After almost three decades and four generations, the Ford Focus as it is known globally will ride off into the sunset with the impending closure of its last remaining factory in Saarlouis, Germany, by 2025.
The current global Ford Focus only has three years left
Ford of Europe Chairman Stuart Rowley confirmed this in a conference call with journalists last June 21. The Focus has seen sales decline in recent years due to the market’s preference for crossovers and electric vehicles, although an available battery-powered variant was offered for the U.S. and Europe between 2011 and 2018.
“We are seeking other alternative opportunities for vehicle production at Saarlouis, including other manufacturers,” Rowley said, adding that no additional or replacement model will be assigned to the plant just to sustain its operations.
Ford Philippines brought the second-generation model here in 2005
The Saarlouis production facility received a 600-million-euro (Php 34.8 billion) investment in 2017 to start production of the Focus a year later. It was recently edged out by Ford’s Valencia plant in Spain (which itself ceased production of another model, the Mondeo, last April) as a contender for producing the automaker’s next generation of EVs.
Rowley warned that both the Saarlouis and Valencia assembly lines, which employ 4,600 and 6,000 employees respectively, could face significant job cuts with the Blue Oval brand’s transition to electrified mobility.
Changan Ford recently updated the Focus for the 2023 model year in the Chinese market
The future of the Saarlouis factory had long been in doubt as Ford transferred assembly of its models to lower cost sites elsewhere in Europe. Its output was plagued by supply chain problems, resulting in wait times of more than 12 months. The SYNC4 touchscreen infotainment system used by the Focus is made in Ukraine, which is currently locked in a war with Russia, contributing to the delays.
Ford Philippines introduced the second-generation Focus four-door and five-door models to our market in 2005, lasting until it quietly phased out the third-generation model in 2019. However, the Focus nameplate lives on in China as one of the models produced by Ford’s joint venture with Changan.
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