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2016 Ford Focus RS leaps to 62 in 4.7 seconds, starts at $36,605

We don't have to wait for the numbers to leak onto Ford's website again because the Blue Oval is now officially confirming that starting price of the 2016 Focus RS at $36,605 in the US, which includes $875 for destination. That money buys quite a quick hot hatch too – the RS with at least 345 horsepower can sprint to 62 miles per hour in mere 4.7 seconds and eventually reach a top speed of 165 mph. The 4.7-second blast bests the 0-60 times from lower-powered competitors like the Subaru WRX STI (5.1 seconds) and the Volkswagen Golf R (4.9 seconds). A few high-horsepower Europeans could outrun it, though, including the newly upgraded 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG (4.1 seconds) and Audi RS3 (4.3 seconds to 62 mph). This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. A combination of launch control, all-wheel drive, and torque vectoring at the rear axle might make that quick acceleration consistently achievable, too. Drivers just select the option from a menu, put the hot hatch into first gear, floor the gas pedal, and let off the clutch. The car rockets away, and a shift light on the instrument cluster illuminates at 5,900 rpm. It starts blinking at the 6,800 rpm redline. We just need to get through the winter to see which car wins in a real-world drag race. The Focus RS is being built in Saarlouis, Germany, and the first North American deliveries are expected in the spring of 2016. Ford isn't talking options yet, but the previous leak suggests things like navigation, leather seats, a sunroof, and 19-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires will be available. Related Video: FORD'S ALL-NEW FOCUS RS SPRINTS TO 62 MPH IN 4.7 SECONDS AND HITS 165 MPH All-new 2016 Ford Focus RS sprints from 0-62 mph in 4.7 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 165 mph Fastest-ever Ford RS model will start at $36,605 featuring Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive and a projected 350 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque from its 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine Innovative Focus RS offers drive modes – including industry-first drift mode – along with launch control; customer deliveries of high-performance hatchback start in North America in spring 2016 DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 16, 2015 – Ford Motor Company's all-new Focus RS will sprint from 0-62 mph in 4.7 seconds – making the high-performance hatchback the fastest-accelerating RS model yet.

Ford, Ram in heavy-duty towing spat

Every pickup truck commercial has the brand trying to convince us that its model is the biggest, brawniest vehicle on the block. But Ford and Ram appear ready to really throw down the gauntlet and scrap over the towing figures for their heavy-duty models, and it could potentially end up in court.
The issue revolves around what it means to be best in class. Ford claims that its 2015 F-450 (pictured above) has a max tow rating of 31,200 pounds, compared to 30,000 pounds for the Ram 3500 (right). However, both companies market these heavy haulers as having the top towing in their class. According to Automotive News, Ford is threatening legal action if Ram doesn't back down.
The situation isn't as simple as just comparing the numbers, though. First, the two companies calculate their towing capacities differently. Ram adheres to the SAE J2807 rating, while Ford uses its own internal system. Although, as the company introduces new models, they are certified using the SAE standard. "When an all-new F-Series Super Duty is introduced, it also will use SAE J2807," said Ford to Autoblog in an emailed statement.

Our love of SUVs is killing people in the streets

Americans are fond of supersized fast-food meals and colossal convenience-store fountain drinks, even though they're clearly bad for our health and U.S. adults keep getting fatter. We also like large vehicles, and our love affair with SUVs is killing people in the streets. According to a recent investigation by the Detroit Free Press/USA Today, the increase in SUV sales over the past several years coincides with a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths in the U.S. — up 46 percent since 2009, with nearly 6,000 people killed in 2016 alone. With SUV sales surpassing sedans in 2014 and pickups and SUVs currently accounting for 60 percent of new vehicle sales, it's no wonder Ford announced in April plans to cease U.S. sales of almost all passenger cars. And this followed Fiat Chrysler's move to virtually an all-truck, -SUV and -crossover lineup. While the Freep/USA Today investigation found that the simultaneous surge in SUV sales and pedestrian deaths comes down to vehicle size, it also points to a lack of action on the part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), even though it knew of the dangers SUVs pose to pedestrians. Also blamed are automakers dragging their feet on implementing active safety features. Using federal accident data, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) determined that there was an 81 percent increase in single-vehicle pedestrian fatalities involving SUVs between 2009 and 2016. Freep/USA Today's analysis of the same data by counting vehicles that struck and killed pedestrians instead of the number of people killed showed a 69 percent increase in SUV involvement. As far back as 2001, researchers at Rowan University forecasted a rise in pedestrian deaths as Americans began switching to SUVs. "In the United States, passenger vehicles are shifting from a fleet populated primarily by cars to a fleet dominated by light trucks and vans," the researchers wrote, with light trucks comprising SUVs.