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Ford remains a minor player in Europe despite decades of efforts to one-up its local competitors. Now, it’s taking a new approach by scrapping most of its original European lineup in favor of “more American” Fords that it thinks Europeans will pay dearly for.
Ford Europe has cultivated its unique products for decades, from the Mondeo sedan to the Fiesta and Focus hatchback, with a selection of these vehicles traveling across the Atlantic. However, because of Ford’s small market share, its deals with suppliers are not as economical as those of its larger rivals, including Stellantis and Volkswagen, according to Automotive News Europe. That means when it competes on price, Ford makes less profit per sale. Ford probably wants to change that, but not by trying to out-European the Europeans. Instead, Ford will play up its American roots under the advice of Ford Europe’s head of strategy and business, Christian Weingärtner.
“We are seizing the opportunity to completely reposition ourselves,” Weingärtner explained to the German outlet Automobilwocheas translated by Automotive News Europe. “Our future models will be more American, and from 2030 they will all be electric. […] No more ‘plain vanilla’ with us.”
To that end, Ford Europe will pull some of its original European models, phasing out the Fiesta in 2023 and the Focus in 2025. Instead, it will mirror the US’s emphasis on high-margin products, such as crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks, which led to the end of Ford sedans in the late 2010s. The Ranger Raptor is reportedly launching across Europe today, and it will be followed in the spring by the Bronco. Both fit into a new “Adventurous Spirit” identity, meant to embrace American-esque ideas of “freedom, the outdoors and adventure.”
At the same time, the scheme had to accommodate Ford’s reorientation towards electric vehicles. For example, the factory where the Fiesta is made will switch to producing a pair of EVs, both based on Ford partner VW’s MEB platform. In 2024, it will also offer the Puma EV as an electric subcompact to make three new EVs sold in the next two calendar years.
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