It was only a month ago that a new generation of Ford’s extreme Focus RS hatchback was looking doubtful because of a lack of resources in Europe where the car was being developed. However, the latest comments from a senior Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] exec suggest that a new Focus RS is very much on the Blue Oval’s agenda.

“I can’t give you any confirmation today, but let’s say there’s a strong desire,” Ford of Europe COO Barb Samardzich told Auto Express. “Something like that makes a great halo car.”

A company spokesman backed up those comments by stating that Ford has a rich heritage of RS cars, and that designers in Europe were fully focused on the future of the automaker’s performance strategy.

The current Focus has just undergone a facelift but a new generation is due in 2017. That means a new Focus RS would have to be launched either next year or 2016 at the latest. You may recall that the previous Focus RS was launched towards end of the previous Focus’s product cycle, so Ford may do the same with the latest one.

If built, expect the new Focus RS to come equipped with the 2015 Mustang’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, with output capped at 330 horsepower. Ford hasn’t revealed final specs for its Mustang but said its four-banger will deliver over 305 horsepower. The previous Focus RS delivered as much as 345 horsepower from a turbocharged five-cylinder mill. Like that car, any new Focus RS is also likely to come with front-wheel drive only.

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