The Blue Oval is interested to sell the Saarlouis model where it was built.
After three decades of continuous production and five generations, Ford assembled the final Mondeo at Valencia’s plant on April 4. Reports began to doubt the future of the Focus quickly, with Automotive News Europe’s sister publication Automobilwoche claiming that production would be drastically reduced after August 29. Why? You can blame your neighbors for buying crossovers at the expense of traditional cars.
It turns out that it is worse for the Volkswagen Golf competitor as the compact model will be discontinued in 2025. The facelifted Mk4 effectively means that the model will be discontinued. There are no plans to revive the once popular moniker in the EV era. Side note: The Focus was available as an electric hatchback in the Mk3 era. Today, Ford of Europe’s head honcho Stuart Rowley spoke out to journalists and confirmed that the Focus was on its way. The future of Saarlouis’ German plant is in doubt as the Blue Oval has admitted that it hasn’t found a way to keep the factory running after the car’s end in three years.
Both the Focus and the Mondeo are made in China for local markets. The midsize model has been upgraded to a new generation. This means that it will be available in the People’s Republic for a long period of time. It was also given a makeover, which suggests it will be around for a while. The global Focus has been hard hit by supply shortages in the interim, leading to wait times exceeding 12 months. The main problem is the SYNC4 infotainment systems made in war-torn Ukraine. This causes massive delays. Stuart Rowley acknowledged that there will be significant job cuts at Saarlouis, where Ford employs 4,600 workers.