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2012 Ford Focus To Forego Three-door Style

Hot-hatch enthusiasts awaiting news of a 2012 Focus XR4 Turbo can scratch hopes for a three-door variant, with Ford confirming that only four- and five-door models are planned.

Speaking to US magazine Automobile this week, Ford's Mark Schirmer


Hot-hatch enthusiasts awaiting news of a 2012 Focus XR4 Turbo can scratch hopes for a three-door variant, with Ford confirming that only four- and five-door models are planned.

Speaking to US magazine Automobile this week, Ford's Mark Schirmer made no bones about ruling out any sportier-looking shapes for the new Focus.

"There are no plans for any coupe or three-door hatch or whatever you want to call it," Schirmer said. "All the new models will have four doors. If anything like it exists, it's so skunk works that none of my contacts in the US or Europe have heard of it."

Despite traditional rivals the Opel Astra VXRGolf GTI and the Audi S3 maintaining the option in their line-ups, Schirmer pointed to a diminishing demand for three-door models as the driving force behind Ford's decision to leave it out of the Focus range.

When (or if) the Focus XR4 Turbo arrives in five-door form, it'll be in good company, including Mazda's 3 MPS, the Subaru WRX hatch and the Lancer Ralliart hatch.

The news follows the unveiling back in October of the Focus ST preview concept, powered by Ford's turbo-charged 2.0 litre EcoBoost engine. Producing 184kW, the ST is likely (though not confirmed) to come to Australia as the XR4 Turbo - rather than wearing the old XR5 Turbo badge.

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