Report: Chances of New Fiesta, Fiesta ST Coming to America Looking Grim
So, hey, you know that new Ford Fiesta that just started rolling out in Europe? The one that would seemingly inevitably be made available in the United States within the next year or two even if it was not explicitly stated one way or another? About that…
Road & Track picked up a story initially published by Romanian auto news site 0-100.ro that seems to suggest that the Fiesta will only be made available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa henceforth. The reason for this speculation? This quote from Ford Germany’s small car program manager Robert Stiller:
The previous model was a global Ford product, and with the new generation, we are targeting only Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In North America—especially the United States—China, and Latin America, the demand for such vehicles is declining, and we are reacting accordingly.
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Stiller also indicated that Ford will only build the Fiesta at its Köln plant in Germany, meaning the end of production in Mexico. Given the decline in Fiesta sales, it is unlikely that Ford would go to the effort of importing it from Europe, particularly with Stiller’s revelation that it will no longer be offered as a sedan.
However, Road & Track does its best to maintain hope for performance enthusiasts holding onto the idea that the next-gen Fiesta ST will be US-bound by pointing to the outgoing version’s strong sales performance. Given Ford’s ambition to further bolster its crossover portfolio, it is also not outside the realm of possibility that the new Fiesta Active crossover might also inevitably be imported.
Ford told R&T that “Fiesta continues to play an important role in our portfolio. We’ll have more to say about Fiesta in markets outside of Europe at a later date.” Stay tuned.
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Via: Road & Track
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