The development of the new Ford Focus RS had to be halted due to the excessively high cost of creating a hybrid powertrain, which was required to meet stringent European environmental regulations. The limited production run of the model did not ensure a return on such investments, and spending funds in the current difficult economic situation of the company would have been unwise.
It was assumed that the new Focus RS would become a "mild" hybrid, equipped with a 48-volt starter-generator. The initial development version failed to meet environmental standards, and the manufacturer decided to abandon the second hybrid version, built on the basis of the unit from the Kuga crossover.
