Ford Considering an RS Badged SUV
The thought of an RS SUV is being talked about, but if it happens has yet to be determined.
Recently, CarDealer spoke to Dave Pericak, director of Ford Performance, who had some tantalizing things to say. It seems Ford is possibly considering giving some of it's SUVs the RS treatment.
Pericak said "If you did what you needed to do to make it perform the way that an RS should, the answer would be sure. I think customers love performance. I think the definition of what that means for an SUV might be different than what it means for a Focus or for a Fiesta. But I think that we’ve seen, even in the US and globally, that people like aggressive-looking cars, they like sporty, they want the power and pick-up and engine improvement, so I think the answer is yes. SUV customers would appreciate performance, for sure."
This is not by any means a definite yes. Pericak says he's not impressed with the current crop of performance SUVs on the market. "There are people who have made partial attempts at it and there are different things that have happened, but there are no real credible ones. So, I think that’s an area of some opportunity, for sure." Ford looking in to this opens up a range of possibilities. If done properly, a line of RS SUVs (RSUV?) would be welcomed beyond the "enthusiast" niche market.
What would it mean for an SUV to be optioned in RS trim? Could you take your Ford Escape to a track day? Would it give a Ford Edge sportier handling on the road? Would one be able to take the EcoSport off-road like the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk? Most importantly, could we see a 2020 Ford Bronco RS with "Drift Mode"?
