Ford ne official Focus ko discontinue kar diya hai or production bhi end ho gaya hai. Kaafi time se lag raha tha ki yeh hone wala hai, aur ab finally wohi ho gaya. Last Friday, Ford ne Germany ke Saarlouis plant mein Focus ka last model assemble kiya. Ek tarah se yeh ek era ka end hai. Focus 27 years tak production mein thi.
News portal Motor1 ko send kiye gaye ek email mein, Ford Europe ke Manager of Corporate Communications, Volker Esi ne yeh news share ki unhone kaha "Main confirm kar sakta hoon ki last Focus Friday, 14 Nov ko produce hua hai. Woh ek white, five-door hatchback thi." official photo abhi tak release nahi ki gayi hai.
Focus ka production end hona kuch months baad aaya hai jab last sporty ST model bhi ek aur "fateful" 26 September ko assembly line se roll out kiya.
Big picture dekhein toh, Focus un kaafi cars mein se ek hai jise Ford ne Europe mein last few years mein discontinue kar diya. 2023 mein ford ne beloved Fiesta ko discontinue kar diya or usse ek saal pehle Mondeo bhi discontinue ho gayi. 2020 mein pint-sized Ka ko bhi discontinue kar diya gaya. In sab decision ki wajah se Ford ke portfolio mein ab koi bhi regular model nahi hai, ab sirf SUVs or commercial vehicles hi reh gaye hai.
Par Ford ne itne important models kyun discontinue kar diye? Sales toh itni buri bhi nahi thi. CAR Magazine ke saath approx one year pehle ek interview mein Ford ke CEO Jim Farley ne bataya ki company ko in car model se enough profit nahi earn ho raha tha. Inka profit margin itni kam tha ki future mein inka development cost bhi justify nahi ho pa raha tha, whether cars kitni hi popular kyun na ho.
Yeh wala statement aur bhi zyada controversial tha. unhone kaha "Hum boring cars par ab focus karna kam kar denge. or sirf iconic vehicles par focus or develpo karenge". But in "boring" cars ko retire karne ka Ford ko Europe mein kaafi loss hua hai. ACEA ke data ke according 2015 ke end tak Ford ka market share Europe mein 7.2% tha, jo September 2025 tak down hokar 3.3% reh gaya hai.
Ab jab Focus line-up bahar ho gaya hai, toh yeh expected karna bilkul reasonable hai ki 2026 mein Ford ka market share or gir jayega, because pehli baar unke paas koi proper mainstream passenger car hi nahi hogi. like, kabhi bhi nahi hua aisa.
Haan, Mustang ko bhool nahi rahe, but wo ek niche wali pony car hai. Crossover or SUVs ka craze abhi top par hai, but VW, Renault or stellantis jaise groups abhi bhi normal cars sell karke kaafi accha kaam kar rahe hai.
Dataforce ki sales report ke according, First 10 months mein Europe mein Dacia Sandero, VW Golf or Renault Clio sabse zyada sale hone wale models rahe. Peugeot 208, Skoda Octavia or Toyota Yaris bhi top 10 mein aaye. means public ko abhi bhi traditional cars kaafi pasand aa rahi hai.
Ford Europe maybe comeback ki tayyari kar raha hai. Is saal ke start mein, German business newspaper Automobilwoche ne report kiya tha ki dealers ko bata diya gaya hai ki new models aa rahe hai. But jo pehla model hoga, woh maybe ek focus-size ki crossover hogi, normal hatchback ya sedan nahi. Ab yeh Kuga (jise U.S. mein Escape kehte hai) ke comparison mein kaise position hogi, woh abhi clear nahi hai. Par lagta hai company regular cars ko almost completely avoid karne ka plan bana rahi hai.
But ek exception hai. Despite the mustang, jiska humne pehle mention kiya tha, Ford abhi bhi kuch markets mein Mondeo/Taurus mid-size sedan sale karte hai.
Image & News Courtesy: motor1