Ford is investing in fresh new vehicles for Europe, after having axed a raft of key models there in pursuit of a lower-volume, higher-margin strategy that has arguably backfired.
The company has confirmed that by the end of 2029 it will launch five “all-new passenger vehicles, made in Europe for Europe”.
One of these will be a member of the growing Bronco global product family, a “rugged compact SUV” that’ll enter production in Valencia, Spain from 2028. This is understood to be a separate model to the mid-size Bronco Sport built in Mexico since 2020.
Ford has said it will be a “multi-energy” vehicle, but it’s unclear which powertrain types it will offer.
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Previous reports have indicated it will offer an available plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain as with the current Kuga, previously sold here as the Escape, and that it’ll share its platform.
Two additional “multi-energy” vehicles are also due by the end of 2029, which will be “rally-bred crossover models”. It’s expected one will serve as an indirect replacement for the Focus small car, which exited production last year.
The other two models confirmed by Ford are a pair of electric vehicles (EVs), which are likely the same models the Blue Oval announced last December it was co-developing with Renault.
One is described as a small SUV with a “rally-bred design language and drive dynamics”. It could slot into the narrow gap between the Puma Gen-E and Explorer electric SUVs, which measure 4214mm and 4460mm long, respectively.
The other is an electric hatch that “combines distinct design with Ford’s signature driving dynamics, injecting ‘race to road’ capabilities into the B-segment”.
The term B-segment refers to the light-car segment in which the Ford Fiesta competed, before production ended in 2023.
A single shadowy teaser shows four of the five new models will share similar-looking split-level lighting elements up front, while the other is plainly a member of the Bronco family as evidenced by its boxier body and round headlights.
Ford says strategic partnerships are now central to how it competes in Europe.
The Blue Oval already offers two SUVs in Europe developed by a rival brand: the Explorer and Capri, both of which are based on Volkswagen’s MEB dedicated EV architecture.
As previously announced, Ford will employ a Renault EV architecture – likely AmpR Small, as used for models such as the Renault 5 – for two new EVs which the French automaker will build in Douai, France.
As with the Volkswagen-based Fords, these Renault-based models are expected to have completely different interior and exterior designs to their platform-mates.
“By combining the expertise, industrial footprint and supply base of Ford and its partners, both gain the efficiency, competitiveness and manufacturing reach needed to win in one of the world’s most competitive regions,” Ford says in its release.
Ford is also collaborating with Renault on commercial vehicles, as it is with Volkswagen. The Blue Oval remains a major player in the European light commercial vehicle market with its range of Transit-badged vans.
Renault already shares platforms with its Alliance partner Nissan, and this new partnership could see the B/light-car segment comprise three models based on the same platform: the Renault 5, Nissan Micra, and the Ford Fiesta replacement.
The Blue Oval also used its latest product announcement to call on regulators in Europe to be more “realistic” with legislation affecting the automotive industry.
“Ford is committed to supporting customers on the journey to a zero-emission future, but when emissions targets are decoupled from the reality of consumer demand, the consequences are counterproductive: buyers hold on to older, higher-emission vehicles for longer, and the economics of industrial investment are undermined,” it said in its press release.
“In addition, ‘Made in Europe’ rules must reflect the reality of integrated regional supply chains and the important role of regional partners like Türkiye, Morocco and the UK play in our industrial ecosystem.
“Excluding or restricting these markets will undermine European competitiveness and will ultimately increase costs for consumers.
“What Europe urgently needs is a regulatory framework that aligns targets with consumer choice and provides a realistic, reliable planning horizon.”
Ford says it wants CO2 targets to reflect “actual consumer demand and infrastructure reality”, and for legislation to continue to support and encourage vehicles such as PHEVs and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs).
Ford already has a wide range of EVs in Europe, including the Puma Gen-E, Explorer, Capri and Mustang Mach-E SUVs. Only the latter is offered in Australia.
There’s also a range of electric commercial vehicles, including the E-Transit Custom and E-Transit vans available in Australia, and the smaller E-Transit Courier which isn’t.
While Ford of Europe once competed in every major market segment, it has been scaling back its range over the past few years.
It said in February 2023 it was reinventing itself in Europe, with a focus on profitability and a new lineup of “iconic vehicles” – in short, focusing on key segments with more distinctive offerings. It also simultaneously announced it was eliminating 3800 product development and administrative jobs on the continent.
“We’re getting out of the boring-car business and into the iconic-vehicle business,” Ford CEO Jim Farley told Car in 2024.
“We’d always competed at the heart of the passenger-car market, which didn’t work out too well for Mondeo, Focus and Fiesta. They were loved by a lot of customers but they could never justify more capital allocation – unlike commercial vehicles.”
It now offers just one passenger car, the Mustang, after ending production of the Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy over the past few years.
However, recent products such as the Volkswagen-based Capri and Explorer EVs haven’t proved to be strong sellers.
Back in its heyday Ford had a market share of around 12 per cent and was one of the Continent’s major automakers, but now it holds less than five per cent of the European market.