A very successful chapter in Ford of Europe's history came to an end on July 7 when the final Fiesta subcompact hatchback rolled off the assembly line in Cologne, Germany.
But there's still hope for fans of small Ford runabouts in Europe. While the internal combustion engine-powered Fiesta is gone for good, Ford says electrification might provide a chance to bring the nameplate back in the future.
Ford Europe's passenger cars boss Martin Sander said in an interview with Automotive News Europe that the automaker is not ruling out building a battery-electric replacement for the Fiesta.
If that were to happen, the Fiesta EV would likely be a version of Volkswagen's upcoming affordable small EV, Sander said. When asked whether Ford would take a version of VW's MEB Entry platform for small EVs, he said the automaker has "a very constructive and positive cooperation with Volkswagen and we are possibly exploring opportunities to take that to the next level."
"Nothing has been decided, but I don't want to rule that out," Sander noted.
Gallery: Volkswagen ID. 2all Concept
Ford already has a deal with Volkswagen Group to build two electric vehicles based on the German carmaker's MEB platform. One of them is the Ford Explorer electric compact SUV, which will be built at the same Cologne plant as the outgoing Fiesta.
The SUV will arrive in European dealerships early next year with a price tag of around 45,000 euros, or just under $50,000. Starting next year, Ford's Cologne EV Center will also start making a second MEB-based model described as a "sports crossover" – most likely the coupe-styled version of the electric Explorer.
The Cologne factory has had a $2 billion revamp to build EVs based on VW Group's MEB platform, so theoretically it could accommodate production of a small EV derived from Volkswagen's upcoming sub-25,000 euro ($27,700) EV previewed by the ID.2 all concept.
Ford exited the small car market in Europe after the costs of meeting ever-stricter emissions standards became too high to make economic sense. “Smaller vehicles are smaller margin. We do not have the scale of the Volkswagen Group or Stellantis in Europe. Small vehicles like Fiesta are not the heartland of Ford Motor Company,” Sander said.
Of course, electrification could change that, so it remains to be seen if Ford, which has pledged to go all-electric in Europe by 2030, will reach a deal with Volkswagen on using its MEB Entry platform for small EVs.
