TheaterFire

Ford Interview: Why The Fiesta Had To Die In Europe

Posted by Cristiano1@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 66 comments

Reply to Post

66 Comments

vakantiehuisopwielen@reddit

>It wasn’t so much about moving on from the past. The reality is that there are emissions regulations of all kinds, and you always have to decide whether to keep spending money there or spend it somewhere else. Every dollar can only be spent once. And at that time, the industry’s general perception was that EV adoption would grow much faster. That led people to think investing in older technology wasn’t as sensible. >Also, as I tried to describe earlier, model fragmentation kept shrinking volumes at our plant. At some point, you have to say it’s no longer worth it. That’s what ultimately drove the decision. We know that many customers love the Fiesta, but we’re a business, and we have to pay the bills. From a financial perspective, at the time, the company concluded it didn’t make sense. That's just BS, Hyundai decided to make another i20, despite them making good EV decisions. Renault just built another Clio, despite them making so-so EV decisions Stellantis still has many models in this class, and made an EV out of them as well.. VAG stil had the Fabia, Polo, Ibiza, and one class bigger they're pretty far with EV's. And I believe the Fiesta was one of the better selling ones Ford just shot themselves in the foot and don't have a nice volume model anymore. Ford is extremely lagging in EV's, so the fact they would be aiming for EV's makes no sense. All other brands did both, and are succeeding. Ford is failing.
View on Reddit #86762820

Simon_787@reddit

No, you're wrong. Ford MEB EVs are just criminally underrated. We can tell by how you claim that "Stellantis EVs sell" while "the EU Explorer is a disaster", even though the EU Explorer outsold literally every Stellantis Vehicle in Q1; except the E-C3, which is a terrible car, and the Leapmotor T03, which is literally Chinese.
View on Reddit #86923009

Simon_787@reddit

Except Ford EVs are selling, probably because they're just good cars. Better than almost any Stellantis EV, honestly.
View on Reddit #86922688

pinezatos@reddit

fiesta MK8 owner here, seeing them keeping the puma and discontinuing the fiesta was the classic dumb move of SUVs sell more. The puma isn't an SUV not even a crossover, it's literally the chassis of a fiesta lifted and the new generation of ST having only 150-160 HP is a joke while costing more than a fiesta (typical SUV tax) while the previous generation was faster. Thanks to them the fiestas, especially the STs cost more, the 8.5 has retained its value having many KMs on the dash like it just came out of the dealership, it was the most fun to drive in its category because of its driving characteristics. What a dumb move to stop making it.
View on Reddit #86765317

TunakTun633@reddit

SUVs \*profit more
View on Reddit #86864144

vakantiehuisopwielen@reddit

Well, they could make an EV out of the Puma. Plus they saw VW’s T-Roc to be successful. I totally get why they wanted that thing. But I don’t get why they killed the Fiesta mk8 -at all-. Same with the Focus, a lot of people still want a wagon or hatchback that size.
View on Reddit #86782765

DSP27@reddit

They actually make an EV Puma, it's call the Puma Gen-E
View on Reddit #86784972

vakantiehuisopwielen@reddit

That’s what I meant. They also wanted the Puma, because they could make an EV with the extra height.
View on Reddit #86785161

V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit

It's same point when they decided to kill Fusion/Mondeo. They decided that because car market in the whole world is moving to SUV and crossover model. Yes, they're right to do that, but Ford just killed their sedan and hatchback models too early, they didn't expect these market changing slowly.
View on Reddit #86766104

desf15@reddit

Fiesta and focus is debatable, but Mondeo just was selling like shit and killing was imo fully justified. It went from over 200k Europe sales per year in early 2000s to sth like 20-30k in last years of production if I remember correctly.
View on Reddit #86783600

pinezatos@reddit

Mondeo right now is very underated, especially the last models, you get a lot of car for the money, you are also right that they didn't sell.
View on Reddit #86840122

SerialExperimentLean@reddit

The Mondeo had terrible sales numbers for years before they killed it to be fair to ford. 
View on Reddit #86808286

ThatOneBitch02@reddit

So they can't make one compact hatchback because of emissions, but can make like 50 suvs? Sure. There's literally no new equivalent to the fiesta st in the us from any brand, which sucks because that car is the perfect size for me. The golf and gr corolla are both a size bigger, closer to the focus, which is a little bigger than I like. I like my fiesta st but they're kinda built like shit and already starting to fall apart
View on Reddit #86767822

Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

While the GRC is definitely bigger than the Fiesta, it still feel pretty compact imo. Would be cool if they offered the GRY here, but I know that's never gonna happen. Sounds like that might be perfect for your needs.
View on Reddit #86806550

ThatOneBitch02@reddit

I would LOVE a gr yaris. I don't really need a backseat so idc about it being 2 door, and the awd would be great because driving fwd in snow kinda sucks. It's annoying they never brought it here
View on Reddit #86831103

Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

It is, but i can understand why they didn't. For one it would be insanely expensive for them to federalize it for the US. Then you have the lack of demand that's not gonna offset said cost. 2 door hatches have never traditionally sold well in the US. People who want a hatch want 4 doors and people who want 2 doors don't want a hatchback. Sucks for the minority of people who want both. I would definitely recommend trying out a GRC. They're so much fun and successfully capture that rowdy hot hatch magic that made the Fiesta ST so good.
View on Reddit #86837538

RessurectedAccount@reddit

The puma is a pos? Really. You've never driven one have you?
View on Reddit #86778149

vakantiehuisopwielen@reddit

Yes. Regards driving it’s probably just a Fiesta (same platform, engines etc), but a little less agile due to height and weight. It’s a POS IMHO, because I think it’s ugly, and it probably caused the fate of the Fiesta. They could make an EV out of it. And a small crossover is ‘cool’. While all other brands just kept their regular hatchback as well, Ford just killed it
View on Reddit #86782295

rnc_turbo@reddit

Fiesta was barely breaking even at best and being manufactured in one of the most expensive regions of Europe. Puma, built in a cheap region, still selling well. And no money in the pot to develop a replacement whilst the German plant was shifted to meet BEV demand that didn't materialise. A fine mess frankly.
View on Reddit #86833660

RessurectedAccount@reddit

Its literally one of the best small cuvs you can buy. And they've already made an ev out of it. So you haven't got a fucking clue what you're talking about. The fact you don't like the look of it is irrelevant to whether the car is good or not. Its objectively a good vehicle.
View on Reddit #86787909

verdegrrl@reddit

Civility is required. Thanks.
View on Reddit #86805257

klowny@reddit

Because the Focus and Fiesta were built on a Mazda platform, and they sold Mazda. So they went from having all the work done for them for a sedan platform, to basically starting from scratch for a dying segment.
View on Reddit #86764235

rnc_turbo@reddit

Nonsense.
View on Reddit #86833457

vakantiehuisopwielen@reddit

Disagree. The Focus mk4 was on a new platform. Focus mk4 shares a lot with Kuga/Escape, Bronco sport. The Fiesta mk8 was still on the older platform, but the Puma is as well. Also there was no need for a new Fiesta yet.
View on Reddit #86764769

Thomas_633_Mk2@reddit

Idk where he got Mazda designing the sedans either, the Fiesta Mk6 has a sedan but the DY 2 doesn't, the Ford sedan came first and Mazda didn't offer a supermini sedan between the bubble 121 and the DE
View on Reddit #86788720

joe0400@reddit

Kuga is the ZH Escape for American readers. All the others are unique to Europe. Also of note, Ford of Europe is essentially a different company to Ford of America. That's why almost none (and now none, US does not have the escape anymore) of the same car.
View on Reddit #86765740

MagicTomatoes@reddit

Do we have a ZH Escape in USA? I thought that was an Australia one? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford\_Escape](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Escape) # Australia The fourth-generation Escape became available in Australia in the third quarter of 2020, designated as the ZH series.[^(\[117\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Escape#cite_note-117) While marketed as the Escape, the Australian model adopts the exterior styling from the European Kuga as the vehicles are sourced from Spain and Germany.[^(\[118\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Escape#cite_note-118) Powertrain options include a 2.0-litre *EcoBoost* gasoline engine and a 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid. Trim levels offered are standard, ST-Line, and [Vignale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vignale).[^(\[119\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Escape#cite_note-119) Ford discontinued the Escape in Australia in 2023 due to poor sales, and is being indirectly replaced by the electric [Mustang Mach-E](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_Mach-E).[^(\[120\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Escape#cite_note-120)
View on Reddit #86803411

