Ford boosting power of Focus RS hot hatch for 2016 debut

​Ford engineers are working feverishly on the all-wheel-drive Focus RS to get the super-compact ready for sale next year.

Its power is rising above the already-announced 315 horsepower from a 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. Work also continues to wring the last dram of performance from the new performance-oriented AWD system with supplier GKN. The system reads steering angle, suspension travel, throttle position, wheel slip and other factors to direct power for maximum traction.

Ford plans to use it in other upcoming high-performance models, although not in the F-150 Raptor performance pickup, which uses a different layout because it's based on a rear-drive vehicle and the base Focus is front-wheel-drive.