[Auto] Ford Fiesta production set to end next year

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The Ford Fiesta could be discontinued as early as next year because it won't get an electric successor, a report has claimed.

The supermini has fallen out of favour with the British public in recent years, with buyers flocking to the rival Vauxhall Corsa – the UK’s best-selling car in 2021 – and the Ford Puma crossover.

The Puma is the third-best-selling model in the UK so far this year, trailing only the Nissan Qashqai and the Corsa.

Meanwhile, the Fiesta doesn't feature in the top 10 best-sellers to date, despite a recent facelift. 

It was speculated earlier this year that Ford earns more from Lego licensing deals than the hatchback.

This trend is mirrored in Europe: according to data from Jato Dynamics, Fiesta sales by the end of August were down 45% compared with 2021 levels, at 38,911 units.

Meanwhile, Puma sales were down 14% compared with the same point in 2021, at 90,893 units.

In August alone, the Puma placed 12th for European sales, with 9891 examples leaving showrooms. The Fiesta failed to place in the top 50, at just 2735 units.

The Fiesta could be axed as early as 2023, The Sun has reported, likely to make way for the Puma EV launching in 2024. This would bring to an end a 46-year history spanning eight generations.

Autocar understands that an official announcement regarding the Fiesta’s future is imminent.

Ford said in a statement: “We are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification and therefore review our vehicle portfolio in line with our business strategy. We do not comment on speculation and will share more information in the coming months.”

This follows June’s news that production of the larger Ford Focus will come to an end in 2025, without a direct successor tipped for production.

It's instead expected to be replaced by an electric crossover – one of four new EVs due by 2024 – to sit between the Puma EV and the existing Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Arriving in 2023, this model may be based on the Volkswagen ID 4 and be built at Ford’s new state-of-the-art EV manufacturing centre in Cologne, Germany.

A similar model, expected to be a coupé-bodied sports SUV based on the Volkswagen ID 5, will follow the year after.

Ford of Europe boss Stuart Rowley said in March: “Let me assure you these products will absolutely look like Fords, drive like Fords and the experiences that we provide will give customers unique purchase and ownership experiences.”

The company expects to sell some 600,000 EVs annually by 2026 under its Ford Model E division, which operates separately from its ICE car and commercial vehicle divisions (Ford Blue and Ford Pro, respectively).

Ford previously stated that it will sell only EVs in Europe from 2030.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ford-fiesta-production-set-end-next-year