New Ford Focus RS confirmed; will be sold in United States

Hotter hot hatch will square off agains Subaru WRX, Volkswagen Golf R

    Ford CEO Mark Fields casually confirmed today that a new Focus RS is, in fact, happening -- and it'll be sold "to customers in major markets around the world for the first time."

   That means us, you guys. The Ford Focus RS is finally coming to America. We've only been begging for this since 2009.

    Now, the Focus ST isn't a bad car, and the 2015 model promises to improve on an already-solid equation. But the RS could take things to a new level entirely: Details are sketchy, but rumor has it that the car will get all-wheel drive and perhaps the Mustang's 2.3-liter tubocharged inline-four. All-wheel drive makes a lot of sense here; it would position the RS against the Volkswagen Golf R and the Subaru WRX hatchback that Subaru no long builds.

    Naturally, pricing hasn't been announced, but $30,000 or so wouldn't be an unreasonable starting point. We'll be sure to bring you details as they become available.