Ford will officially be ending production of the Focus in November, wrapping up the model’s quarter-century of service. While Blue Oval had announced that the compact car would be discontinued back in 2022, we now have an official timeline for its discontinuation.
Designed to appeal to European tastes and serve as a successor to the Escort, the Focus won European Car of the Year for 1999. It had been on sale for roughly twelve months. Americans would start seeing the hatchback appear in driveways by 2000.
In the following years, Ford would deliver a wagon and performance variants of the model as it started to appear in motorsport (particularly within rallying and touring series). Three successive generations would follow, garnering sedan versions and even a crossover-inspired trim. While North America wouldn’t always have the same version of the model that was being sold in Europe the Focus typically filled a similar niche.
Most people buying the Focus were in the market for modestly sized, economical transportation or an entry level performance vehicle that wouldn’t break the bank. America received the SVT version while Europe received the mechanically similar ST. It was followed by the much hotter RS variants, which North America wouldn’t see until the 2016 model year.
Sadly, we would also see the Focus leave our market in 2018 and persist elsewhere. But Ford announced that it was probably not going to be long for this world in 2022. The projected timeline for its European demise was late in 2025 and the company has indeed adhered to that statement.
Autoweek recently asked the manufacturer for an update on the status of the Focus and was told by an official spokesperson that November would be its final month of production.
“The Focus has been an important part of the Ford family in Europe for over 25 years, and we are deeply grateful for the loyalty and passion our customers have shown for this iconic vehicle,” they said. “As previously announced, we are now focused on delivering a new generation of exciting electric vehicles to customers across Europe, and the production of the Ford Focus will therefore cease in November 2025. We remain committed to serving our Focus customers with ongoing service, parts, and support.”
The vehicle replacing the Focus will be the all-electric Ford Capri. While the original model effectively served as the European equivalent of the Mustang, the forthcoming EV doesn’t really resemble it in any way. Rather than being a rear-drive pony car offering an array of gasoline-driven engines (including the desirable Essex 3.0-liter V6), the upcoming Capri is a compact crossover that’s closely related to the Volkswagen ID.4 because it rides on VW’s MEB platform.
[Images: Ford Motor Co.]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
