Ford has been ruthlessly dropping some of its most iconic names in Europe (EU) in recent years. This year, another fan-favourite will be hitting the chopping block, and it’s the Ford Focus. Production for the Ford Focus is slated to end in November, with no mention of what its successor will be yet.
The discontinuation of the Ford Focus’ 27-year legacy will join the names of the Ford Fiesta hatchback and Ford Mondeo sedan, which were last sold in 2023 and 2022 respectively before being axed.
Why the blue oval made the decision to discontinue a car with so much history in the EU is still up for debate. However, in an interview with CAR magazine, Ford CEO Jim Farley states that the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion (Mondeo), and Taurus models, weren’t bestsellers to invest more money into producing another new model or facelift.
Additionally, the American carmaker believes that the more iconic nameplates like the Mustang, Raptor, and Bronco are much better investments in the long run. Supposedly, Farley wants Ford to “[get] out of the boring-car business and into the iconic-vehicle business”. Farley even said in the interview that he is confident that the Mustang can take the fight to Porsche directly.
Suffice to say, it seems that the Dearborn carmaker would rather spend more time and effort in making high-performance Mustangs, Ranger and F-150 Raptors, and Broncos instead.
READ: Ford Mustang GTD becomes the first American car to crack 7 minutes at the Nurburgring
According to Motor1, Ford PR execs reassured European customers that orders for the Focus will still be open. But once the order book is closed for good, prospective buyers will have to resort to buying whatever stock is left over instead. After that, the Ford Focus is gone from European sales floors for good.
While it’s still on sale, the standard Ford Focus in Europe is available with three engine options in six different configurations: A 1.0-litre EcoBoost mild-hybrid with 125 hp or 155 hp power outputs, a 1.0-litre EcoBoost pure petrol engine with 100 hp or 125 hp power outputs, and 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel engine with 95 hp or 120 hp power outputs.
For the Ford Focus ST, you can have it in any engine configuration you want, as long as it is a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine with 280 hp and 420 Nm of torque. Which goes from 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds.
The Ford Focus RS, unfortunately, has been dead in Europe ever since the pandemic hit in 2020. Ford has also officially stated that they have no plans for a fourth-generation Focus RS.
Ford’s current offerings in Europe right now include a variety of ICE and electrified models like the Kuga, Puma, Explorer, Capri, Bronco, Mustang, Mustang Mach-E, and the Ranger in both ICE and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants. This is then followed up with a diverse selection of Transit and Tourneo vans in both ICE and EV configurations.
READ: The new Ford Ranger PHEV will let you drive in pure electric mode for up to 45 km
