Ford will stop assembling its Fiesta hatchback in Cologne, Germany on Friday, July 7, marking an end in the 47-year-long history of the model. Declining demand and EV market expansion are both given as reasons.
Once empty, the assembly lines will switch to producing a new Explorer EV for Europe. It has already been introduced: despite being a crossover SUV, it comes based on the Volkswagen MEB architecture and has nothing in common with its namesake from the USA.
The first generation of the Fiesta went into production in June 1976. It was equipped with engines ranging from 1.0 to 1.6 liters in displacement. The car has grown by half a meter (20 inches) from its first design version to the current – seventh – but the engine volume has stayed consistent throughout the decades thanks to gradual turbo improvements.
Up until recently, Ford had offered a three-door version of the hatchback alongside the five-door one. Most other automakers have ditched this body style long before due to its low popularity, but Ford continued to offer a Fiesta like that.
Now that the classic catch is (almost) gone, the next in line is the Ford Focus. The model is going to be discontinued in a few years without any successor to take its place.