ALaLaLa98@reddit

>The Puma is just a high thing, and fugly as EV. The irony of all this is that the Puma is, infamously, just a Fiesta underneath. So the Fiesta that "didn't make sense anymore" argument is, at best, a lie.
View on Reddit #86802206

halfwagaltium@reddit

they thought people would take the Explorer as a company car because of the 0,25% rule in germany, looks like nobody wants an expensive ford as a company car, when the Enyaq exists.
View on Reddit #86789177

vakantiehuisopwielen@reddit

Also the Explorer is just an Id4/Enyaq in ugly clothes. Ford says they were aiming for EV’s.. but where the f is their own EV strategy then?!
View on Reddit #86793686

halfwagaltium@reddit

EVERYBODY except the managers said axing the Fiesta in Cologne is and was a mistake. From having 3 Shifts inclunding weekends. they went to 1 shift because NOBODY wants a 40k ford.
View on Reddit #86794807

UmaThurmish@reddit

yeah, regulations wouldn't have affected the fiesta for quite some time after that.
View on Reddit #86792862

Futt_Buckman@reddit

>Every dollar can only be spent once Whatever happened to "you gotta spend money to make money"?
View on Reddit #86763024

The_Crazy_Swede@reddit

They went for the "we gotta save money so we don't have to make money.
View on Reddit #86776195

an_alex_at_a_time@reddit

Hey now, they can't say that if they keep wanting to make the excuses.
View on Reddit #86763372

vakantiehuisopwielen@reddit

Indeed, and it's not like the Fiesta needed *that* many upgrades
View on Reddit #86763312

Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

Ford killed it off too early in the US too. Shame as it was a really fun car. The ST i test drove was a blast. The definition of hot hatch.
View on Reddit #86763805

StableManticorePilot@reddit

Got a 14 fiesta st, love the hell out of the little boost bean. It's got just shy of 100k on it now though. Debating if I want to put a new, built engine in it or trade up to something nice like a Golf R.
View on Reddit #86901579

Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

I vote if you want another rowdy boosty hot hatch, the GRC is the way to go. Biased of course lol
View on Reddit #86901859

StableManticorePilot@reddit

I've thought about it, but if I trade out the fist it's gonna be for a more up market car. The grc is cool, but the golf R is just so much nicer inside.
View on Reddit #86901954

Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

Fair point. For me the R is way too bland for my liking. Sounds like a kitchen appliance and imo it's not as fun to drive. Definitely a better all rounder, but I personally prioritize fun and personality.
View on Reddit #86902482

StableManticorePilot@reddit

I've got my bikes for hooligan energy. The golf R is more what I want out of a car these days, nice, comfortable, unassuming, still pretty fast.
View on Reddit #86918104

amiga1@reddit

my understanding was that it sold like shit there. Not surprising really when you're sharing the road with an F250.
View on Reddit #86835132

Roboticpoultry@reddit

Ford and other manufacturers killing off their small cars, or in some cases, all their cars has been a boon for Hyundai/Kia
View on Reddit #86770210

Larcye@reddit

The korean company's 100% profited from Fords stupidity. I see K4/K5's everywhere and the people I know who drove Fusions and Focuses, bought K4/K5's. And will probally buy Sportages/Sorentos or Tellurides if they need something bigger later on. Meanwhile Ford has been canceling SUV after SUV becuese the Fusion/Focus people that they thought would just buy an SUV, have not bought one of their SUV's.
View on Reddit #86812781

Paumanok@reddit

I heard they were killing the focus and ST in a year and went out and bought one brand new with some money saved. Got a killer deal, 24k out the door in 2016. Fully paid off, haven't hit 50k yet. I figure I get another 15 years out of the last great American hot hatch as long as they keep selling gasoline.
View on Reddit #86804884

Egg_Tart_Eater@reddit

I'd love to buy a new Focus ST.
View on Reddit #86766172

Bart9000@reddit

One of the biggest mistakes Ford has made by dicontinuing the Fiesta in UK and Europe
View on Reddit #86867425

Tumbleweedwhacker@reddit

Where I live it's was Ford most selling car. To kill off the best selling model is just plain nonsense if you ask me. Granted it not as big a market as the States or China, but in any market where it is the best selling model you take that profit and try to make more out of it. Not just cancel it, that was a stupid decision.
View on Reddit #86854831

