End Of The Road For Ford Fiesta As Focus Shifts To Electric Models

• Ford Fiesta was in its seventh generation overseas. 

• The model was initially introduced in India as the Ikon and continued until 2015. 

• Ford is focusing on electrified and all-electric vehicles instead of pure ICE models. 

• EcoSport, Puma and Focus will continue to be the marque’s entry-level models overseas. 

Ford has announced that it’s retiring the global Fiesta model line after 46 years of its existence in global markets. 2023 will be the final production year for the hatchback in Europe, as Ford continues to focus on electrified and fully electric vehicles. 

With more carmakers moving towards EVs and compact SUVs cannibalising the sales of hatchbacks, fun-to-drive small cars such as the Fiesta are a dying breed, especially in overseas markets such as Europe and North America. 

Why will Ford discontinue the Fiesta? 

Current-gen Ford Fiesta Active

While the carmaker hasn’t explicitly stated a reason for the discontinuation, the race towards electrification is the likely culprit. Despite being a relatively older model (the Fiesta hasn’t seen a generation change since 2017), its sales are still going strong in some markets such as the UK, where it figures among the top 10 best-selling cars. 

That said, the hatchback is still limited to a small number of overseas markets and no longer exists in Ford’s home country, the USA. As parts cost rise, the price gap is closing between the Fiesta hatchback and compact SUVs such as the EcoSport. 

Ford Fiesta in India 

The Ford Fiesta first arrived in India in 1999 as the Ikon sedan that was, in fact, the fourth-generation Fiesta. It quickly became the enthusiasts’ favourite with its powerful 1.6-litre petrol engine option and fun-to-drive dynamics. 

Later in 2005, Ford introduced the fifth-generation model with the ‘Fiesta’ name for the first time. The Fiesta sedan even received a sporty ‘S’ variant – the first of its kind from the carmaker, with a reworked suspension and other components for better handling. It lived a long life in India and was even sold alongside its successor, having been aptly renamed as the Fiesta Classic. 

Ford even brought in the sixth-generation global Ford Fiesta sedan to India, debuting the 1.5-litre Ti-VCT engine alongside features such as cruise control, six airbags and connected car tech. 

However, the global Fiesta wasn’t as successful as its predecessors and was discontinued in 2015, just four years after its debut. All generations of the Fiesta, including the Ikon, are still revered by petrolheads in India to this day. 

Ford’s future plans 

The US-based caramaker doesn’t have any electric replacement for the Fiesta hatchback yet, although it’s not impractical to think there could arrive a Ford hatchback later in the future. For now, the Mustang Mach E and F-150 Lightning are the only fully electric models in Ford’s global lineup. 

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Closer to home, Ford India has shut down its production operations, but is expected to bring in the Mach E SUV alongside the new seventh-generation Mustang to our shores.

Fiesta 1.6s image credits: Rohil Nair