Ford has officially ended production of its legendary Focus, a model that sold over 10 million units over 27 years. The last example of the Focus, one of the most recognizable models on European roads, rolled off the production line at its Saarlouis plant in Germany on Friday, November 14th. This move marked the latest phase of Ford’s comprehensive model downsizing strategy in the European market.
Ford Focus is becoming history
Over the past few years, the brand’s iconic passenger models, such as the Fiesta and Mondeo, have been discontinued one by one. With the discontinuation of the Focus, Ford’s product line in Europe has become primarily comprised of SUVs and commercial vehicles.
The rationale behind this strategic decision became clear in an interview last year with Ford CEO Jim Farley. Farley stated that traditional passenger models, despite their popularity, do not generate sufficient profit margins.
It was shared that the development budgets for these models cannot be justified because the return on investment is low. Farley’s words, “We’re getting out of the boring car business and focusing on iconic vehicles,” summarized the company’s new direction.
However, this radical move appears to have led to a significant decline in Ford’s position in the European market. ACEA data reveals that Ford’s European market share has fallen from 7.2 percent in 2015 to 3.3 percent today. With the discontinuation of the Focus, this decline is expected to continue into 2026.
This is because demand for traditional cars remains strong in the European market. Traditional models such as the Sandero, Golf, Clio, 208, Octavia, and Yaris continue to top the sales charts in 2025.
How Ford will fill the void created by the Focus remains unclear. While the company’s German dealer network has been informed that new models are on the way, the first of these is likely to be a Focus-sized crossover.
This suggests the brand is determined to maintain its SUV-focused strategy rather than reverting to the traditional hatchback and sedan market. The Focus name may be reused on an electric SUV in the future.
