Sold for 46 years, the Ford Fiesta has become a true icon of the supermini segment. It spans seven generations and has taken many forms, including three- and five-door hatchbacks, sedans, and even vans. It seems that subcompact models are sadly short for this world, according to a worrying report published today by Auto Express. British journalists claim an announcement from the Blue Oval of the Fiesta’s death is imminent.
Citing a source close to the company, AE have learned Ford will notify “certain parties” that production of the Fiesta will end in the first half of next year. When contacted by the magazine, the automaker declined to comment on the car’s possible discontinuation: “We are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification and are therefore reviewing our vehicle portfolio in line with our business strategy. We do not comment on speculation and will share more. information in the coming months.”
The Fiesta is built at the Cologne plant in Germany where Ford plans to build an EV based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB architecture. It is worth mentioning that Puma’s small crossover ride is on the same platform as the Fiesta and will get an electric version in 2024 which will be assembled in Craiova, Romania alongside the ICE model.
Ford has simplified the Fiesta lineup by trimming the three-door model, echoing similar decisions taken by the VW and Stellantis Groups with their subcompact hatches in light of falling sales of less practical body styles.
AE citing Ford Europe and Chief Transformation and Quality Officer Stuart Rowley hinting that the B-segment hatch could return someday: “This is not the end of the journey. We will only sell electric passenger cars by 2030. We look forward to developing plans for the future.”
More than 16 million Fiestas have been sold since its launch in the mid-1970s, making it one of Ford’s best-selling products ever. A facelift for the Mk7 was introduced last year with matrix LED headlights and slightly more torque for the hot hatch ST. It seems that this tweak hasn’t rejuvenated sales in a market that continues to be obsessed with crossovers.
As a final note, the larger Focus is also on its deathbed as Ford has confirmed production will end in 2025.
