Goodbye Ford Focus: the end is nigh for family hatch legend after nearly 30 years
Ford’s family hatchback favourite is being axed as the brand focuses its efforts on EVs
Production of the Ford Focus will halt in November this year, Auto Express has confirmed, 27 years after the first generation of the family hatchback was launched in 1998.
The Focus has been a fixture on UK roads since its introduction, but news of its demise doesn’t come as a surprise as the company had announced the decision back in 2022 – the same year the Ford Mondeo was axed in Britain, before the Ford Fiesta was laid to rest in 2023.
The long-serving trio were axed as Ford focuses its attention on launching new electric cars in Europe, such as the Explorer SUV and Capri coupé-SUV that arrived last year. However, demand for Ford’s EVs has been lower than expected, as the company confirmed when announcing more job cuts recently due to concerns for the health of its passenger car business.
Every generation of Focus has been built in Ford’s Saarlouis plant in Germany, where the Escort and some of the brand’s other classic models were also made. The facility has been making cars since 1970, but production will come to an end when the final Focus rolls off the line in November. The plant is set to be repurposed for future use, although specifically what that constitutes remains unclear.
Regarding the Focus, Ford said in a statement to Auto Express: “The Focus has been an important part of the Ford family in Europe for over 20 years, and we are deeply grateful for the loyalty and passion our customers have shown for this iconic vehicle.”
The brand also reassured owners that their maintenance needs will still be catered for. “We remain committed to serving our Focus customers with ongoing service, parts, and support.”
At the time of writing, it appears that Ford is still taking orders for the Focus, with the hatchback starting from £28,500 and the more practical estate car version priced from £29,660.
The excellent Ford Focus ST hot hatch is also still listed on the company’s online configurator to order from £37,705, and with the option of an old-school, six-speed manual gearbox.
We’re not aware of any plans for a direct successor to the Focus, although Ford is reportedly working on smaller, more affordable electric cars that we could easily envisage heralding the return of the Focus or Fiesta name – especially after the Capri was reborn as an EV last year.
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