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Changes are coming to the automotive world, and unfortunately, they are not always joyful. Ford of Europe continues to lose its legendary models, and this time it is the Focus' turn. After the Mondeo and Fiesta, which have already become history, the Focus will also end its life cycle in November this year. The sad news came from Ford representatives, who confirmed that a direct successor for this model is not planned, informs Autopilot.
The decision marks the end of an era for Ford in Europe, as the Focus has been one of the company's most successful cars since its debut in 1998. It is a worthy successor to the Escort, another iconic Ford model. It is particularly sad that the hot hatchback Focus ST, one of the last cars in its class to offer a manual transmission, will be gone.
But why did Ford decide to abandon the Focus? The company’s CEO, Jim Farley, attributes it to a desire to move from “boring cars” to “iconic cars.” While the Focus was popular with customers, it wasn’t generating enough revenue to justify further investment. Ford decided to focus on more profitable models like the Bronco, Tremor, Raptor and Mustang.
As of Motor1, the disappearance of the Focus means that Ford is effectively leaving the mainstream passenger car market in Europe, following a strategy the company has already adopted in the U.S. However, unlike the American market, where Ford offers the Mustang, in Europe the car is a niche product due to high taxes on high-emission vehicles.
Ford's sales in Europe continue to fall, and the disappearance of the Focus is unlikely to improve the situation. However, the company hopes that its Puma and Kuga crossovers, as well as electric vehicles, can compensate for the loss of the popular hatchback.
Of course, sales aren't the only measure of success, as profitability also plays a role. But for many Ford fans, including myself, the demise of the Focus is a sad event.
