Ford considers all-wheel drive hybrid layout for next Focus RS

The next generation Ford Focus RS could get four-wheel drive and an environmental boost if plans to mount an electric motor on the car's rear axle become a reality.

The manufacturer has already confirmed it will build a new version of the ST model, with the car likely to get a tuned version of the 200bhp 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine already featured in the S-Max and Mondeo.

The RS version of the latest Focus is only in the conceptual stage, but Autocar has it from senior sources at Ford that the team behind the car are considering the benefits of the all-wheel drive hybrid layout already adopted by Peugeot on its 508 saloon.