The Ford Focus And Fiesta Are Officially Dead

Dec. 14, 2022 1:58 PM ET by Michael Butler Industry News / 10 Comments

Forever.

The Ford Focus and Fiesta will not receive the electric treatment and are set to retire forever.

Ford has been at the forefront of electrification, with some popular models such as the Ford F-150 and Mustang enjoying an electric re-birth in the form of the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E.

In a conversation with Italy's Quattroroute, a Ford executive confirmed that the Fiesta would cease to exist by 2023, with the Ford Focus following in 2025. "We have no plans for an electric Fiesta and Focus. After all, the market is changing, and the days of sedans and station wagons are over," said Martin Sander, the man in charge of Ford's European electric car division.

2016-2018 Ford Focus RS Front Three-Quarter Right Side View

The Ford Focus has had an impressive legacy: having started life in 1998, this compact hatchback has been offered in various configurations, including the fiery RS.

The Fiesta has come an even longer way, starting life back in 1976 at the same time as the Punk wave was hitting the UK. The steady decline of popularity in small hatchbacks, especially in the US, has driven these types of cars out of the limelight, with compact crossover SUVs taking their spot as family haulers and grocery getters.

Ford Europe sold 456,000 Fiesta and 309,000 Focus models in 2009. By 2021, those figures had declined to 82,000 and 101,000, respectively. Eventually, the UK had to pull the plug on the Fiesta and Fiesta ST to make room for EV production.

2016-2018 Ford Focus RS Rear Three-Quarter Left Side View

Ford tends to reinvent old models, and the Ford Puma, a popular name in Europe, was brought back as a compact crossover. It seems to be a suitable replacement for the dearly departed Fiesta ST, but it's unavailable in the USA.

The decision by Ford not to reinvent these cars as EV models has left the market open for other builders of small cars. Companies such as Opel and Fiat have already begun work on small city-focused EVs with shorter ranges and quick charging times.

Ford says it will take a more "American" approach to market its cars in Europe, including pushing crossovers and SUVs. This is a sad day for Ford fans who grew up with these fun small cars, but demand and new regulations have relegated them to the automotive graveyard.

On the plus side, if you have a Focus ST/RS or Fiesta ST, you should hold onto it. Now that these cars are dead, their values can only increase.