km. But you’re not here to read about fuel consumption, which is why you should know the Focus ST goes from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 6.5 seconds.

Not bad for a family hatch, especially if we think these sort of figures were only reserved to supercars in the early 1990s. Chassis updated also can be felt on how the car drives. XCar took the petrol Focus ST for a spin and found it felt really nimble, but the reviewer also pointed out the steering is not as sharp as it should be.

Aside from its slightly awkward-looking front end styling, there was little to deter hatchback buyers from going for a Ford Focus. The revised model addresses some other minor issues the previous model has and most importantly it gets a smart new grille that’s miles better than before.

There are also new turbocharged engines to choose from, both petrol and diesel, and if you opt for the larger 1.5-liter turbo petrol, it gets a resonator just like the ST and it pumps exhaust rumble back into the cabin.

Plus there’s also its longtime forte, its driving dynamics and manners. These are better than ever now, thanks to an intelligent stability program that you can no longer feel kicking in – the chassis is good too, but this new system makes fast cornering very easy.

As far as its practical attributes go, well, the Focus is kind of in the middle of the pack in its class. It can neither sit three in the back in complete comfort and it also trails rivals for boot space, as you'll learn in the CarBuyer review posted below.

The new Ford Focus ST and German modern pentathlon champion Matthias Sandten are both outstanding all-round performers. Matthias excels at five disciplines from horse-riding to fencing. The new Focus ST excels with five-star performance combined with comfort and practicality.

We suspected it, but Ford made it official today that the world premiere of its hot Focus RS will take place at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show where it will also display the new GT supercar.

For the first time, the Focus RS will be a global model, so yes; North America will get it. Preliminary details include a 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four producing more than 320-horses channeled to all-four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and Ford's 'Performance All-Wheel Drive system with Dynamic Torque Vectoring'.

Another exciting Ford product is the new carbonfiber-clad GT supercar with a mid-mounted twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 rated for more than 600-ponies that will have its first outing on European soil.

Ford said that these models will be joined by "new sporty, dynamic and high-specification variants of the all-new Ford Edge, Kuga and EcoSport SUVs, all-new S-MAX sport activity vehicle and new Focus" without elaborating further.