Team RS, led by Jost Capito, is keen to reflect the strong prevailing environmental concerns within the motor industry with a future mega-Focus.

Very senior sources within Ford have told Autocar that Team RS has started early conceptual studies into matching the 2.0-litre Ecoboost engine with an electric motor mounted on the Focus’s rear axle.

Ford has already explored this technology on the 2005 Reflex concept, and it’s just about to be adopted by Peugeot on the 508 executive saloon.

The advantages of the layout for a high-performance car are manifold. It enables the use of a relatively small-capacity engine, but the strong torque from an electric motor gives the car a considerable performance boost.
It also makes it all-wheel drive without the complexity of a conventional set-up using a power take-off and propshaft.

Electric motors are also relatively compact and can easily be packaged within the type of multi-link rear axle used by the new Focus. Space, however, would have to be found for a battery pack.

A hybrid Focus RS would most likely be able to match the performance of today’s RS500, but with much-improved economy and lower CO2 emissions.

Depending on the size of the battery pack, the RS hybrid would also be capable of running at zero emissions for short distances, a facility that is likely to become essential for American-market sales in the near term.

The chances of the RS hybrid becoming a reality are further underpinned by the move towards greener competition vehicles, exemplified by Porsche’s new 911 GT3 hybrid.