Ford puts an end to production of Focus hatch in Europe

Three years ago, Ford announced they were shutting down the factory that makes the Focus nameplate in Germany. Well, the Blue Oval did walk the talk, as the compact model is officially no more.

The final Ford Focus has rolled off the Saarlouis plant assembly line in Germany, marking an end to the nameplate that lasted for 27 years. According to Volker Eis, Ford Europe’s Manager of Corporate Communications, the final Focus was a white five-door hatchback.

The Focus is the latest to be axed from the Ford lineup in Europe, as the smaller Fiesta hatchback was discontinued in 2023, along with the Mondeo and the Ka from years back. That leaves Ford without a standard passenger car in its European lineup, which now only consists of commercial vehicles and crossovers.

Likewise, the German factory that makes the Focus is facing a bleak future. It has lost out to the Valencia factory in making Ford EVs, and the Blue Oval is yet to find a possible suitor to keep its lights on.

With the Focus out of the picture, Ford’s market share in Europe is set to drop further as they are yet to announce a replacement. CEO Jim Farley says profit margins on passenger cars are too small to justify further development in Europe, even though other brands continue to find success selling traditional cars such as the Dacia Sandero, Volkswagen Golf, and Renault Clio, which rank as Europe’s top three best-selling cars.

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