Cologne, Germany - The Ford Fiesta has already run its course in South Africa, with the local division having discontinued it earlier this year, but now the compact hatchback model is facing the axe overseas too.
Following rumours of its demise, Ford released a statement on Wednesday confirming that Fiesta production at its home plant in Cologne, Germany, would end in June 2023, Autocar reported.
This comes as the company ramps up its electric car plans, with three new battery-powered passenger vehicles set to be launched in Europe by 2024, including an electric version of the Puma crossover, which effectively replaces the Fiesta.
Ford is also set to stop production of the Spanish-built Galaxy and S-Max MPVs, which were never sold in South Africa.
Internationally the Ford Fiesta has been around for almost 50 years, in which time it became one of the company’s best-selling vehicles ever, achieving a total volume of around 16 million.
South Africa only got the Fiesta from the fourth-generation onwards, and this was the only version that was built locally.
It was replaced by a redesigned imported model in 2003, and this generation also ushered in an ST hot hatch for the first time.
The sixth-generation, introduced in 2008, replaced its somewhat boxy predecessor with a swoopy new design inspired by the Verve concept. The seventh and final generation of the Fiesta was also introduced to South Africa, although the facelifted version never made it to our market.
The Ford Fiesta was always a fun hatchback to steer, even the more ordinary versions, and for that reason we’re going to miss it a lot.