July 7, Ford has ceased production of the Fiesta, which is officially out of production after 47 years of a career. The stop has been known for a long time. Falling sales, increasingly tight margins in this segment, and a market that is shifting its preference towards crossover/SUV models have led the blue oval house to decide to put an end to the history of this model.
Inside the Cologne factoryIn Germany, the Fiesta will be replaced by a new Explorer SUV based on OIE platform Volkswagen concern. What if the farewell was really just a goodbye? As you know, the agreement with the Germans will allow Ford to build two electric vehicles on the MEB platform.
However, the Volkswagen Group has also developed a modified version of this platform, dubbed OIE record which will serve as the basis for its future electric “small” cars, such as the production version of the Volkswagen ID. 2all. Given the relationship between Ford and the German manufacturer, one might wonder if cooperation also cannot be extended to use this new platform to allow Ford to revive the Fiesta as an electric model.
However, there is nothing concrete at the moment, Ford does not seem to rule out such a possibility a priori.. As noted Martin Sandergeneral manager of the Ford Model and Europe division, nothing was decided during an interview with Automotive News, but the possibility cannot be ruled out.
Ford has a very constructive and positive partnership with Volkswagen and we may be exploring ways to take it to the next level. Nothing is decided, but I don’t want to rule it out.
A collaboration between Ford and Volkswagen could actually allow the blue oval home to also gain access to the German group’s “small” electric vehicle platform. However, at present seems to be just an idea and nothing moreat least hear Sander’s statements.
Moreover, the same manager stressed that smaller cars have lower margins and that Ford in Europe is not as big as the Volkswagen Group or Stellantis.
Smaller cars have lower margins. We don’t have the size of Volkswagen Group or Stellantis in Europe. Smaller models like the Fiesta are no longer the heart of Ford.
Ford is also working on its new electric vehicle platform, which will debut in America first. Cars developed on this platform will also be assembled in Europe, in Valencia. To take advantage of economies of scale, the goal is to make vehicles as global as possible.
Our first priority is to bring our platform and technology to Europe because I really believe we are building a very, very competitive platform. It is easy to create a model with very little investment to make it more suitable for a particular part of the world. This is clearly part of our plan. But we will not create a passenger car only for Europe.
Will there be an electric Ford Fiesta? It remains only to wait, even if the possibilities seem very few.
Source: HD Motori
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.