With strong performance, a trick AWD system and the practicality of a five-door hatch, the Ford Focus RS MK3 makes for a brilliant hot hatch. Not just because it's the best hot hatch to wear a Blue Oval, but simply because it's a phenomenal car.
Indeed, you don't even need to be a fast Ford fan to appreciate the RS MK3's exceptional handling, its ability to hit 60mph in less than five seconds, or its 165mph top speed. And with prices for early cars at a reasonable level, the MK3 RS is finally accessible to everyday enthusiasts - with 500bhp only a credit card away.
The Ford Focus RS MK3 was launched in the UK on 18 January 2016 (production began at Saarlouis, Germany on 14 January). Offered only as a five-door hatch, the oily bits made up for any misgivings: a 345bhp 2.3-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine feeding a state-of-the-art electronic all-wheel-drive system, massive Brembo brakes, computer-controlled suspension and driving modes.
