Ford planning to get ‘hot’

FORD’S global director of performance has revealed the brand is seriously considering making hot RS versions of its SUVs.

In the clearest possible hint yet that the Blue Oval is planning performance versions of its 4x4s, performance chief Dave Pericak said he feels there’s definitely “an opportunity” to be explored.

Asked if an RS badge could ever work on a Ford SUV, he 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.”

Audi has ventured into the performance SUV market with its SQ5 and SQ7 models, while the likes of Porsche have offered hot versions of its Macan and Cayenne models for years.

However, Pericak isn’t impressed with the current performance SUV offerings - hinting further that if Ford was to do a RS version, it would be a true performance car.

Most likely to get the RS treatment would be the Kuga.