Celsius1234@reddit

It didn’t. Just like Polo etc. By moving away from the b segment they left a lot of money on the table to go to others.
View on Reddit #86781238

Life_Yesterday_7008@reddit

No-one makes a lot of money in the b segment. Especially with all the expensive safety tech that's required today. 
View on Reddit #86842480

Tankninja1@reddit

Because Jim Farley is the worst CEO in the automotive industry[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Farley_(businessman))
View on Reddit #86813675

Does_Not_Use_Clothes@reddit

They killed the wrong Farley
View on Reddit #86829589

optitmus@reddit

Because Europe has idiotic emissions laws, next question.
View on Reddit #86783624

gtfckdbrnlssbts@reddit

because Ford couldn't adapt while all others obviously could
View on Reddit #86806546

V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit

TL:DR, they killed Fiesta because of design and production cost and Europe emission regulations. >Yes, but not necessarily. We can also take the platform and install it somewhere else. It obviously depends on the partner and what we agree with them. But in this case, yes. And the reason is very simple—and it’s no secret: the smaller the vehicles get, the thinner the margins become. Bring it to America plz although Alpine is still planning to come America.
View on Reddit #86766405

Hustletron@reddit

Ford abandoned everything but the highest margins everywhere. Ironically it’s gonna make them more exposed on their high profit items as competitors join ranks on those markets.
View on Reddit #86770719

UmaThurmish@reddit

they just wanted the suv and truck market that is high margin in the U.S.
View on Reddit #86792899

seppuku_related@reddit

That's very basically what happened, they realised they were selling enough of the puma which is just a slightly raised fiesta, but they can charge €10k more for the privilege.
View on Reddit #86784049

ItalianCoffeeMorning@reddit

Why don’t they make an electric Fiesta? “FiEsta” it’ll sell like crazy. But wait this is Ford, they’ll reinvent the Fiesta as a mini SUV
View on Reddit #86786114

metallicadefender@reddit

I dont know why they move on from models. What is the smaller Ford Car now? I dont even know. They should still be using the Escort or Cortina name because its got nostalgia and pedigree and racing heritage. The Fiesta/Focus should have been called the Escort. Whatever the small car is now should be called the Escort.
View on Reddit #86783974

alien_farmer1@reddit

Fiesta isnt that good but I cannot understand why they killed Focus. It was the best in class.
View on Reddit #86781578

baronvonpennytree@reddit

Ford is a testament to letting the insatiable appetite for profit destroy engineering, design and common sense. Instead of planning for the future, they’d rather make gas guzzling farm equipment, add some leather seating and charge $60,000 a pop. And what’s even worse is that consumers are dumb enough to buy them.
View on Reddit #86775769

mrteas_nz@reddit

It's a really long winded way of saying 'we made a bad choice because we misjudged everything'.
View on Reddit #86770605

DocPhilMcGraw@reddit

>That’s why it makes perfect sense to run vehicles on the same platform down the same line. That way, you can fully utilize all the robots and equipment in place, achieving much higher cost efficiency than installing 100,000 units here, 100,000 there, and 100,000 somewhere else. That’s the strategy. I know I’ve said this before but it always puzzled me why Ford didn’t double down on the Focus and build a lineup of vehicles that shared 80% of the same parts between them. You could’ve already had a Crosstrek/Impreza competitor with a Focus/[Focus Active](https://www.parkers.co.uk/ford/focus/active-hatchback/review/) duo. Then you could’ve added a [lifted wagon version](https://www.reddit.com/r/FordFocus/s/CQGNapa68L) to compete with the Outback. The Transit Connect, which was a very popular vehicle as well, was pretty much based around the Focus as well. I mean just the Focus alone as a base vehicle could’ve given you 4 different vehicles that could share around 70-80% of the same parts and allow for them to be in different segments without having to necessarily invest a ton of money to do so. And now you have car manufacturers like Stellantis realizing they abandoned the bottom of the market and have to play catch up to reintroduce low cost options again.
View on Reddit #86767719

lurpeli@reddit

This is all just bullshit fluff. They knew about these regulations for years and decided not to try and meet them and then cry that they can't sell their cars because they don't meet regulations
View on Reddit #86765410