On April 4, Ford assembled the last Mondeo at its plant in Valencia after five generations and three decades of continuous production. It didn't take too long until reports began to cast doubts on the Focus' future, with Automotive News Europe's sister magazine Automobilwoche saying production would be greatly reduced after August 29. Why? Well, you can blame your neighbors for buying all those crossovers to the detriment of traditional cars.

As it turns out, it's much worse than that for the Volkswagen Golf rival as the compact model will be discontinued altogether in 2025. It effectively means the facelifted Mk4 is the last of the breed as there aren't any plans about a potential revival of the once hugely popular moniker in the EV era. As a side note – the Focus was offered as an electric hatchback during the Mk3 era.

In an interview today with journalists, Ford of Europe's head honcho Stuart Rowley confirmed the planned demise of the Focus. It looks as though the future of the Saarlouis plant in Germany is uncertain as the Blue Oval admits it has not found a solution to keep the factory up and running following the car's termination in roughly three years' time:

"We're seeking other alternative opportunities for vehicle production at Saarlouis, including [selling to] other manufacturers. We don't have in our planning cycle an additional model that goes into Saarlouis."

Mind you, both the Mondeo and Focus are also built in China for the local market. As a matter of fact, the midsize model recently transitioned to a new generation, which means it's going to be available for a long time in the People’s Republic. The smaller car went through a nip and tuck, thus also suggesting it's sticking around.

In the meantime, the global Focus has been hit hard by the supply shortages, causing wait times to surpass 12 months. One of the main problems stems from the SYNC4 infotainment system made in war-torn Ukraine, thus causing massive delays.

Stuart Rowley admitted there will be "significant" job cuts at the Saarlouis where Ford employs 4,600 people.

One by one, Ford of Europe's iconic nameplates are dying. The final Mondeo (aka Fusion in the US) was built in April 2022, followed by the last Fiesta in July 2023. Later this year, the Focus will also be retired. In an e-mail to Motor1, the company's European Communications Manager, Finn Thomasen, announced that production of the Focus will end in November. Sadly, there are no plans for a direct successor.

Ford PR tells us that customers can still order a new Focus precisely how they want it, but with the end of production at the Saarlouis plant in Germany looming, it won't be long before the order books are shut. After that, you'll be limited to whatever's left in the inventory.

Ford’s hot hatch journey began with a modest attempt in 1980, when the Fiesta Supersport was launched. Things got more serious the following year with the beefier Fiesta XR2. However, it was the 1984 Escort RS that truly cemented the company’s contribution to this exciting niche of practical performance cars. 45 years after the Supersport, the Blue Oval is now exiting the segment. After the Fiesta ST was discontinued a couple of years ago, the Focus ST has now followed suit.

In a statement to Motor1, Ford confirmed that new Focus ST orders are no longer being accepted. The company’s European Communications Manager, Finn Thomasen, stated: “All Focus ST factory orders until the end of production have now been reserved.” This disappointing news follows a recent announcement from Ford UK about the retirement of its last remaining hot hatch.

Although configuring a new Focus ST is no longer possible, Thomasen mentioned that unsold vehicles are still available in most European markets. As previously reported, production of the Focus and its derivatives will cease in November. Once that happens, Ford will be left without a regular car in Europe, where the Fiesta was retired in 2023, the Mondeo in 2022, and the tiny Ka in 2020.

Sure, the Mustang remains, but it’s ultimately a niche product. The pony car’s 5.0-liter V-8 is both a blessing and a curse. While it’s an excellent naturally aspirated powertrain, high EU taxes on large-displacement engines make it a tough sell. The smaller, turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder was pulled from the European market at the end of 2020.

With the Ka, Fiesta, and Mondeo already gone and Focus production winding down, Ford’s European sales continue to decline. According to figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), deliveries through April decreased by 2.2% to 149,601 units across the EU, the UK, and the EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). For perspective, Volkswagen sold 488,033 cars in the same period. Even South Korea’s Kia and Hyundai surpassed Ford, with 183,095 and 174,106 units delivered, respectively.

Whether new models are on the horizon, let alone another hot hatch, is unclear. The combustion-engine era appears to be winding down, so any future performance offering would likely need to be electric. VW’s sales and marketing chief, and former Ford of Europe head, Martin Sanders, has hinted at the possibility of Ford gaining more access to the MEB platform to develop new models. These would follow the ID.4/Explorer and ID.5/Capri.

Still, it’s too early to say whether Ford will launch something akin to the ID.3, or the upcoming ID.2 and ID.1. VW has committed to electric GTI models, so perhaps one day the Fiesta ST or Focus ST could return as EVs. Meanwhile, crossovers like the Puma and Kuga must do the heavy lifting in the EU, EFTA, and UK regions, where Ford's market share is currently at 3.4% or roughly three times less than VW's.